German Soft Pretzels Are Soo Good

Recently, I came across some recipes regarding German soft pretzels. I have tried these recipes and can say the pretzels are good! I grew up in Germany and ate many pretzels in my long life. Pretzels are a standard fare in Germany. So, I remember a thing or two about pretzels.

https://www.seriouseats.com/bavarian-style-soft-pretzels-recipe-7967998

https://www.theperfectloaf.com/seriously-soft-sourdough-pretzel/

To make a long story short, I cannot resist to also baking pretzels in my West Sacramento cottage, here where I already bake my sourdough boules and batards. Obviously, there is no shortage of online recipes for pretzels. But, please bear with me as I reflect on Maurizio Leo’s recipe and process with only a few minor modifications. It is hard to top something so perfect as a good pretzel demo. I do not wish to reinvent the wheel.

Key points to making good pretzels

• Degas heavily when dividing.
• Don’t cover your baking trays when chilling the shaped pretzel in the fridge (this helps to develop a skin on the pretzel).
• Bake in a very hot oven, 450°F (230°C).
• Using lye for the pre-bake bath imparts that classic pretzel color, flavor, and texture.
• Make sure to mix in a metal or plastic bowl, not glass. Alkali will attack the glass, eventually making it cloudy and weakening the structure. Have some diluted vinegar on hand to quickly rinse your hands should they get lye solution on them.
• If you plan to eat them later, don’t add the salt before baking (which tends to go bad quickly). They’ll keep in a bread box or a bag with a few paper towels underneath (to absorb moisture).
• They do freeze well! Thaw them in the fridge, then reheat them under the broiler until warm.

Total Formula for 12 Pretzels

Desired dough temperature: 76°F (24°C). I typically make these in the cooler months of the year, and if you find yourself doing the same, be sure to review my guide to baking in the winter.

This table shows the entire quantity and baker’s percentages for each ingredient. Scale the quantities up or down using Baker’s math.

Sourdough Pretzel Method

1. Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m., the night before mixing

To make the levain, mix the following ingredients in a jar and leave them covered at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen overnight.

2. Mix – 9:00 a.m.

Note: this sourdough pretzel dough is extremely stiff. If you’re using a KitchenAid mixer, it could cause your machine harm in the long run. You could mix for a few minutes in the mixer to incorporate, then turn the dough to the counter and finish kneading by hand (similar to a firm pasta dough).

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pats. Set them on a plate to warm to room temperature.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment,  add the flour, water, salt, butter, diastatic malt powder, and levain. Mix on speed 1 for 2 to 3 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. 

Continue to mix on speed 2 for 4 to 6 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and cohesive. I’ve found the stronger the mix, the better the result.

Transfer the dough to a container for bulk fermentation and cover it with reusable plastic.

3. Bulk fermentation – 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take about 3 1/2 hours. The dough is ready when it is risen and is slightly puffy. 

This dough requires one set of stretch and folds during bulk fermentation. After the first hour of bulk fermentation, turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface, and using two hands, stretch each side of the dough out and over to the middle.

Return the dough to the bulk container and let rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.

4. Divide and preshape – 12:45 p.m.

When I’m not handling this dough, I always keep it covered with plastic. Because the dough is low hydration, it can quickly dry out and form a skin on the outside. To cover, I’ll drape one large proofing bag over the dough yet to be divided and one bag over the “cigars” as I finish preshaping each one.

Scrape the dough onto a clean counter surface. Divide the dough into twelve 115g rectangular pieces. For each piece, degas heavily with a flat hand (be assertive with the dough) and gently stretch it into a small rectangle. The fewer the seams, pits, and uneven sides, the cleaner and more uniform the pretzel.

Working with one rectangular piece at a time, using your fingertips, fold down the long top side of the rectangle and gently press down into the dough with your fingers to begin rolling a cylinder. Continue to roll the dough down, gently sealing each revolution until the dough is rolled up. Seal the seam with your fingers or the palm of your hand.

Transfer the cylinder to the side of your work surface and cover with plastic.

Let the cylinders rest for 15 minutes.

5. Shape – 1:00 p.m.

Prepare two large sheet pans by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Depending on how large you roll out and shape your pretzels, you should be able to fit six per 13 x 18-inch sheet pan.

First, a few tips when shaping:

• If at any point the dough starts to become extraordinarily elastic and resist rolling outward, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing.
• When rolling, the dough should be moist enough to stick to the work surface. If the dough dries out excessively, use a handheld spray bottle to lightly mist the dough, your hands, and the work surface to encourage a little friction.

