Bavarian Pretzels Recipes

BREZELN - PRETZELS

Steps:

• Pour about half a cup of the lukewarm WATER into a small bowl and add the SUGAR.
• Sprinkle the YEAST on top and stir, then set aside.
• In the meantime put the FLOUR into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the soft BUTTER and the BAKING POWDER.
• Also add the remaining lukewarm WATER and then the yeast mix that you had set aside.
• Give it a short mix, then add the SALT.
• Now mix for 15 minutes, until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
• Let rise at a warm place until it has doubled in size (probably about 50 minutes to 1 hour).
• Knead the dough shortly with your hands, then divide it into 6 to 8 portions.
• Let rest for a couple of minutes, so you can shape the pretzels more easy.
• Take a dough portion and shape it into a string, where the center is significly thicker than the ends.
• Take the ends of the string in each hand and lift it up.
• Quickly cross your hands and move them back, while the string twists.
• Put the string down and secure the ends in place to finish the pretzel shape.
• Bring a pot with 2 liters of water to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and add 6 tbsp. of BAKING SODA.
• One after another, put the pretzels into the simmering soda water for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Remove the pretzels from the water and put them onto a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt and let rest and rise for another 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 395°F.
• Bake the pretzels for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on your oven) until they have the right color.
• Enjoy fresh and with some cold butter or Obatzda (recipe on the blog)

HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

PAPA DREXLER'S BAVARIAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 1/3 cup water. Let this mixture stand until bubble begin to form, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and gradually stir in the remaining flour until dough can be picked up and kneaded on the counter. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding more flour if needed.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces and let them rest for a few minutes. Roll out one piece at a time into a rope about 15 inches long. Loop and twist into that cool pretzel shape. Set on a baking sheet while you roll out the remaining portions.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bring the remaining 3 cups of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Remove from the heat. Dip pretzels into the water bath for about 45 seconds, flipping over about halfway through. Place the soaked pretzels on a greased baking sheet. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

AUTHENTIC GERMAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• Add 100g of flour flour, all the yeast and the water into a bowl. Mix, cover with cling-film and leave in a warm place for 5 hours + to create the yeast flavour. After that, add the rest of the flour, salt, milk, malt extract and melted butter. Mix and kneed the mixture to make a firm dough (around 10 minutes) and leave for approx 1 and a half hours or until a point pushed in gentle springs back.
• When ready, knock the dough back and start forming shapes. The easiest is to make batons around 2cm thick. If feeling adventurous, try the traditional shape. Roll the dough out to be a long (40 cm) rope with the middle 5cm bulged to a diameter of around 3 cm, tapering to the ends being around 0.75 cm thick. Bring the two ends together about 5 cm in, overlap them, twist, and bring back to go over the main body. Almost like tying a knot. Leave for 30 minutes uncovered in a warm room to rise and develop.
• In the meantime bring the 1.5 litres of water to the boil in a large pot (around 20cm diameter) and add the baking soda. If you can find food grade sodium hydroxide (lye) use that at 3-4 tbs per litre, but be VERY careful and DO NOT let children near it. ALWAYS wear gloves and eye protection, or do as I do and go nowhere near it!
• Once the dough has risen, place the trays next to a cold window with some wind blowing. A fan can be used if there is no breeze. This develops a skin on the pretzels which gives that special chewy texture. Once done drop the shaped dough into the boiling solution (one at a time) until they float (about 5 second), fish out with a fish slice (or similar) and lay on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with sea salt (lightly at first, you find your own taste preference later) and slash the dough to a depth of around 1cm in the thick part at the top-back. If you want to top with cheese, leave off the salt, and add the cheese once the pretzel is baked, so 5 to 10 minutes extra in the oven later.
• Add the baking sheets to the 200C oven for around 16 minutes, until a nice deep bready brown is seen on the pretzels. Don't go for gold or chestnut, go for brown, the flavour goes with it!
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. They taste good warm, but better when cooled and crisped. Great for eating with beer, on the go, with friends, or cut open and used as the base for cheese on toast.

