Pretzels
Pretzels are bread sticks looped into a knot, probably with origins in southern Germany. The tops are sprinkled with poppy seeds or grains of coarse salt. Here is a fairly straightforward recipe that is simple to prepare.
133 K 4.8/5 (24 reviews)
5 hours 25 min.
Easy
6 Pretzels
8 IngredientsLast modified on: October 24th 2017
For 6 Pretzels, you will need:
- 1
50 g Milk - 2
250 g flour - 3
50 g butter - 4
10 g yeast - 5
4.5 g fine (or table) salt - 6
25 g Soured dough (optional) - 7
25 g poppy seeds - 8
25 g Bicarbonate of (baking) soda - Total weight: 415 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 25 min.
Resting: 3 hours 30 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 5 hours 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Put in a food-processor bowl: 50 g Milk, 250 g flour, 50 g butter, 10 g yeast, 4.5 g fine (or table) salt and, if possible, 25 g Soured dough.
Stage 2 - 10 min.
Knead for 10 minutes on slow speed.
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Stage 3 - 2 hours
Gather the dough into one large ball and transfer this to another bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic.
Leave to rest for 2 hours, it's pointage (starting).
Leave to rest for 2 hours, it's pointage (starting).
Stage 4 - 5 min.
After this time, cut and weigh the dough into 100 g portions.
Stage 5 - 8 min.
Roll these into balls. You can see the gesture in this video.
Stage 6 - 30 min.
Cover the balls of dough with a sheet of plastic and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Stage 7 - 10 min.
After this time, roll out a ball of dough into a long "sausage" about 50 cm (25 inches) long, then wind it into the traditional pretzel shape. You can see how in the video at the side.
Make all the pretzels like this.
Make all the pretzels like this.
Stage 8 - 1 hour 30 min.
Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet, cover with a sheet of plastic and leave to rest for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Stage 9 - 10 min.
After this time, preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
Bring a pan with 1 litre of water to the boil and, when boiling, add the 50 g of bicarbonate of soda (be careful, as this reacts and may well make the pan boil over, so add it a little at a time).
Bring a pan with 1 litre of water to the boil and, when boiling, add the 50 g of bicarbonate of soda (be careful, as this reacts and may well make the pan boil over, so add it a little at a time).
Stage 10
Turn off the heat under the pan and plunge a pretzel into the water containing the bicarbonate of soda. It will sink, then rise back up to the surface...
Stage 11 - 10 min.
...take it out with a skimmer and place it on the baking sheet.
Do this with all the pretzels.
This bath of bicarbonate of soda in water gives a sharp flavour to the pretzels.
Do this with all the pretzels.
This bath of bicarbonate of soda in water gives a sharp flavour to the pretzels.
Stage 12 - 3 min.
Scatter poppy seeds or coarse salt crystals over the top of each pretzel.
Stage 13 - 20 min.
Put in the oven immediately. It is important that the pretzels are still wet when they go into the oven, so that they will turn a lovely golden brown.
If you have to wait and your pretzels dry out, wet them again with a brush dipped in the pan of water and bicarbonate of soda.
If you have to wait and your pretzels dry out, wet them again with a brush dipped in the pan of water and bicarbonate of soda.
Stage 14
Bake until they are just starting to brown and are still soft, about 20 minutes.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Remarks
To give that famous piquancy, professionals use caustic soda (well-diluted, of course), rather than baking soda.
And to drink?
To set the right mood, a good beer.
Keeping: A day or two in an airtight tin.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 40 RDI=10 % | 200 RDI=20 % | 60 RDI=9 % | 1,470 RDI=70 % | 6,150 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 350 RDI=20 % | 1,480 RDI: 20 % |
| Per piece | 5 RDI=2 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 9 RDI=1 % | 240 RDI=10 % | 1,030 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 6 Pretzels : 2.45 €
- Per Pretzels : 0.45 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Old style brioche, Escalope cordon bleu, Little Christmas biscuits, Oatmeal cake, Almond tuiles, ... See them all 196
Butter
Like these other recipes: Roast pork with sage, cooked in a bag., Baked sea bass fillet with lemon and tarragon, Quick Strawberry Millefeuille, Clafoutis "Marie-Antoinette", Breton galettes (pancakes), ... See them all 450
Milk
Like these other recipes: Buckwheat pancakes, Ciabatta, Crackers, Little vanilla, clementine and chestnut verrines, Choux pastry (pâte à choux), ... See them all 60
Poppy seeds
Like these other recipes: Mixed seed grissini, Canapés of red mullet with poppy seeds, Fish in a seed crust, Poppy seed and lemon cake, Seeded loaf, ... See them all 5
Other recipes you may also like
Nanou's tuna tart
Crisp puff pastry topped with tuna, mushrooms and cooked shallots.May 10th 2023120 K4.2 1 hour 40 min.
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping.February 21th 2011353 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Epiphany galette
Here is the recipe for the very classic but delicious "galette des rois" (Epiphany galette) in puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) with almond cream or frangipane . You will also see some professional tips to easily handle the dough, and obtain a nice and regular galette.January 6th 2021282 K 24.5 3 hours 8 min.
Toasted almond cake
A layer cake, with toasted almonds in the chocolate part.July 5th 2016238 K4.4 2 hours 2 min.
Baked apples from St Aubin le Vertueux
Under this pretty name, my personal version of "Les pommes au four" (baked apples).February 21th 2011245 K 24.2 1 hour 7 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-11-24)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.