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
4 Pretzels
8 IngredientsLast modified on: October 24th 2017
For 4 Pretzels, you will need:
- 1
2 ½ tablespoons Milk - 2
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour - 3
2 ½ tablespoons butter - 4
1 ½ teaspoon yeast - 5
1 teaspoon fine (or table) salt - 6
1 ½ tablespoon Soured dough (optional) - 7
1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds - 8
1 ½ tablespoon Bicarbonate of (baking) soda
Change these quantities to make:
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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: 2 ½ tablespoons Milk, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour, 2 ½ tablespoons butter, 1 ½ teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon fine (or table) salt and, if possible, 1 ½ tablespoon 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 | 20 RDI=10 % | 140 RDI=10 % | 40 RDI=6 % | 1,030 RDI=50 % | 4,300 RDI: 50 % |
| Per 100 g | 8 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 350 RDI=20 % | 1,480 RDI: 20 % |
| Per piece | 6 RDI=2 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 260 RDI=10 % | 1,070 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 Pretzels : 1.85 €
- Per Pretzels : 0.50 €
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: "Moelleux" cake batter, Rolled chestnut and apple brioche, Rabbit civet, Oat financiers for Louise, Basic cake batter - the French way, ... See them all 196
Milk
Like these other recipes: Jam doughnuts, Invisible apple cake, Toasted almond cake, Old style brioche, Hamburger buns, ... See them all 60
Butter
Like these other recipes: Gâteau Breton (Brittany butter cake), Oat shortbread biscuits, Crispy rolls with chicken and leek, Langoustine and leek tarts, X-Files cookies, ... See them all 450
Poppy seeds
Like these other recipes: Seeded loaf, Poppy seed and lemon cake, Fish in a seed crust, Mixed seed grissini, Canapés of red mullet with poppy seeds, ... See them all 5
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