BAVARIAN-STYLE SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a mixer), stir together syrup, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half the flour. Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture comes together in a shaggy mass.
• Turn out onto counter (or attach dough hook to mixer) and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and supple. Cut into 12 pieces and let rest 5 minutes.
• Roll out each piece into a rope about 22 inches long. (For traditional shape, the ends should be thin and the center fat.) Lift both ends, twist them around each other once, then bring ends back and press them on either side of fat "belly," at about 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Then gently spread out "shoulders" of pretzel. Transfer shaped pretzels to an ungreased baking sheet. (Alternatively, form each piece into a round or oval to make laugenbrötchen, rolls.)
• Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a deep bowl, wearing rubber or latex gloves, make a solution of 1/2 cup lye and 10 cups water (or 1 part lye to 20 parts water); pour lye carefully into water to avoid splashing. Dip each pretzel in solution, turning it over for 10 to 15 seconds, and place back on baking sheet.
• Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until deep brown. Remove to a rack and serve warm.

AUTHENTIC GERMAN SOFT PRETZEL (LAUGENBREZELN)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Proof the yeast by dissolving it in 1/4 cup warm water and sugar for 5 minutes.
• Measure the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt, the proofed yeast, and 1 cup of warm water. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment until flour mixture comes together into a stiff ball. Add more warm water as needed to form the dough.
• Knead for 5 minutes and let rest for a few minutes.
• Add the butter and knead for at least 5 more minutes or until butter is fully incorporated. At this time, the dough should be firm and velvety to the touch.
• Form into a ball, butter all surfaces, and let rise until double, about 1 hour, in a warm spot.
• Place wax paper on a baking sheet.
• De-gas ( punch down ) the dough.
• Divide it into 12 (2-ounce) pieces. Form the dough into balls.
• Using very little flour, form balls into 1-foot long strands, thicker in the middle and tapering towards the ends.
• Take each strand and roll out again to form 2-foot strands.
• Twist into a pretzel shape, using a little water to make the ends stick to the loop. Experienced pretzel bakers can flip pretzels into shape in the air, but most people have to coax them.
• Place the pretzels on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. This dries out the surface and makes them easier to handle.
• Make sure that you put on gloves and safety glasses.
• Place 1 quart of water in a plastic or glass container, weigh 1 ounce of food grade or reagent grade sodium hydroxide into a bowl, and add slowly to the water, stirring with a plastic spoon or similar object. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER, not the other way around! For scientists: The lye solution will be approximately 0.75 M NaOH (FW 39.99g/mol) or almost 3 percent w/w.
• Remove pretzels from the refrigerator and dip each for 30 seconds in the lye solution.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a greased or parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle pretzel with salt. Make a deep cut through the thick part of the pretzel horizontally with a razor blade or lame. Let pretzels rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 F. Bake pretzels for 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

HOMEMADE GERMAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Mix flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the flour mixture then add the sugar to the center of the well. Pour the yeast/water mixture into the well. Let it rest for 15 minutes before mixing.
• Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl and knead everything to a smooth dough. I used the dough hook on my Kitchenaid for about 6 minutes on speed #2, I did have to add about a tablespoon of additional water as it was not quite gathering all the dry ingredients. Remove the dough hook and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough into twelve equal parts, then roll each piece on the table (don't flour the surface, you shouldn't need it) to about 20 inches, tapered toward the ends. Don't make it smaller than 20 inches as it's impossible to get a good shape with a short, thick rope of dough. The dough should not get too warm as you roll it out, or it might tear.
• To form the pretzel shape, place dough rope on parchment lined cookie sheet so that it creates the shape of the letter "U". Take both ends of the "U" and cross them over each other twice forming a twist. Bring that twist down and place it over the bottom curve of the "U".
• Place the pretzels without covering them in the fridge for about an hour. This helps build a skin that will absorb the dipping solution better and make a beautiful shiny crust.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Fill large stock or pasta pot 3/4 full and bring the water to a boil. Carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. There will be a reaction when the baking soda hits the water and it will bubble furiously for a moment and then relax. Stand back a bit just to be safe. Using a slotted spoon, gently drop each pretzel into the bath for 10 seconds, then turn over for another 10. Astrid called for a total of 10 seconds only. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Score the dough once like for a baguette with a razor blade or sharp knife.
• Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for about 15 to 20 minutes (mine took 20 minutes for a nice dark crust), depending on how dark you like them.

