Soft German Pretzels

Fat and Chewy pretzels, just like those you buy on the streets of Germany. Turn you kitchen in to a “kuche” and enjoy them anytime, closer to home!

Soft German Pretzels

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon dry or instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups all-purpose flour

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

1/3 cup baking soda

8 cups water

-In a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Mix together briefly, then let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and is foamy on the top.

-Add melted butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour a bit at a time, mixing on low while doing so. Attach the dough hook if using your stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer). Add the remaining flour a cup at a time while mixing on medium speed. Continue for about 3 minutes or until the dough comes together and forms a ball. If dough is still too sticky, mix in another ¼ cup of flour.

-Lightly flour and clean a counter surface and knead the dough on it for about 4 minutes or until smooth. Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, then turn it over so that the oil covers the entire surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.

-Divide the dough into 8 pieces using a knife or bench scraper, then roll each piece into a 20-inch rope. Begin by shaping each piece into a ball, then by squeezing and rolling the dough between your hands, work to make it as long as you can. Then place it on the work surface and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Continue with the other pieces of dough until they are all ready to rest.

-Next, each section of dough, one at a time and with slightly wetted hands, start rolling from the center of your “snake” on the counter, out to the edges to work it to get longer and thinner. You may have to stretch and pull it gently to help it along. When the dough gets stubborn and won’t lengthen, let it rest for a couple of minutes, then return to work it until you achieve the 20 -inch length (or stop when you are tired of rolling!) This is easiest if the counter doesn’t have too much flour on it,

-When each piece is ready, take one length by each end and lifting off the counter, make one complete twist with the two ends together at the top, leaving about an inch free on each end. Turn the twisted ends down over the U-shaped dough to form a pretzel shape. (It may be easiest to watch a video of how to do this. Here is one I can recommend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0qz3HSWto) Repeat with the remaining “snakes” of dough.

-Meanwhile, bring 8 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil, then set each pretzel carefully into the water, one or two at a time. (I set the pretzels on a wire “spider” or slotted spoon and lower it into the water.) After 15 seconds on one side, tip the pretzel over to the other side to boil for another 15 seconds. Lift the pretzel out of the water and place onto your parchment-lined baking sheet.

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees. When the pretzels have all been boiled, brush each pretzel with the beaten egg mixed with a tablespoon of water, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, or eat them while they are still warm. Traditionally, they are served with mustard or cheese beer sauce. Makes 8 large pretzels.

Mix the dough ingredients, then work it and knead it until you can form a smooth ball. Cover it and let it rise about 1 hour.

When the dough is light and smooth in texture, knead it briefly again on the counter.

Cut the dough into equal sized portions. Then roll each into a ball and set aside on a lightly floured surface.

Take a ball of dough and roll and squeeze it between your palms to lengthen it. Let is rest about 5 minutes as you work on the next pretzel.

Starting at the center of the “snake” of dough, roll with palms of your hands toward the ends, stretching gently as you work. This works best on a counter with very little flour on it. The “snake” of dough should be about 20 inches long.

To shape each pretzel, take the ends, then cross them.

Twist the ends around each other so that the shape looks like the picture above.

Bring the ends up and over the loop of the pretzel with the ends sticking out a bit.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, stir in the baking sode, then boil each pretzel in the water for about 30 seconds. Remove and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush each pretzel with an egg wash to add a shiny finish to the final product.

Sprinkle each pretzel with coarse salt, to your taste.

Bake pretzels until they are a rich golden brown.

Serve pretzels on their own or with mustard, or beer cheese sauce. Close your eyes and enjoy each bite - you may even hear “Oom-Pah-Pah” music in the air!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Don’t be alarmed if the surfaces of your pretzels look like old leathered skin when you shape them or especially after you boil them. This is normal and helps create the lovely cracks and crevices that develop during baking.

**For a good Beer Cheese Sauce, you can find several if you search online. Here is a good one: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/beer-cheese-dip/#tasty-recipes-80559

**If you find the process of making the traditional pretzel shape too tedious, don’t. You can make a simple twist by laying two shorter lengths of dough next to each other then twist them together. Or you can simply make pretzel nuggets by rolling out a snake and then cutting it into 1 - 2 inch lengths. A plaited length made from 3 ropes is also attractive but more difficult. Or experiment with heart or flower-shaped pretzels!