Bavarian Pretzels Recipes

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.

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.

BAVARIAN PRETZELS/ PRETZEL ROLLS (LAUGENBREZELN)

Steps:

• Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Using the paddle attachment stir in the butter on low speed until it is evenly distributed and the texture of coarse cornmeal, 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in the water and sprinkle on the yeast and salt.
• Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium until very smooth and pliable, about 8-10 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large well oiled bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place, (70-75 degrees) for about 1 hour until it has slightly expanded and risen to a dome.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet, (I use parchment paper).
• Turn the dough out onto an unfloured countertop and pat into a rough rectangle.
• Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
• At this point you can shape the dough into either pretzels or rolls.
• Arrange the rolls on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap.
• Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.The dough will not necessarily rise while refrigerated, but it helps them to hold their shape while handling.
• Boiling and Baking:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a wide 6 quart kettle, (I highly recommend you do not use a teflon coated kettle as I ruined my brand new Calphalon pot this way. The baking soda is acidic).
• ***IMPORTANT- Add the baking soda slowly, (The water will bubble like crazy when you add the baking soda and can boil over furiously if added too fast).
• Turn the heat down to a healthy simmer.
• Add the rolls 1 at a time to the boiling water and allow each roll to rise to the surface before adding the next one. (I only make about 3-4 at a time).
• After each roll has risen to the surface, let cook for about 20 seconds and then flip over with a slotted spoon and cook the other side for 20 seconds.
• Remove the rolls from the water with a slotted spoon, draining them well and place on a freshly oiled baking sheet. (I use parchment paper). Repeat until all rolls have been boiled.
• Sprinkle the rolls with salt or seeds if desired and place the baking sheet in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
• When nicely browned remove the rolls from the oven to a cooling rack and let cool at least 10 minutes.
• If you have any leftover, place the rolls in a plastic bag and they will be good for about 1-2 days, (We have never had leftovers *wink*).
• ****If making "Pretzel Dogs" simply flatten the piece of dough by hand into a rectangle (Step 10) big enough to accomodate your hot dog (I pat the hot dog dry with paper towels first). Place hot dog on long side of dough rectangle and roll up tucking in the sides and pinching the seams so they are well sealed. Continue with/to step 11.

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.
• 2. 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.
• 3. 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.
• 4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.