The twisted tale of pretzels
Oct. 18—When October arrives, those with German heritage (me) pull out those well-used family recipes — sauerbraten, schnitzel, dumplings, potato pancakes, red cabbage — in homage to Oktoberfest.
Even Whistle Binkies offers a week of German specialties mid-September — just a bit early — as their tribute to Oktoberfest. German beers, of course, are the order of the day, and one thing that goes the best with all those lagers are the big, soft German pretzels. These are not unique to Oktoberfest but are sold year-round at sporting events, county and state fairs, special kiosks in malls and airports, and even vendors on big city streets have them.
Thick and soft in the middle, salted on the outside, they are usually dipped in a cheese sauce of some sort, maybe a sharp German mustard or just enjoyed as they come, nicely warmed. We have centuries of events and southern Germany to thank for them, where they are known as laugenbrezeln, or brezlen for short.
As I was enjoying one recently, it came to me that maybe they could be made at home. A granddaughter had done so for last year's Super Bowl, though it took two tries. The first batch was soggy, the second batch was perfect. Now it was my turn.
I looked through cookbooks and the internet and the recipes were basically the same, very little variation. One thing, however, gave me pause. Before going into the oven they had to be dipped completely, one by one, in a lye bath. That apparently gives them that iconic flavor, chewy texture, golden color when baked, and locks in that soft interior. Rubber gloves and safety goggles are essential, the recipes emphasized. Hmm. I researched on and discovered that one can substitute a baking soda bath, which is what my granddaughter had done.
So on a recent Sunday afternoon I started in.
I used a recipe off the internet from
Sally's Baking Addiction
with the heading Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels. I looked it over and when the recipe said they could be done start to finish in 30 minutes I was in.
I've got news for you: It was more like an hour. And easy? Yes, the recipe and accompanying video were great helps, but I had some trouble. For one thing I decided to halve the recipe to six, rather than 12 pretzels. I also used the dough hook on my mixer and that made quick work of the dough though I had to keep adding flour to keep it from getting sticky.
My problem came with rolling out six little dough balls to 21 inches and then forming the pretzel shape. Eventually I got the hang of it, got the water bath boiling, and dropped the pretzels, one by one, into it. The recipe said not more than 30-40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon I gently took them out and put them on a buttered — yes, buttered — parchment paper on a cookie sheet and into a 400 oven. Don't forget to sprinkle on the salt like I did. Quickly, I took them out, did that, and then left them to bake and brown for 12 minutes.
How did they turn out? See for yourself. Pretty good, and they did taste like a soft pretzel. Would I do it again? Only if it were a project with a child.
The history of pretzels is one that goes back literally centuries, and there are questions about where and when they came from. It's thought that they were invented by a monk in the Middle Ages as a treat for youngsters completing their prayers. The shape was said to represent arms crossed in prayer and the three spaces, the Holy Trinity. As time moved on, the pretzel shape became the crest of the German Bakers Guild and since much of the population couldn't read, it also became a sign hanging outside bakeries. Pretzels also were a holiday fixture, hanging on trees at Christmas and hidden at Easter, like Easter eggs. They came to be symbols of love and prosperity for centuries.
Jump now to the 1700s when German immigrants came to this country. Many settled in Pennsylvania and opened bakeries featuring pretzels. Interestingly that state continues to be the seat of American pretzel production and is where in1861 the first commercial pretzel bakery opened. This is also where the smaller, hard pretzels came to be. Today those are one of the best-selling salty snacks between potato chips and popcorn. They also have taken on many different looks — covered in chocolate or yogurt, crushed and used in pie crusts and sprinkled over casseroles. As one of the earliest snacks this tasty treat has been around for centuries and all signs indicate they will be for many more to come.
Post Bulletin food writer Holly Ebel knows what's cookin'. Send comments or story tips to
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