German Bretzen Soft Pretzels Recipe 445 Food

BAVARIAN BRETZEN (SOFT PRETZELS)

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
• Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
• Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil.
• Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450°Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper, do not use wax paper--it will smoke, and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
• Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope.
• Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.
• Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Don't worry, they will sink to the bottom then float back to the top. If they fall apart in the water, just quickly reshape them when you place them back on the parchment.
• Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula.
• Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
• Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

AUTHENTIC GERMAN SOFT PRETZEL (LAUGENBREZELN)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Proof the yeast by dissolving it in 1/4 cup warm water and sugar for 5 minutes.
• Measure the flour into a mixing bowl, add the salt, the proofed yeast, and 1 cup of warm water. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment until flour mixture comes together into a stiff ball. Add more warm water as needed to form the dough.
• Knead for 5 minutes and let rest for a few minutes.
• Add the butter and knead for at least 5 more minutes or until butter is fully incorporated. At this time, the dough should be firm and velvety to the touch.
• Form into a ball, butter all surfaces, and let rise until double, about 1 hour, in a warm spot.
• Place wax paper on a baking sheet.
• De-gas ( punch down ) the dough.
• Divide it into 12 (2-ounce) pieces. Form the dough into balls.
• Using very little flour, form balls into 1-foot long strands, thicker in the middle and tapering towards the ends.
• Take each strand and roll out again to form 2-foot strands.
• Twist into a pretzel shape, using a little water to make the ends stick to the loop. Experienced pretzel bakers can flip pretzels into shape in the air, but most people have to coax them.
• Place the pretzels on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. This dries out the surface and makes them easier to handle.
• Make sure that you put on gloves and safety glasses.
• Place 1 quart of water in a plastic or glass container, weigh 1 ounce of food grade or reagent grade sodium hydroxide into a bowl, and add slowly to the water, stirring with a plastic spoon or similar object. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE WATER, not the other way around! For scientists: The lye solution will be approximately 0.75 M NaOH (FW 39.99g/mol) or almost 3 percent w/w.
• Remove pretzels from the refrigerator and dip each for 30 seconds in the lye solution.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a greased or parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
• Sprinkle pretzel with salt. Make a deep cut through the thick part of the pretzel horizontally with a razor blade or lame. Let pretzels rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 F. Bake pretzels for 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

GERMAN-STYLE SOFT PRETZELS WITH SWEET BROWN-MUSTARD BUTTER

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the water and yeast. Stir in the molasses and set aside until the yeast is bloomed and foamy, 5 to 7 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add the flour, butter and sea salt and use your hands to press and pinch the butter so that it's coated in flour. Add the yeast mixture and cider and stir together with a fork or a Danish dough whisk to make a loose, shaggy dough.
• Use your hands to combine the dough or beat the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, until the dough forms a loose ball, about 1 minute. The dough will be firm. (If it feels sticky, add in a bit more flour, a teaspoon at a time, until it is tacky.)
• Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface or beat the dough on medium-high speed, until it's smooth and springs back when pressed, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to a well-buttered bowl, turn to coat completely and cover tightly. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours at room temperature, or at least 8 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator (a longer resting time develops the flavor of the dough even further).
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn out the dough. Press down gently to deflate. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Cover the dough and, working with 1 piece at a time, roll between your palms and the surface to create a long rope, about 12 inches long. (The dough will spring back as you work with it. If it's being stubborn, set it aside under a towel and come back to it.) Continue with the remaining dough until all 8 pieces are in long ropes, using a bit of a damp hand to create more friction as needed. Let all the ropes rest while you prepare the baking sheets.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Begin rolling each rope again, working them into a long 25- to 30-inch rope with a slightly thicker center and tapered ends (Don't worry if they're not perfect, they will still be delicious!).
• Shape each rope into a U shape. Hold the ends in each hand and lift and cross to make an X a third of the way down from the ends. Fold the ends of the dough toward the bottom, creating a slight overhang, and pinch to seal against the fatter part of the dough, creating a pretzel shape. If this is challenging or your dough is really puffy, fold and loop the dough around itself into a spiral, creating a pretzel bun instead. Transfer to the prepared sheets, leaving space between them.
• Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay over the top. Let them rest in a warm (but not hot) place until they have doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven, then preheat the oven to 475 degrees F on convection setting if available.
• Bring 6 cups of water and the baking soda to a gentle simmer in a wide stainless-steel saucepan. Using a large skimmer, fish spatula or slotted spoon, lower 1 to 2 pretzels into the soda water and cook, keeping the water at a low simmer, 10 seconds per side. Remove, letting all the water drip off, and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
• Before baking, reshape each pretzel as needed, schooching them with a spoon or gloved hand (they can be slippery) to guide them into shape. Brush the tops of each pretzel with the egg wash, then sprinkle with salt. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until deep golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes.
• Serve warm with Sweet Brown Mustard Butter. Eat within 24 hours, or cool completely, wrap well and freeze for afternoon snacks.
• Combine the butter, mustard and honey, working together with a spoon or a spatula until lightly streaked and flavorful (do not fully combine, as the mustard can break the butter). Serve at room temperature. Makes 1/4 cup.

