REAL German Pretzels - Best

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: bread flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier with unsaturated fats.

coarse salt

🥗Healthier: sea salt

💰Cheaper: table salt

Sea salt provides a different flavor profile.

malt syrup

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds sweetness and moisture.

In a bowl, combine 3.5 cups of flour (or 500 grams) with 300 grams of warm milk.

Add 2 teaspoons of dry yeast and let it sit.

Mix in 10 grams of salt, 40 grams of melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of malted barley flour (or 1 tablespoon of sugar if preferred).

Knead the mixture into a simple yeast dough and let it sit in a warm spot for about an hour until it doubles in size.

Divide the dough into portions weighing about 80 to 85 grams each.

Roll each portion into a long string with a thicker piece in the middle, then shape into a pretzel by crossing the ends over and pressing them down.

Transfer the shaped pretzels to a baking sheet and repeat until all dough is shaped.

Place the pretzels in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm them up (or refrigerate for about an hour).

Prepare a lye bath by mixing 1 liter of water with 60 grams of baking soda (or use food-grade lye with caution).

Dunk each pretzel into the lye bath for about 30 seconds, using gloves and goggles for safety, then transfer back to the baking tray.

Cut a small slit into the thickest part of each pretzel to help them open during baking.

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse pretzel salt before baking.

Bake the pretzels until golden brown and enjoy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens