I’ve made several German recipes for my kids’ high school German classes over the last few years. The assignment was to make or bake a German recipe and everyone in the class enjoyed the snacks. My daughter decided she wanted to try real homemade German pretzels when she was a Freshman. So I set out to find an authentic German pretzel recipe.
Homemade German Pretzel Recipe
Previously I had made Bretzel Rolls, so luckily I was already prepared for this. The Bretzel rolls were delicious and reminded me of a restaurant I used to go to. For this same class assignment we also made mini lemon cakes and Partybrot.
I found this pretzel recipe on the blog La Cerise. It’s run by Astrid who lives in Zurich and bakes up some true masterpieces. This German pretzel recipe was originally adapted by Astrid from a German website.
I’ve calculated the adjustments from metric to standard, so I was very pleased that our homemade German pretzels came together so well.
Original photo from the first time I made these in 2009
The first time I made them they were considerably smaller than I expected. Mine looked quite a bit fatter than Astrid’s, so when I made these again, I made sure to roll out my ropes longer.
That was back in February of 2009. Fast forward a few years and I’ve made these homemade German pretzels several times.
Baking Soda Bath
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”. 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.
“Dipping dough in lye alters the ratio between sugar and protein, because lye breaks proteins present in the dough into smaller bits. Those are the small amino acids that then combine with sugars in the dip to create the flavor compounds at the pretzel’s crust.” [Source: Wisconsin Public Radio Ideas Network]
Since you can’t really find lye at the grocery store, you can use a baking soda bath to get the same results. 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.
Authentic German pretzels are a little smaller and not as fat as the kind you get at the county fair or local food stand. So don’t expect the same pretzel that you buy from the street vendor or food truck.
They are delicious though and you should definitely try them. Besides, the process is actually quite fun. Who knew science could be so delicious?
More Pretzel Recipes
- Ham & Cheese Pretzel Roll Sandwiches
- Bretzel Rolls (Pretzel Sandwich Rolls)
- Homemade Pretzel Dogs – What Megan’s Making
- Rosemary Sea Salt Pretzels – Two Peas and Their Pod
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Homemade German Pretzels
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 ½ oz active dry yeast 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Coarse salt for sprinkling
Soda Bath
- ½ cup baking soda
- 2 quarts water
Before You Begin
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Mix flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the flour mixture then add the sugar to the center of the well. Pour the yeast/water mixture into the well. Let it rest for 15 minutes before mixing.
- Add the softened butter to the mixing bowl and knead everything to a smooth dough. I used the dough hook on my Kitchenaid for about 6 minutes on speed #2, I did have to add about a tablespoon of additional water as it was not quite gathering all the dry ingredients. Remove the dough hook and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut the dough into twelve equal parts, then roll each piece on the table (don't flour the surface, you shouldn't need it) to about 20 inches, tapered toward the ends. Don't make it smaller than 20 inches as it's impossible to get a good shape with a short, thick rope of dough. The dough should not get too warm as you roll it out, or it might tear.
- To form the pretzel shape, place dough rope on parchment lined cookie sheet so that it creates the shape of the letter "U". Take both ends of the "U" and cross them over each other twice forming a twist. Bring that twist down and place it over the bottom curve of the "U".
- Place the pretzels without covering them in the fridge for about an hour. This helps build a skin that will absorb the dipping solution better and make a beautiful shiny crust.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Fill large stock or pasta pot 3/4 full and bring the water to a boil. Carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. There will be a reaction when the baking soda hits the water and it will bubble furiously for a moment and then relax. Stand back a bit just to be safe. Using a slotted spoon, gently drop each pretzel into the bath for 10 seconds, then turn over for another 10. Astrid called for a total of 10 seconds only. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Score the dough once like for a baguette with a razor blade or sharp knife.
- Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for about 15 to 20 minutes (mine took 20 minutes for a nice dark crust), depending on how dark you like them.
Nutrition
This post originally published on February 19, 2009
Amanda Davis
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Alyson Kenny says
Hi Amanda! I just made this recipe today and they are finishing up in the oven as I type. I substituted half whole wheat flour (purely because I was too lazy to go to the store and get more regular flour, even if it is only 2 blocks away!) I ended up going to the store anyways because I only had German Backpulver (I live in Germany, btw) and no actually baking soda (called Natron in German). They still look wonderful and I think they will taste great as well! I will be making them again in the US for my german themed graduation party in August (I am graduating from University here in Germany in a few weeks) and I hope my American family will love them as well. Thanks for the great recipe!
Amanda says
That’s great Alyson, so glad you liked them!
