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.
145 K 4.8/5 (24 reviews)
5 hours 25 min.
Easy
36 Pretzels
8 IngredientsLast modified on: October 24th 2017
For 36 Pretzels, you will need:
- 1
300 ml Milk - 2
2 litres 340 ml flour - 3
309.6 mls butter - 4
60 mls yeast - 5
37.8 mls fine (or table) salt - 6
150 mls Soured dough (optional) - 7
150 mls poppy seeds - 8
150 mls Bicarbonate of (baking) soda
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: 300 ml Milk, 2 litres 340 ml flour, 309.6 mls butter, 60 mls yeast, 37.8 mls fine (or table) salt and, if possible, 150 mls 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 | 210 RDI=80 % | 1,210 RDI=110 % | 350 RDI=50 % | 8,810 RDI=440 % | 36,900 RDI: 440 % |
| 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 36 Pretzels : 14.55 €
- 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: Arlesian Biscuits, Hollandaise sauce, Hazelnut and orange cake, Provençal colombier for Pentecost, Mascarpone fondant with two lemons, ... See them all 202
Milk
Like these other recipes: "Psychedelic" sandwich bread, Chaud-froid of grapefruit, pineapple and lime custard , Mustard baps, Little vanilla, clementine and chestnut verrines, Chocolate tart, ... See them all 60
Butter
Like these other recipes: Elsa's Comtoise galette, Manou's zucchinis garnished, Morel risotto with Vin Jaune and Mont d'Or, Pork medallions with "full" turnips, Pistachio cream, ... See them all 474
Bicarbonate of (baking) soda
Like these other recipes: Liège waffles, How to prepare white beans, ... See them all 2
Other recipes you may also like
Pitta bread
This Lebanese speciality is made as a flat round pocket, which can be filled with all manner of things.January 8th 2025533 K 14.5 2 hours 50 min.
Mixed seed grissini
Little crusty bread sticks of Italian origin, these are delicious for aperitifs, plain or with dips like tuna rillettes, guacamole or houmous.February 21th 2011274 K4.2 2 hours 30 min.
Tomato foccacia
Foccacia is an open-textured Italian bread. The French sometimes refer to it as the Italian fougasse. This version is made with preserved tomatoes, green olives and parmesan.October 24th 201789 K4.3 4 hours 55 min.
Hamburger buns
This recipe shows you how to make hamburger buns that are almost brioche style without being sweet.April 11th 2020183 K4 3 hours 60 min.
Peanut rolls
Combining soft and crunchy textures, these flavour-packed peanut rolls are delicious just as they are, but they are also ideal for burgers.October 24th 201791 K4.6 4 hours
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-24)
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.