Traditional German pretzel (Brezel) — salty breads with a crispy crust

Ingredients (for 8 pretzels)

• 500 g wheat flour
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 20 g fresh yeast (or 7 g dry yeast)
• 10 g fine salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 30 g soft butter (at room temperature)

For the soda bath:

• 1 liter water
• 40 g baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

For topping: coarse salt for sprinkling

Preparation steps

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water; let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt; add the water with the yeast and the soft butter. Knead 8–10 minutes until you get a soft, elastic dough.
3. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
4. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a strip about 60 cm long, thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends.
5. Form the classic knot: make a U with the strip, cross the ends twice and press them onto the bottom of the U’s “belly.”
6. Boil the water with the baking soda in a wide pot. Dip each pretzel for 30 seconds in the boiling soda water, then lift out with a slotted spoon.
7. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with coarse salt and make a shallow lengthwise cut in the thick part.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 15–18 minutes, until deep golden in color.
9. Let cool slightly on a rack and serve warm, with butter or mustard.

Prep time: ~25 minutes (+ 1 hour rising). Baking time: 15–18 minutes. Servings: 8 pretzels.