GERMAN PRETZELS (LAUGENBREZELN)

Steps:

• Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and give everything a good stir.
• Sprinkle the instant yeast on top, then give it another stir.
• Add the butter. Then slowly pour in the warm milk and water a little bit at a time while kneading the dough with the spiral dough hooks of your electric mixer. Alternatively, you can use your hands - you just might have to knead a bit longer.
• Keep kneading until you have an elastic-feeling dough that forms a ball and doesn't stick to the side of the bowl anymore. If your dough is too dry, add a little bit more water. On the other hand, if it is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.
• Form a nice ball with your hands and cover the bowl with the dough inside with a dishtowel or a lid. Place it in a warm spot without draft for an hour to allow the dough to rise.
• Once the hour is over and the dough has noticeably increased in size, sprinkle a little bit of flour onto your countertop. Knead the dough briefly with your hands, then cut or rip it into eight equal pieces.
• Using your hands, roll out these pieces into at least 26 inch long rolls. Make sure that the two ends are thinner than the middle to give the pretzels their distinct shape. If it is difficult to roll the dough/make it longer, lightly wet your hands with water - a little bit (but not too much!) of moisture can really help.
• Once you have rolled the dough pieces into long "sausages" with tapered ends, give them their unique pretzel shape. Just remember to follow "loop, loop, twist, press". If you need help, see the photo above for reference.
• Place the pretzels on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and bring approximately 4 cups of water to a boil in a large, flat pot.
• Once the 15 minutes are up and the water is boiling, add the baking soda, give it a stir with a spoon and remove the pot from heat.
• With a flipper or straining spoon, lower each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and allow for a 30-second bath. Make sure the whole pretzel is covered in liquid. If it isn't you, can flip the pretzel over after 15 seconds or baste the top of the pretzel with water in the pot. With a straining spoon, carefully remove the pretzel and allow excess water to drip off.
• Place the pretzel back on the parchment paper and sprinkle it with coarse salt, if desired. Some people like lots of salt, others like just a little bit - so this is really up to personal preference. Repeat these steps until all pretzels had their bath and are sprinkled with salt.
• Bake the pretzels in the middle rack of your oven for approximately 20 minutes until they are nicely brown in color. If your pretzels don't fit onto one baking sheet (and they probably won't), we'd recommend baking the pretzels in two rounds so that they get the heat they need (having two baking sheets in the oven can block the heat if you are using top and bottom heat).
• Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them sit for around 5-10 minutes. They can be enjoyed warm or cold - and taste delicious with a little bit of butter.

BAVARIAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• Mix brown sugar and warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Add melted butter and beer to the yeast mixture and whisk until combined. Add bread flour and salt. Mix and then knead with your hands or an electric mixer for a few minutes until a dough ball forms.
• Grease a bowl with 1 teaspoon butter. Place dough in the bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 8 hours, or overnight.
• Punch down the dough and knead until a smooth ball of dough is formed, about 1 minute. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise until dough has almost doubled in size, 2 to 3 more hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place baking soda in an oven-safe dish.
• Place baking soda in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool, and then whisk into a shallow bowl of 2 1/2 cups hot water until dissolved. Mixture can be strained to remove any dissolved pieces. Reserve until needed.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball; let sit for 5 minutes.
• To form a pretzel, roll a dough ball into a sausage shape, and then press into a small rectangle with your fingers. Fold the outside third of the dough into the center, and press flat with your fingertips, and then repeat with the edge closest to you.
• Roll the dough into a rope 15 to 18 inches long, with the center (belly) of the rope being twice as thick as the ends. Cross the ends once or twice and fold them back over the pretzel so the ends are just past the belly. Repeat to form remaining pretzels.
• Put on some thin, food-safe gloves and transfer a pretzel to the baking soda bath; soak for 20 to 30 seconds, gently splashing liquid over the top of the pretzel to coat. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet that's been greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle the still-damp pretzel with large-grain sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Use a razor or sharp knife to make a slash across the "belly" of each pretzel. Smaller cuts can also be made on other sides of the pretzel if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until well browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.