Starting with the piece you preshaped first, place the cylinder in front of you so the tips are at your sides. Begin with your hands slightly overlapping in the middle, pressing down and rolling the dough back and forth, away and then toward your body. As you roll, move your hands outward to encourage the cylinder to elongate and taper as you move from the center to the ends. You want to keep an exaggerated bulge in the center of this rope–this will be the large part of the pretzel you score to encourage rise in the oven.

Finally, the classic technique suggests leaving small bulbs at the extremes of the rope, but that is up to your preference.

Grab the ends of the dough and arrange it so it loops away from you. Fold one end over the other side. Switch your hands so your right hand is holding the new right end, and your left is holding the new left end. Fold the same side over the other as previously done (you’ll now have performed two twists). Grab the two ends, fold them over the knot in the middle, and place each end on its corresponding side inside the loop. It looks nice to have a little overlap with each tip. Then, gently press it down into the side to seal.

Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared baking sheet and keep the sheet loosely covered while shaping the remaining pretzels.

6. Proof – 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Let the sourdough pretzel dough proof on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes, covered.

OVERNIGHT OPTION: At this point, you could also retard the shaped pretzels in the fridge overnight to make them the next day. Instead of leaving them out for 30 minutes to proof, leave them for only 15 minutes, cover the sheet pans with plastic, and place them in the fridge. The next day, uncover the sheet pans, return them to the fridge, and chill for 20 minutes (to develop skin, as mentioned previously). Then, continue with the rest of the process.

Transfer the uncovered sheet pans holding your pretzels to the fridge for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to let the dough chill thoroughly and develop dry skin on the outside. This will make handling the dough easier, and it helps the pretzels keep their shape when dipping them in the lye bath.

7. Lye bath – 2:45 p.m.

After the one-hour rest in the fridge, place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another in the top third. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Set up your station. Take out the sheet pans with fully proofed pretzel dough and gather the following:

• pretzel salt
• razor blade
• half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and a stainless steel wire rack inside,
• stainless steel bowl and rubber gloves for the lye bath

The goal is to set up an assembly line where you can work quickly. While wearing long latex or rubber gloves, add 940g cool water to the stainless steel bowl. Add 38g food-grade lye while gently stirring with a stainless steel whisk or large spoon. The mixture will initially be cloudy; keep stirring until all the powder or pellets are dissolved.

While still wearing gloves, pick up one shaped pretzel and transfer it to the lye bath. Let it sit in the bath for 15 to 20 seconds (upper-right image, above) and then transfer it to the wire rack (bottom-left and right image, above). Repeat with five more pretzels. Then, transfer the pretzels back to the original sheet pan (it should still have parchment paper or a silicone sheet on top) and set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Carefully flush the remaining lye solution down the toilet or the sink and flush with water.

8. Bake – 3:00 p.m.

Carefully score each pretzel using a razor blade to make a single straight cut across the top of the bulge. Sprinkle the bottom area with pretzel salt. Transfer the sheet pans to the oven.

Bake at 450°F convection for 10 minutes. Rotate the sheet pans (bottom to top, back to front) and reduce the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) convection. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes more until done to your liking.

Keep an eye on the pretzels in the oven; they will color quickly. If the temperature is too high, open the oven door to let it cool slightly and turn it down by 25°. Each oven is different, as an altitude of 5,000 feet might require a hotter oven and longer duration—adjust as necessary.

Remove the sheet pans from the oven and let cool. The pretzels are best the day they are baked—and sublime is still warm from the oven—but they will keep quite well for up to 2 days. Enjoy warm with butter, mustard, and beer, of course.

Pretzel Bites

Do you prefer pretzel bites?

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2 inch strips, and then cut strips lengthwise into small rectangles. Brush the tops of the dough pieces with egg and use a grinder to add the desired amount of salt on top.

Place bites on a baking sheet, two inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Conclusion

These pretzel goodies check all the right boxes: a beautiful dark color, the thinnest of crusts, that traditional pretzel flavor, and a chewy, soft interior that’s dense but well-fermented.

You can exaggerate the textural contrast between the “arms” at the top and the bulge at the bottom by rolling the arms very thin. This way, they’ll bake completely through and become crunchy, a nice counter to the soft bottom.

German Soft Sourdough Pretzels

Recipe by Tom as adapted from Maurizio Leo, The Perfect Loaf

Except for the levain, these pretzels can be prepared and baked in one day, that is without overnight fermentation.