Julie says
Thanks so much! This was my first time making anything like this, so I really had no clue. :-)
Julie says
Hi Amanda! I made these for my son’s cultural feast at school yesterday and they were a huge hit! I’m not really sure how to store them though. I stored them in sealed Tupperware containers, and they got “moist” and kind of tough to eat. How do you store them? I apologize if this has already been answered, I read most comments, but not all.
Thanks for your help, and the wonderful recipe!!!!
-Julie
Amanda says
Well they actually didn’t hang around long enough to be stored, but I can certainly see how a closed container would cause moisture. I think a safer bet would be to store them in paper lunch or grocery bags, just like when you buy bagels from a bagel shop :) Yum, now i want a fresh bagel!
Katy Holland says
I am making these for my son’s school project.. lets hope all goes well.. they look fantastic.
Amanda Formaro says
Hope it goes well Katy and that you enjoy them!
Domestic Debbie says
So…were these soft pretzels or hard pretzels? They look delicious!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Debbie, they are soft! :)
Amanda says
That's wonderful DeVon! How fun you got to visit Germany, I am envious :)
Anonymous says
Amanda,
I visited Germany for the first time in September and fell in love with their pretzels. I tried you recipe and it is GREAT! I am going to make them for Thanksgiving. I want to surprise my mother-in-law who is from Germany.
Thanks
DeVon
Michele says
Thanks, for making the adjustments, Amanda! That's much more clear. Time for round two!
Amanda says
Hi Michele! I'll adjust the recipe so that it's less confusing. There's not a separate measurement for the water, the lukewarm water in the ingredient list, and the warm water in the instructions are one in the same. Sorry for the confusion. As for the dough be overly tight, did you use the scoop and sweep method for measuring the flour? Just wondering if you may have had too much. Another thing I have discovered with yeast recipes is the climate and barametric pressure indeed play a role in the end result. I live in the midwest, so it tends to be more humid here than say, southern California. Just thinking about some possible reasons for your dough results :)
As for the baking soda, I'm so sorry that happened to you! I will add a note about that in the instructions as well. I did have an "eruption" so to speak, but I didn't have it boil over. I'm thinking your pot may have been filled higher than mine? I filled mine about 3/4 full.
At any rate, so glad you enjoyed them and thanks so much for this helpful feedback!
Michele says
Hi Amanda,
I made the pretzels and they turned out pretty good over all. I did have trouble with the dough, though. I was confused about the water amount. Was there supposed to be additional water from the yeast? It said 1 cup luke warm water but then it said use warm water for the yeast. I'm thinking there was supposed to be a separate measurement for that. I reworked the dough a few times adding more and more water. Probably about a 1/4 cup. Anyway, I finally managed to get the dough feeling right. Because the dough was so tight it was hard to roll it out long enough to make the nice big pretzel shapes so mine look a lot like yours.
Just a word of warning about the baking soda bath. I don't recommend adding the baking soda to boiling water. I've never done this before so I just followed your directions. And after dumping in the baking soda in to the boiling water it immediately boiled up like volcanic eruption and overflowed and dumped about a liter of soda water all over my stove and floor in a matter of seconds. BIG MESS and a pain to mop up. So, might I suggest adding it to warm water and then bring it to the boil.
After all that I also brushed the tops with egg whites which gave it a nice shiny crust and also helped the salt to stick. Anyway, I'm going to try this again and adjust the water amount. Hopefully they'll turn out the way they should. Thanks for the recipe.
Culinary Cory says
I love homemade pretzels with a heaping pile of mustard!
Grace says
of all the things you could’ve possibly made for a german class, i wouldn’t have expected this…but i love it! gimme a little mustard and i’m set to go. :)
Amanda says
Happy Cook – Thank you! I was hoping for an even darker crust, but didn’t want them to burn. Will try again soon :)
Astrid – You are quite welcome, I love all the goodies on your blog! Thanks for the great recipe :)
Debbie – It’s funny, my daughter took them to school, put them in the room with the other food items, and they were gone next time she came in LOL
Cheri – Would love to see them if you do, you’re a great cook!
Maria – Time to fire up the oven and baking soda bath again :)
Tami – I thought it was pretty cool. So many recipes to choose from but we needed something that would keep from the night before. So making something like Schnitzel was out :-P
thecleanveggie – They were! Thanks for the comment ;)
thecleanveggie says
goodness these sound awesome :)
Tami says
That’s a cool assignment for your daughter to have to do! The pretzels look great. We love German food!
Maria says
I haven’t made pretzels in awhile. Thanks for the reminder. They are a great snack!! Yours look delicious!
Cheri Sicard says
I have never made pretzels but have always wanted to try. Thanks for the recipe.
Debbie says
They look wonderful. Can I have one please!!!
Astrid says
Your pretzels came out beautifully Amanda! Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. Nothing makes me happier than to see a recipe I post being tested with success by someone else.
Happy cook says
Wowo looks so beautiful.