German Lye Pretzels - Laugenbrezel [Bakery Recipe]

Name: German Lye Pretzels - Laugenbrezel [Bakery Recipe]
Total time: 7200 s
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200 ml water (40°C); 5 g dry yeast; 100 ml milk; 5 g salt; 5 g sugar; 40 g butter; 500 g bread flour (strong flour); *******; 500 ml water; 15 g lye

Felice @morinoko

Connecticut, United States

I learned this recipe from a German bakery - this particular pretzel is great from sandwiches or for spreading in butter. Lye can be a little tricky to find but it will give your pretzels the best color and aroma compared to baking soda.

(Lye is very caustic so make sure you are wearing rubber gloves and working in a well ventilated room - you might want to wear safety glasses and a nose/mouth mask as well. And definitely no kids!!)

Felice @morinoko

Connecticut, United States

(Lye is very caustic so make sure you are wearing rubber gloves and working in a well ventilated room - you might want to wear safety glasses and a nose/mouth mask as well. And definitely no kids!!)

Saved

Ingredients

120 mins

10 servings

200 mlwater (40°C)
5 gdry yeast
100 mlmilk
5 gsalt
5 gsugar
40 gbutter
500 gbread flour (strong flour)
*******
500 mlwater
15 glye

Saved

Steps

120 mins

1

In a bowl or small pot, put in the 40 g butter, 100 ml milk, and 5 g salt.Heat on low until the butter just melts and set aside.
2

In a separate bowl, add 200 ml warm water and 5 g sugar. Mix and add 5 g dry yeast. Mix well and wait for 10-15 minutes until the yeast bubbles up.
3

Add the 500 g flour to a large bowl. Make a 'crater' in the middle of the flour and pour in the butter/milk mix. Toss some flour over the butter/milk and then pour in the yeast water around the outside of the crater.
4

Gradually mix the flour into the liquid with your fingers. When the flour starts to absorb some of the liquid, start bringing together the flour with your hands until you can form a ball.
5

When you can bring together into a ball, remove from bowl and knead until the dough is smooth - about 10 minutes.
6

Return dough to bowl and cover. Let rise for 40 minutes in a warm place or until about doubled in size.
7

Divide dough into 10 equal pieces (it's about 80 g each if you're weighing). Gently roll each piece into a short cylinder/log shape.
8

Next, take each dough 'log' and roll out the ends - leave the very center of the 'log' untouched (so it doesn't lose its air) and roll out the right and left sides until long, thing and tapered.
9

Twist the long ends around each other and press the tapered tips into the fat part of the pretzel.
10

In a medium bowl, put in water first then mix in the lye until the lye is dissolved. (Be very careful with lye! Make sure your room is ventilated and you're wearing rubber gloves and even consider safety glasses).
11

Still wearing your gloves and glasses, grab each pretzel at the top where the tips are pressed into the fat part. Dip it into the lye solution, making sure every part gets covered in some liquid. Lift out, let drain and arrange onto baking sheets in preparation to bake
12

Sprinkle with salt while still wet
13

Bake at 240°C (no steam) for 15 minutes.
14

The pretzels should be nice and dark brown!
15

For sandwiches, slice open the fat part of the pretzels and stuff with your favorite fillings - butter, ham, pickles, lettuce, cheese, etc. etc.

Saved

Cooksnaps

Saved

Felice @morinoko

on December 02, 2015 12:49

Connecticut, United States

I grew up in Southern Germany and Ohio, and spent 10 years in Japan. I love bread baking, #German food, and healthy, homestyle cooking in general inspired by my family and the seasons.Follow my cooking adventures on Instagram :)https://instagram.com/morinoko_