Bavarian Pretzels with Salt Recipe

Bavarian-style pretzels remind me of the time when I used to travel to Germany very often for work. I would find them everywhere and, whenever I had the chance, I enjoyed them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, in all sorts of shapes and combinations.

I really loved their texture: slightly crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside and, of course, generously sprinkled with coarse salt. 😀

I had never thought about making Bavarian pretzels at home. It seemed like the kind of thing that required more technique than I had the patience to learn and, probably, a special oven. But if I don’t experiment now, while we are spending more time at home, then when?

I looked up a few Bavarian pretzel recipes, read various tips and started adapting them until I came up with a version that worked for me. And because I didn’t want to end up with a whole tray of pretzels in case the experiment failed, I decided to make just 4.

My logic was very simple: if they didn’t turn out well, at least I hadn’t spent too much time making them. And if they turned out too good and I didn’t want to share them with anyone, at least there weren’t too many of them to make me gain weight. 😀 Win-win!

Are Bavarian pretzels difficult to make at home?

Not really. At least, not nearly as difficult as I imagined before I actually tried making them.

The dough is quite simple and doesn’t require any complicated ingredients. The part I found more interesting is when the pretzels go into a baking soda bath before they go into the oven.

This is the step that gives them that distinctive pretzel look and taste: the outside develops a slightly crisp crust, while the inside stays soft and fluffy.

What Would I Do Differently Next Time?

Probably nothing essential. I would just make more. 😆

Or maybe I would use a mixer for the dough instead of kneading it by hand. I think the dough would be more evenly mixed, and the pretzels would look and feel even closer to the ones I used to eat in Germany.

I liked the result so much that my plan of “I’ll only make 4, just in case they don’t turn out” backfired a little.

If you like Bavarian pretzels and want to try making them at home, I definitely think they are worth the experiment. You don’t need a special oven or any particular experience with bread making.

Just a little patience, a few simple ingredients and, ideally, someone to share them with.

Or not. I won’t judge. 😀

Bavarian Pretzels with Salt Recipe

Recipe by Loredana Arion

Servings

4

pretzels

Prep time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories per pretzel

250

kcal

Homemade Bavarian pretzels, soft and fluffy on the inside, with a slightly crisp crust and coarse sea salt on top.

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 150 ml water

• 5 g dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Coarse sea salt, for topping

• For boiling

• 50 g baking soda

• 3 l water

Directions

• Prepare the yeast: warm the 150 ml of water and set aside; add the sugar and yeast and stir; leave for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
• In a bowl, sift the flour and add the salt.
• Add the yeast mixture and oil and knead by hand for about 10-15 minutes, until you have a firm, non-sticky dough.
• Leave the dough to rise until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape the pretzels.
• Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda once it starts boiling.
• Place the pretzels in the boiling water (in my case, only 2 fit in the pot at a time) and leave them for about 30-40 seconds.
• Place the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes, until the pretzels develop that characteristic brown crust.