After looking at the history of the pretzel in Europe and in the US, it is time to try our hands at making our own soft pretzels. I tried three different recipes and found one that I really like.
But before we get started, I need to tell you that there are many recipes for Laugenbrezel (lye pretzel, soft pretzel) and there isn’t the one real, authentic German pretzel. Within Germany texture and taste vary, and you might even prefer the pretzel from one bakery in your town over another. It all depends on your taste, however most pretzels have a crunchy outside and a soft inside. They get their brown skin through treatment with a lye solution (Maillard reaction) which gives the pretzel the specific, slightly metallic taste.
Altogether I tried three different recipes. I started off easy with the pretzel mix by Kathi that didn’t require any special skills or tools. The next recipe I tried was also a yeast dough that was dipped into baking soda water before baking. For the last recipe that I made a second time with a variation, I purchased Sodium Hydroxide (food grade lye or caustic soda) and dipped the pretzels in that solution before putting them in the oven.
Kathi German Pretzel Mix
I tried the Kathi German Pretzel Mix first because it was the easiest. Kathi also has cake mixes and I had made the Black Forest Cake before which was very good.
I ordered the pretzel mix on amazon for $10 and all I needed to add was vegetable oil. I’m always concerned when I have to make a yeast dough for any recipe because my dough never rises.
So, I started using the little trick (which is sometimes mentioned in recipes too) of putting my bowl with the lid on in a warm oven. I turn the oven on warm and turn it off before I put my bowl in. It’s been working really well for me.
Back to the pretzel. I mixed everything, let my dough rise, shaped my pretzels, and brushed them with the food grade lye mix (sodium bicarbonate). This is not the same as sodium hydroxide and it’s not dangerous or corrosive.
The pretzels turned out well. However, for me they were too bready. They tasted fine but not like a Laugenbrezel but more like chewy bread.
Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels
For our next try, I used the recipe by Sally from www.sallysbakingaddiction.com. Just click on the link to get to the recipe. One nice thing about this recipe is that it is not only easy but also relatively fast. The dough still needs to rest and rise after mixing but only for 10 minutes.
Instead of using caustic soda, Sally suggests dipping your unbaked pretzels into a hot baking soda water mix. Many people use this method and I feel it’s a valid substitute if you don’t have lye handy. (And really who does? I had to order mine.)
Just be careful when you put your pretzels into the water since they are pretty soft and have a tendency to come apart.
The pretzels were definitely good and the Laugenbrezel taste we were looking for was almost there.
Authentic German Soft Pretzel (Laugenbrezel)
This recipe by Jennifer McGavin from www.thespruceeats.com was the last one I tried and the one we are going to stick with from now on (unless you give me something better).
The recipe requires more time than the other two because the shaped, but still unbaked pretzels are put into the fridge for 1 hour. Afterwards they are easier to handle which is an advantage when you put them into the caustic soda solution and from there directly onto your lined cookie sheet. There is no need to reshape them.
The first photo shows the first try in which I followed the recipe exactly.
The second photo is the pretzel when I followed the recipe for the dough but then increased the concentration of the lye solution. I took my cue from the bottle of sodium hydroxide which has instructions for pretzel baking.
You use 1/2 c of lye for 10 cups of water. As the recipe also states, you should wear rubber gloves when dipping your pretzels. Make sure you use a plastic bowl for your lye water and a silicon or plastic slotted spoon for the pretzels. I would also recommend using two layers of parchment paper on your cookie sheet (or a silicone baking mat) since the lye is corrosive.
My husband and I both felt that the stronger mixture made for a better pretzel.
My son and husband both eat the pretzel with mustard but I prefer a more “German” approach and eat it “ohne alles” (without everything) or with butter.
Let me know what you think. Or if you have a recipe that I need to try.
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