Ingredients

• Levain

• 10g Starter, 100% hydro with bread flour

• 102g Bread Flour

• 102g Water

• 
  Main Dough

• 584g Bread Flour

• 120g AP Flour

• 51g Whole Wheat Flour

• 369g Water

• 17g Sea Salt, fine

• 60g Butter, unsalted and softened to room temperature

• 3g Diastatic Malt Powder

• 214 g Levain, 100% hydro with bread flour (from above)

• 
  Lye Bath

• 940g Water, cool

• 38g Lye, food-grade

• 
  Topping

• Coarse Pretzel Salt

Directions

• Levain (9:00 p.m.)
• Mix the Levain ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Cover the jar and keep it warm for 12 hours.
• Mix (9:00 a.m. the next day; or even as late as 4 p.m. with the overnight option)
• Add the flour, water, salt, softened butter, diastatic malt powder, and levain to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on speed 1 for 2 to 3 minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Continue to mix on speed 2 for 4-6 additional minutes until the dough becomes smooth and cohesive—an improved mix.
• Bulk fermentation (9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., about 3.5 hours at ~78° F)
• After the first hour of bulk fermentation, give the dough one set of stretches and folds. Return the dough to the bulk container and let it rest until it is time to divide.
• Divide and preshape (12:45 p.m.)
• Because the dough is low hydration, keep it covered at all times. Divide the dough into twelve 115-gram rectangular pieces. Preshape each rectangle into a tapered cigar shape. Let the pieces rest for 15 minutes or longer until they are extensible enough. Cover with plastic.
• Shape (1:00 p.m.)
• Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Starting with the piece preshaped first, place the cigar in front of you so the tips are at your sides. Begin with your hands slightly overlapping in the middle, press down, and roll the dough back and forth away from and then toward your body. As you are rolling, start to move your hands outward to encourage the tube to spread out and become increasingly thin as you move from the center out to the tips. Roll the dough out to a thin, long rope of about 24 inches.
  
  You want to keep an exaggerated bulge in the very center of this rope, this will be the part you later score to open in the oven. Grab the two tips and arrange the dough so it loops away from you. Take one tip and fold it over the other side. Switch your hands so your right hand is holding the new right tip and your left is holding the new left tip. Fold the same side over the other as previously. Grab the two tips, fold them up over the knot in the middle, and place each tip on its corresponding side inside the loop. It looks nice to have a little overlap with each tip — gently press it down into the side to seal.
• Proof (1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.)
• Let the dough proof on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes, covered with a plastic sheet.
  
  OVERNIGHT OPTION: at this point, you could also retard the shaped pretzels in the fridge overnight to make them the next day. Instead of leaving them out for 30 minutes covered to proof, leave them for only 15 minutes covered with plastic, and then place them in the fridge. The next day, remove sheet pans from the fridge to uncover and return them to the fridge to chill uncovered for 20 minutes (to develop a skin, as mentioned previously). Then, continue with the rest of the process.
  
  Otherwise, uncover and transfer the baking sheets holding your pretzels to the fridge for 45 minutes to 1 hour to develop dry skin and help them keep their shape.
• Lye bath (2:45 p.m.)
• Place two racks in your oven, one at the bottom and one in the top third. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) convection (475°F (245°C) without convection).
  
  While wearing long latex or rubber gloves, add 940g of cool water to a stainless steel bowl. To the water, add 38g of food-grade lye while quickly mixing with a stainless steel whisk or large spoon. The mixture will initially be cloudy, keep stirring until all the powder/pellets are dissolved.
  
  With gloves, pick up one shaped pretzel, transfer it to the lye bath, and let it bathe for 15-20 seconds. Transfer the pretzel to a drip or cooling rack on top of parchment paper inside the baking sheet.
  
  Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Once all the pretzels have been dipped, carefully flush the remaining lye solution or save it for future use.
• Bake (3:00 p.m.)
• Score each pretzel with the razor blade and sprinkle on pretzel salt. Remove the drip racks from underneath the unbaked pretzels. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes. Rotate the pans back to front and top to bottom, turn the oven down to 425°C (220°C), and bake for 6 minutes longer or until a deep brown color. Remove baking sheets from the oven and let pretzels cool a bit to enjoy them warm.

Notes

• You will need a stainless steel bowl, stainless steel cooling rack, and rubber gloves for the lye bath.