Pretzel Dough

• In your Kitchenaid Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the 220 grams of warm water, 120 grams of sourdough discard, 3 grams of sugar, and lastly the 7 grams of yeast. Let the yeast proof for 3-5 minutes.
• After this, add in the 45 grams of softened butter, 500 grams of bread flour, and lastly the 12 grams of salt. Mix with bread hook until everything comes together and then knead for 5-8 minutes. The dough shouldn't be too dry, or too wet and sticky. Adjust with minor amounts of flour or water to fix either, if necessary.
• Once the dough has finished kneading, remove it from the mixing bowl and place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for one hour somewhere warm. It should double in size.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with oil.
• After the first rise, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and shape them into rounds. Place each pretzel bun on the baking sheet, lightly spray them with oil, cover them with plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for another 20 minutes.
• While the pretzel buns are rising, fill a large pot with 5 cups of water and 3 tbsp baking soda. You need enough water so that the pretzel buns don't touch the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil and then turn off the stove.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• After the pretzels have risen for the last 20 minutes, use a slotted spoon to place them in the water upside down for 30 seconds, then flip them right side up for 30 seconds, and then return them to the baking sheet. Put as many in the pan as you can fit without them touching each other as they can get stuck together if they touch.
• Once all the pretzel buns have taken a dip in the baking soda water and are back on the baking sheet, place them on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until they are deep golden brown!
• After they are finished baking, remove them from the oven and brush melted butter over the top of each one of them. Then, remove them from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.
• Slice them in half and fill them with whatever goodness you'd like! Or just eat them plain and enjoy that amazing pretzel bun flavor!