Ideally, you’ll be plating and serving these delightfully tasty treats 10 minutes after they exit the oven. Still, no matter what dip you choose, it’s best to serve your Bavarian pretzels while they’re still warm. Some of our favorite types of dips include: Germans typically dip their pretzels in butter, but the great thing about making your own is that you can use whatever dip you’d like! There are quite a few ways to serve soft pretzels. Still, this recipe may not be suitable for beginner-level bakers and home cooks. Though preparing this solution might seem cumbersome, it’s crucial to remember that a lye bath is a key to making authentic Bavarian pretzels. It’s also an excellent idea to wear safety gloves while handling lye, as direct contact can result in burns.Īfter pouring your quart of water into your mixing bowl, you can spoon in the food-grade lye and watch it dissolve. Avoid aluminum, as it reacts with lye and creates hydrogen gas. You’ll also need a large stainless steel or glass bowl. To prepare this bath, you’ll need two tablespoons of food-grade lye and a quart of water. While both of these are delicious, they’re not quite the same as a Bavarian pretzel.īavarian pretzels are made from a straightforward yeast dough that’s shaped into a pretzel and dipped in a lye bath before baking.

We’re typically used to two kinds of pretzels in the US: Tiny, crunchy prepackaged pretzels and soft, freshly-baked jumbo pretzels. You can whip up this treat anytime you’d like, right from the comfort of your kitchen! What is the Difference Between a Bavarian Pretzel and a Regular Pretzel? Please keep reading for our favorite recipe for German soft pretzels (auf Deutsch, Laugenbrezeln!). Known as Bretzel, Bretze, or Bretzen in Germany, pretzels are a beloved hallmark of traditional German baking. Besides, the process is actually quite fun.Is there anything better than a warm, soft pretzel straight out of the oven? We’ve all had one, whether it’s been at a festival, shopping mall, or sporting event, often with a container of cheese or mustard dipping sauce on the side. They are delicious though and you should definitely try them. So don’t expect the same pretzel that you buy from the street vendor or food truck. The chemical reaction takes place in the baking soda bath, and after baking in the hot oven you’ll get that beautiful brown crust that pretzels are so famous for.Īuthentic German pretzels are a little smaller and not as fat as the kind you get at the county fair or local food stand.

Since you can’t really find lye at the grocery store, you can use a baking soda bath to get the same results. Those are the small amino acids that then combine with sugars in the dip to create the flavor compounds at the pretzel’s crust.” “Dipping dough in lye alters the ratio between sugar and protein, because lye breaks proteins present in the dough into smaller bits. While I won’t take you back to science class, I can tell you that this process is a het activated reaction between small sugars and amino acids. Have you ever wondered why pretzels, which are made essentially from bread dough, have that lovely brown crust when a loaf of bread does not? Pretzels get that wonderful brown crust from something called the “Maillard process”. Fast forward a few years and I’ve made these homemade German pretzels several times. Mine looked quite a bit fatter than Astrid’s, so when I made these again, I made sure to roll out my ropes longer. The first time I made them they were considerably smaller than I expected. Original photo from the first time I made these in 2009