If you are from North America, you might mainly know pretzels out of a bag as a small crispy snack. One German pretzel with some classic Obatzda – the great Bavarian cheese spead! German Pretzels vs North American Pretzels So, we’re confident with our German pretzel recipe without lye since it still creates the perfect pretzels with a soft center and golden brown outside.
We use baking soda and it gives the pretzels the same outer color. That’s why we – and many other non-professional bakers – don’t like use lye in our kitchen. Lye is a basic (on the pH scale) and dangerous chemical compound. The secret to German pretzels is to make them with lye – it’s how they get their color when baked. Lisa likes her pretzels warm out of the oven with a little bit of butter while Eric likes them with as much coarse salt as possible! Making German Pretzels Without Lye
When Eric came along, pretzels became something we’d grab when on-the-run travelling from city to city by bus or train. Lisa grew up in Germany – she’s actually from Bavaria – so she used to eat pretzels all the time. You can find the same dough that these pretzels are made from also in the shape of a small “baguette” – then they are called Laugenstangen. There are different types of pretzels in Germany, but the Laugenbrezel is by far the most common one. Serve warm.Our German Pretzels were straight-up mouthwatering…Īs we mentioned, these pretzels are called Laugenbrezeln in Germany, sometimes also just Brezn, or even some other regional names. As soon as pretzels are removed from oven, dust lightly with smoked paprika. Turn each pretzel over in cheese until coated and place back on baking sheet. Gruyère-paprika variation (adapted from Sigmund Pretzel Shop, New York): In Step 6, instead of sprinkling pretzels with salt, place 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese in a shallow bowl. Remove to a rack and serve warm.įood-grade lye is sold at and the Brooklyn Kitchen, (718) 389-2982. Bake about 15 minutes or until deep brown. Dip each pretzel in solution, turning it over for 10 to 15 seconds, and place back on baking sheet. 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. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.(Alternatively, form each piece into a round or oval to make laugenbrötchen, rolls.) Transfer shaped pretzels to an ungreased baking sheet. Then gently spread out “shoulders” of pretzel. (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. Roll out each piece into a rope about 22 inches long.
Cut into 12 pieces and let rest 5 minutes. Turn out onto counter (or attach dough hook to mixer) and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and supple.Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture comes together in a shaggy mass. In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a mixer), stir together syrup, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half the flour.