Homemade German Pretzels

Homemade German Pretzels are a thing of beauty. They are easy to make and taste amazing. You can also bake them to your own tastes with amount of salt to the crust colour. Served as an ideal part of breakfast and brunch and as a snack. Pretzels are easy to warm in the oven or microwave for later in the day and will last for a few days in an airtight container. Also they are vegetarian so all members of my house are included.

Homemade German Pretzels

Full of flavour and so easy to make. Why buy them?

4.72 from 78 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: German

Keyword: Bake, Bread, Breakfast-Brunch, Dairy

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Dough Rising: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Pretzels

Calories: 398kcal

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Ingredients

 

• 4 ½ tsp active dry yeast
• 40 oz flour AP
• 2 1/4 oz butter soft
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 floz water lukewarm
• ½ cup baking soda
• 8 cups water

Instructions

• Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
• Pour the sachets of yeast into the cup of lukewarm water and gently stir.
• Using your fingers, create a crater (like a volcano) in the top of the mixture and to it add the sugar and then the yeast and water to the crater. Leave alone for about 15 minutes for the yeast to relax and do its magic.
• After 15 minutes mix everything together really well.
• Add the butter (ideally soft) to the mixing bowl and using a mixer with a dough attachment work everything together to form a smooth dough. If there is not enough moisture in the bowl, add a little water at a time until the smooth dough is achieved.
• When ready, remove the dough hook and leave the dough for 30 minutes to rise.
• After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the bowl onto a very lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 10 – 12 equal portions.
• Cover a baking tray with parchment paper/greaseproof paper and have it to hand.
• Take one piece at a time and using your hands roll it until its about 16-18 inches in length and equal in diameter.
• To create a traditional pretzel, make a u shape with the dough cigar. Then hold both of the ends and cross them over and link the ends with either side just about the base of the U shape. Check the image for how it should look.
• Transfer the formed pretzel to the parchment sheet and repeat the process with the rest. You may a second tray!! Once complete place the trays into the fridge for about an hour so they form a slight skin.
• Preheat your oven to 205C/400F/Gas Mark 6
• Place a large pan of water of a high heat and bring to the boil. Slowly and gently add the baking soda to the boiling water but beware it does Fizz a lot and bubble away. It doesn’t last long though.
• Using a slotted spoon or spatula, carefully lower a pretzel into the water fo about 10 second and then flip it over for another 10 seconds. Remove the pretzel from the water and place bake onto the parchment lined baking tray. Repeat until they are all done.
• Using a very sharp knife score the dough lightly along the widest part, normally the base of the U shape.
• Give all of the pretzels a good sprinkle of coarse sea salt and pop into the oven.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they are the colour you like. 15 minutes is a softer crust and 20 minutes is a darker crustier version.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 1803mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 4mg