German Pretzels / Laugenbrezeln
Techniques
Notes
- Lye solution is caustic and contact with skin should be avoided. Fumes can also be an issue.
- Shaping how-to coming soon. Serious Eats shaping advice is good.
- Still trying to get a handle on the blistering. Have heard differing reports on reasons for this. Some ways to avoid this to try:
- Lower temperature on bake and/or avoid convection mode
- Form a thicker ‘skin’ by leaving to dry longer after lye bath
- Longer lye bath, combined with either of the above to encourage a tougher skin.
Ingredients
- 500g flour (all purpose or bread flour)
- 15g brown sugar
- 30g butter (room temperature)
- 10g salt
- 4g dry yeast
- 275ml warm water
- 4% lye solution (12g lye to 300ml cold water)
- coarse or pretzel salt for topping
Method
- Mix sugar, water and yeast. Proof 5-10 minutes.
- Mix flour and salt.
- Add butter and yeast mixture to flour and salt.
- Let rest for 10 min.
- Knead for 10 min (by hand).
- Separate into 80-100g pieces.
- Shape. See how-to in notes.
- Rest, uncovered, for at least 30 min.
- Dip pretzels in lye solution for ~10 sec each, flipping halfway through. Once dipped, place on baking paper or silicone mat. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
- Rest, uncovered, in fridge until ready to bake.
- Optionally slit each pretzel, or let them crack during baking themselves.
- Bake at 180 degrees C (with fan) for ~12 minutes until evenly golden-brown. Watch them carefully and rotate as required.
Variations
- Pretzel rolls - Roll dough into balls and slit the top.
- Large pretzels - Separate into 250-300g pieces.
References