GERMAN STYLE SOFT PRETZEL

Steps:

• To make in food processor or large mixer: combine flour, gluten, brown sugar, salt, yeast. Add water until dough ball is formed. (This will take much longer in a mixer than a food processor.) Remove from bowl and knead by hand for 2-5 minutes until dough ball is smooth.
• If you have an extra day, place dough in covered bowl into refrigerator for 8-24 hours; bring to room temperature before rolling out (approximately 25 minutes).
• If making the same day, allow dough to sit on counter top for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil water for dipping pretzels.
• Divide dough into six pieces and roll each piece into long thin pieces approximately 24" long. Take each piece and shape into upside down U. Lift up the ends and form a twist in the middle section of the piece. Bring the ends to the top of the pretzel and press into the dough. Proceed with shaping each piece.
• Add baking soda and sugar to boiling water. With large slotted spoon, dip each pretzel into the water solution for 5 seconds. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place baking sheet in oven and reduce heat to 425 deg F and bake for 10 minutes. Then turn the sheet and bake for another 10-15 minutes until all pretzels are nicely browned.

GERMAN PRETZELS (LAUGENBREZELN)

Steps:

• Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and give everything a good stir.
• Sprinkle the instant yeast on top, then give it another stir.
• Add the butter. Then slowly pour in the warm milk and water a little bit at a time while kneading the dough with the spiral dough hooks of your electric mixer. Alternatively, you can use your hands - you just might have to knead a bit longer.
• Keep kneading until you have an elastic-feeling dough that forms a ball and doesn't stick to the side of the bowl anymore. If your dough is too dry, add a little bit more water. On the other hand, if it is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.
• Form a nice ball with your hands and cover the bowl with the dough inside with a dishtowel or a lid. Place it in a warm spot without draft for an hour to allow the dough to rise.
• Once the hour is over and the dough has noticeably increased in size, sprinkle a little bit of flour onto your countertop. Knead the dough briefly with your hands, then cut or rip it into eight equal pieces.
• Using your hands, roll out these pieces into at least 26 inch long rolls. Make sure that the two ends are thinner than the middle to give the pretzels their distinct shape. If it is difficult to roll the dough/make it longer, lightly wet your hands with water - a little bit (but not too much!) of moisture can really help.
• Once you have rolled the dough pieces into long "sausages" with tapered ends, give them their unique pretzel shape. Just remember to follow "loop, loop, twist, press". If you need help, see the photo above for reference.
• Place the pretzels on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and bring approximately 4 cups of water to a boil in a large, flat pot.
• Once the 15 minutes are up and the water is boiling, add the baking soda, give it a stir with a spoon and remove the pot from heat.
• With a flipper or straining spoon, lower each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and allow for a 30-second bath. Make sure the whole pretzel is covered in liquid. If it isn't you, can flip the pretzel over after 15 seconds or baste the top of the pretzel with water in the pot. With a straining spoon, carefully remove the pretzel and allow excess water to drip off.
• Place the pretzel back on the parchment paper and sprinkle it with coarse salt, if desired. Some people like lots of salt, others like just a little bit - so this is really up to personal preference. Repeat these steps until all pretzels had their bath and are sprinkled with salt.
• Bake the pretzels in the middle rack of your oven for approximately 20 minutes until they are nicely brown in color. If your pretzels don't fit onto one baking sheet (and they probably won't), we'd recommend baking the pretzels in two rounds so that they get the heat they need (having two baking sheets in the oven can block the heat if you are using top and bottom heat).
• Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them sit for around 5-10 minutes. They can be enjoyed warm or cold - and taste delicious with a little bit of butter.

