How to Make Traditional German Pretzels. The Real Recipe with Rye, Parboiled then Baked!!!
Author: Whats4Chow
Recipe type: Breads / Dough / Baking
Cuisine: German
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16
Traditional German Pretzels are fantastic with a pint of beer! Salty and sweet, with an awesome chewy texture, these are a real treat! Traditional German pretzels are cooked in a similar fashion to bagels, first par-boiled, then baked. This results in the amazing chewiness which is complimented by the slightly bitter flavor from the rye.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 325g Strong white flour
- 75g Rye flour
- 2 Tsp Demarara Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Dried yeast
- 250ml Warm water
For the Glaze
- 3 Tsp fine salt
- 1 Tsp Caster sugar
- 3 Tbs Warm water
- Coarse sea salt
For the Simmer Bath
- 1 Tbs Caster sugar
- 2lt Water
Instructions
- Pour the flour, rye flour, demarara sugar, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix these together then pour in the warm water. Using a wooden paddle mix this until a dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, dust the top with flour as well, then knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Dough containing rye flour can be notoriously sticky, so dust the dough with a little extra flour every time it becomes too sticky.
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover it with cling wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 60 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead for a further 2 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a sausage and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each of these into a sausage and cut these into 4 pieces.
- Roll each of these into a rope of 30cm or 12 inches. Form the rope into a semi-circle then twist the ends with a single twist before folding the ends over to meet the inside of the circle.
- Place the formed pretzels on a greased baking sheet, cover loosely with clingwrap and allow the pretzels to rise for a further 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Fill a large pan with about 2 liters of water and 1 tablespoonful of caster sugar and bring this to a low simmer.
- Drop a few of the pretzels into the simmering pan and allow them to cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove these from the water and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat this until all of the pretzels have been boiled.
- Combine the salt, sugar and warm water for the glaze and stir this until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Brush the glaze liberally onto the pretzels, then sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake the pretzels in a preheated oven at 200c or 400f for 25 minutes until crisp and golden and the pretzels sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove the pretzels from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool before serving.
