German New Year Pretzel Food

GERMAN NEW YEAR'S PRETZEL

Steps:

• Heat the milk and vanilla, stirring to combine in a small saucepan until warm. Do not boil.
• Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm temperature.
• In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the lemon zest, flour, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
• Make a well in the middle of the mixture and sprinkle the yeast into the well.
• Pour about 1/4 cup of the vanilla milk on top of the yeast to dissolve it. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the top.
• Scrape some flour off of the sides of the bowl with your hands and mix everything together to form ragged dough.
• Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rest for 10 minutes
• Sprinkle the dough with the salt. Add the rest of the milk and the 4 egg yolks. Use the dough hook attachment of your mixer (or your hands) to knead everything into a smooth dough (about 8 minutes)
• Add 5 tablespoons of the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Knead again for 3 minutes until the dough becomes elastic.
• Cover the bowl again with the dishtowel and let stand for 1 hour in a warm place.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Knead the dough again for a few minutes.
• Divide the dough into three equal portions (use a kitchen scale).
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll each portion out into a log 2 feet long.
• Braid the three dough strands together.
• On the last 4 inches of both ends, roll them out 8 inches long (4+3/4 inches wide) and use a sharp knife to cut the ends into three strands. Roll each stand to create log shapes, then braid them together.
• The result should be a long fat braid in the middle with small long, thinner braids on the ends.
• Transfer the entire dough braid to the prepared baking sheet. Pull both ends down and tuck them under the fat middle braid, forming two loops.
• Cover with the dishtowel and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Beat the egg white in a small separate dish.
• Brush the braided dough with the egg white and sprinkle the pearl sugar over the top.
• Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and scatter over the top.
• Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the pretzel is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool to warm before serving.
• Serve with butter and jam.

NEUJAHRSBREZEL (GERMAN NEW YEAR'S PRETZEL)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over milk. Let sit for a minute, then stir to combine. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a dough blade or a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in yeast with milk, butter, and egg until dough forms. Knead until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1- 1 1/2 hours.
• On a lightly floured large surface, lightly knead dough. If you want to make the braid on top of the pretzel, break off 1/4 piece of the dough and cover with a cloth. Roll the larger piece into a long rope, about 3 feet long. Place a piece of parchment the size of your baking sheet under the middle of the rope. Twist the ends together and place over the middle of the rope to form pretzel shape. To make the braid, cut the set aside dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a foot long rope. Pinch together the edges at one side and tightly braid. Seal the edges on the other side. Position on top of the lower part of the pretzel and lightly press down. Cover the entire pretzel with a cloth and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, salt, and milk for topping. To keep the holes in the center of the pretzel open, fill with crumpled pieces of foil. Brush the entire surface with the topping. If desired, sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm with butter or jam.

EASY NEW YEARS PRETZEL (NEUJAHRSBREZEL)

Steps:

• Add the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk. Stir, cover and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. At the surface of the milk some bubbles should appear. (see image). If the bubbles do not appear the milk might have been too hot.
• Preheat your oven to the lowest setting. Mine is 50 degrees.
• Now add the yeast to the flour, butter, egg, and salt and knead to a homogeneous dough for about 10 minutes. Place the dough into a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Turn off your oven and place the bowl into it. Leave to rise for about 40 minuites.
• Now briefly knead the dough through again. Remove 1/4 of the dough and set aside.
• Form the remaining dough into a roll, about 45 cm (17.7 inches) long. Make your that the ends of the roll are tapered to a point.
• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. As the pretzel is really large it might be easier to shape the pretzel directly on the tray.
• To form new years pretzels take the roll and lay it in a "U" shape. In the middle take both and twist them around each other. The ends get pressed against the pretzel belly (the lower part of the pretzel).
• Cover the pretzel with a tea towel and leave to rise for a further 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, divide the remaing 1/4 of the dough and divide into three equal parts. Roll each part into a long thin roll (about 30 cm). Then lay the three rolls into a braid.
• Brush the lower part of the pretzel (the pretzel belly) with some water and lay the braid on top. Cover and leave to rest for a further 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 190°C/ 374°F top to bottom heat. Mix the egg yolk with the 2 tablespoons of milk.
• After the resting time brush the pretzel evenly with the egg yolk mixture. If you like you can sprinkle it with pearl sugar. Then place in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. The exact baking time depends on your oven. To check whether the new years pretzel is done, pick the deepest part with a skewer. If it comes out clean it is done.
• Serve the same day. Tastes delicious with butter, jam or chocolate spread.

GERMAN NEW YEAR PRETZEL

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup milk in a bowl; add 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir yeast mixture and 2 1/4 cups flour together in a bowl until dough is dry and clumpy. Allow dough to rise for 15 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk, butter, egg, lemon zest, and salt to dough until evenly mixed.
• Knead dough, adding more flour as needed, until dough is elastic. Cover bowl with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (199 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Gently knead dough; roll into a long rope on the prepared baking sheet and twist into a pretzel shape. Cover dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 15 minutes more.
• Brush egg yolk over dough and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over egg yolk.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

NEW YEAR'S PRETZELS

Steps:

• Heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees F.).
• Mix yeast, salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour.
• Slowly beat into warm milk.
• Beat for 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and 1 cup of flour.
• Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl.
• Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and let rise again until doubled. (1 hour more).
• Divide dough in half.
• Shape pretzel as follows: Roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center.
• Flip loop back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place pretzels on greased baking sheets.
• Let rise 15 minutes more.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing.
• Spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

NEUJAHRSPRETZEL (NEW YEAR'S PRETZELS)

Steps:

• Heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130°F).
• Mix yeast, salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour.
• Slowly beat into warm milk.
• Beat for 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and 1 cup of flour.
• Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl.
• Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and let rise again until doubled (1 hour more).
• Divide dough in half.
• Shape pretzel as follows: roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center.
• Flip loop back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place pretzels on greased baking sheets.
• Let rise 15 minutes more.
• Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing.
• Spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds.
• Makes 2 large pretzels.