HOMEMADE PRETZELS

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a big bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and 1 1/3 cups warm water and let it sit until the yeast blooms, about 7 minutes. Add the melted butter, kosher salt, egg yolks, bread flour and all-purpose flour and knead the dough until smooth, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Brush the bowl and the dough with olive oil, set the dough in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise on top of the fridge or in any warm, dry place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Make the pretzels: In a medium saucepan, mix the baking soda and 4 cups warm water until it is milky, then bring to a simmer over low heat. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover 3 baking sheets with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
• Punch down the dough. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll each piece into a 2-foot-long rope. Lift the ends of the rope to make a "U," then cross one end over the other twice to make a double twist in the middle. Fold down the two ends and attach them to the bottom of the ?U? to form a pretzel shape.
• Working in batches, dip the pretzels into the simmering liquid for 30 seconds, flipping once. Remove using a spider or two wooden spoons and shake off any excess liquid; place on a prepared baking sheet. Lightly flour the pretzels, cover loosely in plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
• Brush the pretzels with the melted butter and use cooking spray to coat any little corners you can?t reach with butter. Sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with mustard.

GERMAN BRETZEN, SOFT PRETZELS RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper, do not use wax paper--it will smoke, and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Don't worry, they will sink to the bottom then float back to the top. If they fall apart in the water, just quickly reshape them when you place them back on the parchment. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

BAVARIAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• Mix brown sugar and warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Add melted butter and beer to the yeast mixture and whisk until combined. Add bread flour and salt. Mix and then knead with your hands or an electric mixer for a few minutes until a dough ball forms.
• Grease a bowl with 1 teaspoon butter. Place dough in the bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 8 hours, or overnight.
• Punch down the dough and knead until a smooth ball of dough is formed, about 1 minute. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise until dough has almost doubled in size, 2 to 3 more hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place baking soda in an oven-safe dish.
• Place baking soda in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool, and then whisk into a shallow bowl of 2 1/2 cups hot water until dissolved. Mixture can be strained to remove any dissolved pieces. Reserve until needed.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each one into a ball; let sit for 5 minutes.
• To form a pretzel, roll a dough ball into a sausage shape, and then press into a small rectangle with your fingers. Fold the outside third of the dough into the center, and press flat with your fingertips, and then repeat with the edge closest to you.
• Roll the dough into a rope 15 to 18 inches long, with the center (belly) of the rope being twice as thick as the ends. Cross the ends once or twice and fold them back over the pretzel so the ends are just past the belly. Repeat to form remaining pretzels.
• Put on some thin, food-safe gloves and transfer a pretzel to the baking soda bath; soak for 20 to 30 seconds, gently splashing liquid over the top of the pretzel to coat. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet that's been greased with cooking spray. Sprinkle the still-damp pretzel with large-grain sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Use a razor or sharp knife to make a slash across the "belly" of each pretzel. Smaller cuts can also be made on other sides of the pretzel if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until well browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

GERMAN PRETZELS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, then add salt & sugar to the yeast mixture.
• Blend in the flour & knead the dough until smooth, about 7 or 8 minutes.
• Cover & let dough rise for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until double in bulk.
• Grease several cookie sheets, then punch dough down & cut it into 12 pieces.
• Slightly beat the egg & set aside.
• Roll each piece of dough into a thin rope about as round as your little finger, then twist each into pretzel shapes before placing them on a greased cookie sheet.
• Using a pastry brish, coat the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg & sprinkle with coarse salt, before allowing the pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F & bake the pretzels for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned.
• Best if eaten while stlil warm, but if allowed to cool, store in an airtight container.