How to make Pretzels

A pretzel (known as Brezel in German) is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savoury or sweet flavours in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe. The pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical looped form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwine brought together and then twisted back onto itself in a certain way (“a pretzel loop”). Pretzels in stick form may also be called pretzels in the English-speaking context. For seasoning and decoration various glazes, salt crystals, sugar and various seeds or nuts can be used. The size varies from large enough for one to be a sufficient serving, to much smaller.

A bread pretzel popular in southern Germany and adjoining German-speaking areas, as well as in some areas of the United States, is made from wheat flour, water and yeast, usually sprinkled with coarse salt, hand-sized and made for consumption on the same day. It is relatively soft, rather than brittle. To avoid confusion with any other kind of pretzel, German speakers call this variety “Laugenbrezel” (lye pretzel) because it is dipped in lye solution (NaOH) before baking. Sweet pastry pretzels with many different textures, toppings and coatings, are made. Crisp hard pretzels, e.g. pretzel sticks and a variety of shapes basically made from the same ingredients, have evolved from the lye pretzel by baking out excess moisture, thereby increasing shelf life and crispness.

Recipe for Pretzels

Makes 48
15g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast or 7g (1/4 oz) dried yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (8 fl oz) lukewarm milk
30g (1 oz) butter, melted and cooled
3 cups (12 oz) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm milk. Set it aside until it froths. Stir the melted butter into the remaining milk. Sift the flour and salt into a warmed bowl (add half the caraway seeds, if using them) and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk-butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Then turn out onto a floured board and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic. This will take 8
to 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the rinsed-out and lightly-greased bowl, cover with a towel and leave it in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down and knead again, this time for about 4 minutes. Using your hands, form the dough into a sausage, about 30 cm (12 in) long. Cut the dough into 48 equal pieces and roll each piece out into a sausage about 15 cm (6 in) long. To form them into pretzels, hold one end of the dough strip in each hand and form into a circle. Make a knot in the dough, and press the ends back on to the circle of dough (see photograph above)

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the pretzels, a few at a time so that you don’t crowd the pan, and cook them until they rise to the surface (this will take about 1 minute). Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them in a colander. Cook the remaining pretzels in the same way.

Place the pretzels on greased baking sheets and brush them with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and, if you desire, the remaining caraway seeds. Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool on wire racks.

Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

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