Authentic German Pretzel Recipe
These pretzels have the incredible chewy crust that a soft pretzel should have. The secret is in the preparation and one key ingredient.
Servings 10 Pretzels
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional but recommended
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 grams AP flour (4 cups)
- 3/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 280 ml Warm water
- 20 grams Salted butter, room temperature (1-1/2 tbsp)
- Coarse sea salt for topping (not kosher salt)
Lye Bath
- 10 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup Food-grade lye
Instructions
Pretzel Dough
- Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix to combine.
- Add the warm water and butter and using the dough hook on your stand mixer, begin to mix on low speed. Increase speed slowly to get dough to incorporate. Dough will look shaggy but come together as it continues to be kneaded. Knead for 8-10 minutes until dough is very smooth and firm. If making dough by hand, combine ingredients in a bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, adding flour as needed.
- Once kneading is done, cover the dough with a clean towel and rest for 15 minutes.
- Next, divide the dough into ten equal pieces, roll into a ball, cover the balls with a towel and rest for an additional 5 minutes.
- Take one of the balls of dough and without using any flour, roll dough out on the counter into a long strand roughly 24" in length. The strand should be uniform in diameter if you're looking to make Bavarian style pretzels.
- Lay the strand in an upside-down horseshoe shape. take each end of the strand, cross them over each other and press into the top of the horseshoe. Transfer the pretzel to a baking tray. Repeat with the other 9 pieces of dough.
- Let the pretzels rest uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes and then transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Pre-baking and Baking
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves for this next step. Turn on the vent in your kitchen and open the windows as well.
- In a large bowl, pour the warm water into the bowl and then gently add the lye to the water. Stir gently to dissolve the lye, taking care to avoid any splashes.
- Loosen each pretzel from the baking sheet and place in the lye bath for 10-15 seconds, turning the pretzels over halfway through.
- Place the pretzels back on the baking tray and reshape any that might have lost their shape during the lye bath.
- Sprinkle sea salt on the pretzels and place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pretzels are a deep mahogany brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Pretzels are best served warm day of.