Authentic German Pretzel Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

But it's the distinctive "pretzel" flavor that makes this bread extraordinary. That comes from dipping the shaped dough in an alkaline solution — traditionally a small amount of food-grade lye dissolved in water — before baking.

They were often distributed to the poor as symbols of good luck for both physical and spiritual sustenance. By the seventeenth century, loops became symbols of undying love too. German children would wear pretzel necklaces on New Year's to symbolize good luck and prosperity in the next year as well.

Pretzels in Germany

The major difference between pretzels in different regions is their thickness. For example, the Swabian pretzels have thin “arms” and a fat “belly." They are quite rich in fat content. Whereas, in the Bavarian region the “arms” are thick and they have thin “bellies” to avoid the extra fat.

The German name "Brezel" may derive also from Latin bracellus (a medieval term for 'bracelet'), or bracchiola ('little arms'). The pretzel has been in use as an emblem of bakers and formerly their guilds in southern German areas since at least the 12th century.

According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns. Once lye-dipped pretzels are baked, they're totally safe (and delicious!) to eat.

Unlike American soft pretzel, which are nice and plump, German-style pretzel dough is a slightly leaner dough with less butter in it. The Bavarian pretzel dough first starts out with a pre-ferment, which allows for the yeast to get a kick start and give the pretzel more flavor and dimension.

The main thing that sets the pretzels served at Oktoberfest (and throughout Germany) apart from their soft American counterparts is the use of lye to form a dark chewy crust.

The Origin of German Pretzels

Some historians believe that pretzels were created by monks as a way to reward children who learned their prayers, while others suggest that the pretzel's twisted shape may have been inspired by the shape of a person crossing their arms in prayer.

“Pretzels are a snack food made from enriched flour, which provides very little fiber and overall very little nutritional benefit,” registered dietitian Kate Patton told the magazine. Patton recommends that those in search of a healthier alternative choose nuts, seeds, roasted edamame or popcorn.

Are German pretzels good for you? ›

Unless they've been made with a whole grain flour such as rye, most pretzels are not very nutrient-dense, meaning they don't contain many beneficial nutrients relative to their calorie content. That's because most pretzels are made from refined wheat flour, also called white flour.

By 1440 the pretzel's form was a symbol of good luck, long life and prosperity. By 1450, Germans ate pretzels and hard-boiled eggs for dinner on Good Friday – the day of fasting.

Eier sounds very much like "eyes" and means quite innocently "eggs" but is also used as a colloquial term for "testicl*s".

Another legend ties the invention to a French monastery while another says they were invented by German bakers who were held hostage, for some reason or another. The earliest recorded evidence of pretzels appeared in the crest of the German bakers' guilds in 1111.

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

Yeast – Use instant yeast (or rapid rise yeast), not active dry yeast. Brown Sugar – Brown sugar helps give the classic flavor to our pretzel dough, and provides sugar for the yeast to feed on. Do not omit this! Salt – Salt provides flavor!

They're Boiled, Not Baked.

The dough is first shaped into a long rope and then boiled in water before being baked at a higher temperature than bread. This process creates a distinctive pretzel shape and gives them their unique taste.