How to Shape Bavarian-Style Soft Pretzels

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: bread flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber while bread flour enhances chewiness.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil provides healthy fats and a distinct flavor.

coarse sea salt

🥗Healthier: kosher salt

💰Cheaper: table salt

Kosher salt is more accessible and dissolves well.

Mist the work surface with spray oil to prevent sticking.

Take one dough ball, pat it down, and roll it into a rope, squeezing and stretching as you go.

If the dough springs back, set it aside and work on another dough ball.

Continue rolling each dough ball into a rope until all are about 30 inches long.

Shape each rope into a U shape, cross the ends over, twist them, and fold them back to form the pretzel shape.

Transfer the shaped pretzels to a pan, pinching any loose ends back together.

Mist the pretzels with spray oil and cover them with plastic wrap.

Place the pretzels in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or up to a few days.

Dissolve 2 cups of Crystal lye in water, wearing protective gloves.

Stir the lye until fully dissolved, and place it in a safe bowl to avoid spills.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to dip the frozen pretzels into the lye solution for about 5 seconds, flipping them if necessary.

After dipping, pour the lye solution down the sink and flush with fresh water to clean the drain.

If using baking soda instead of lye, dip the pretzels in a baking soda solution, but note it may leave white streaks.

Brush the pretzels with egg wash after dipping to achieve a nice sheen before baking.

Let the pretzels rise until puffy before baking.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens