Soft Bavarian Pretzels

Name: Soft Bavarian Pretzels
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 8 portions
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 500 g · 4 cups bread flour; 280 ml · 1¼ cups lukewarm water; 7 g · 2¼ tsp instant yeast; 30 g · 2 tbsp butter, soft; 8 g · 2 tsp sugar; 10 g · 2 tsp salt; 30 g · 2 tbsp food-grade lye, or 60 g baked baking soda; 1 l · 4 cups cold water, for the lye bath; 15 g · 1 tbsp coarse pretzel salt

🍽 Serves 8⏱ Prep 40 min🔥 Cook 15 min⏳ Rest 90 min🌍 German

Chewy, deep-brown Bavarian pretzels dipped in a lye (or baking soda) bath and sprinkled with coarse salt.

📍 Bavaria · Germany

The story of the dish

Legend says monks shaped pretzels like arms crossed in prayer; the lye dip is said to come from a Munich baker in 1839 who used the cleaning solution by mistake.

The name: Brezel comes from the Latin bracchium, 'arm'.

Ingredients

Ingredient	EUg · ml	UScups · spoons
bread flour	≈ 500 g	≈ 4 cups
lukewarm water	≈ 280 ml	≈ 1¼ cups
instant yeast	≈ 7 g	≈ 2¼ tsp
butter soft	≈ 30 g	≈ 2 tbsp
sugar	≈ 8 g	≈ 2 tsp
salt	≈ 10 g	≈ 2 tsp
food-grade lye or 60 g baked baking soda	≈ 30 g	≈ 2 tbsp
cold water for the lye bath	≈ 1 l	≈ 4 cups
coarse pretzel salt	≈ 15 g	≈ 1 tbsp

≈ amount suggested from similar recipes

Tools & equipment

Item	UAEamazon.ae	USamazon.com
Dji Osmo Pocket 4 Creator Combo	🛒 Buy	🛒 Buy
Food-grade Lye	🛒 Buy	🛒 Buy
Pretzel Sea Salt	🛒 Buy	🛒 Buy
Ooni Volt 2 Electric Indoor Pizza Oven	🛒 Buy	🛒 Buy

Also used: gloves and goggles (for lye) · glass or stainless bowl · baking trays with baking paper · slotted spoon

Method

Knead flour, water, yeast, butter, sugar and salt 8 minutes; rest 30 minutes.
Divide into 8, roll 60 cm ropes thicker in the middle and twist into pretzels.
Proof 30 minutes, then chill uncovered 30 minutes so they form a skin.
Wearing gloves and goggles, dissolve the lye in cold water (always lye into water) and dip each pretzel 20 seconds.
Put on baking paper, sprinkle with coarse salt and score the thick part.
Bake at 220°C (430°F) for 14 to 16 minutes until deep brown.

🌡️ 220°C (430°F) oven

👨‍🍳 Chef’s tips

Never use aluminium with lye; bake on baking paper, not foil.

📱 Scan to watch me cook ityoutu.be/MHASGmXg4pwEvery step on video, and new recipes every week: subscribe on YouTube.

Nutrition per portion estimate · 1 of 8

250kcal

8 gprotein

48 gcarbs

4 gfat

Allergens

GlutenMilk

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▶ Watch me cook it: youtu.be/MHASGmXg4pw

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