Brezeln (Authentic, Soft German Pretzels)

One of the best parts of my trip to Germany last year was the pastries and baked goods. If you like soft pretzels, then Bavaria should be on your bucket list. (Apparently, according to my friend in Bavaria, pretzels (or brezeln) aren't nearly as good in the north of Germany. It's just not the same as a true Barvarian pretzel.)

This recipe from Drindl Kitchen gave me great success, and my family and friends have been quite happy! It's a bit intimidating to work with lye, but I take all the precautions.

Brezeln

500 grams flour
15 grams brown sugar
30 grams butter, room temperature
10 grams salt
4 grams active dry yeast
275 milliliters lukewarm water
Lye Solution
12 grams food-grade lye
300 milliliters cold water

Stir together water, brown sugar and yeast and allow to bubble for 5 minutes. Sift together flour and salt, and add in the butter and yeast mixture. Knead dough in an electric mixer on low for 8 to 10 minutes using the dough hook.

Cover dough with clean towel, and let it rest 5 minutes. Weigh out 2.8 ounces of dough or divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a little hot dog bun shape, and cover again with the towel. 

Working one at a time, shape your pretzels, keeping them covered when you're not rolling them. Watch a video online to understand the technique, as I can't describe it nearly as well as a video. Once all your pretzels are shaped, let them rest 30 minutes covered with a clean towel. Stretch them out a bit more, and then freeze them for 30 minutes to help them hold their shape in the lye bath.

Prepare your lye solution in a well-ventilated area (wearing a mask, glasses and gloves just to be safe) by adding the lye into the cold water. (I suggest wearing old clothes as any splashing as you dip will discolor your clothes.) Carefully combine the mixture with a whisk until the solution is clear. Dip each pretzel in the solution for 5 to 10 seconds, and then place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt prior to baking.

Bake at 355°F (I find I need to bump my oven higher) for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 pretzels, so I highly recommend doubling the batch. If you've never enjoyed a pretzel warm with butter, I highly recommend this way I learned in Barvaria.