Soft German Pretzels (Brezeln)
An easy-to-follow recipe for soft German pretzels. No lye required!
Servings: 16 snack-size pretzels
Calories: 155kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 7 g instant yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted, softened, cubed
Water Bath
- 4 cups water filtered
- 3 tbsp baking soda
Toppings
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds white
- 1 tsp salt coarse
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or a large spoon, combine all ingredients, and knead the dough until you have a homogenous dough ball (3-5 minutes).1 1/4 cups milk, 7 g instant yeast, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup butter
- Place the dough into a large clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, plate, or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. It will significantly increase in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Form 4 large pretzels, 8 medium-sized, or 16 snack-size pretzels. Add them to 1-2 baking tray(s) and rest them for another 20 minutes.
- To make the baking soda water, bring 4 cups waterhe water to a boil in a large pot. Add 3 tbsp baking sodahe baking soda and bring it to a boil again. Reduce to a simmer and add the pretzels to a ladle one by one. Boil them in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each. They will float at the top. Transfer them back to a lined baking tray.3 tbsp baking soda, 4 cups water
- Add your topping of choice. I add sesame seeds to one half and coarse salt to the other. Score the pretzels with a sharp knife on the thickest side.1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp salt
- Bake the pretzels for 17 minutes until they've reached the dark brown pretzel color. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack if you have one. Serve with a generous lashing of butter while warm!
Notes
Check out this video by German Pretzel Maker Ludwig Neulinger on how to create the traditional pretzel shape.
This recipe makes 4 large pretzels, 8 medium-sized ones, or 16 snack-size pretzels. The images show snack-size pretzels which make a great side, lunchbox addition, and fit perfectly into little hands.
Pretzels are best enjoyed warm and I recommend eating them within a day as they easily get stale.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 1086mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
