All Germans revere bread as the cornerstone of their baking heritage and daily diet. Pretzels—or brezeln—come a close second. From their first teeth, German toddlers nibble on these treats, as essential as mother's milk. No surprise there: the magic lies in the crisp crust enveloping soft, airy dough with that perfect salty kiss.
Found at every German corner bakery, pretzels' appeal has gone global.
Born as a Christian Lenten food, the oldest remnants—charred from the 18th century—were discovered in Regensburg. Legend tells of a baker saved 500 years ago by his pretzel-twirling prowess, a skill still central to German baking training today, and no easy feat.
Craving bakery-fresh brezeln? Follow this trusted recipe, honed from generations of German bakers.
Ingredients:
500 g flour
3 dl milk
1 tsp salt
1 cube fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
40 g butter
10 dl water
coarse salt
3 tbsp baking powder
Instructions:
Prepare a smooth yeast dough with flour, milk, salt, yeast, sugar, and butter.
Let it rise until doubled.
Knead well, form a roll, and divide into 16–18 equal pieces.
Rest for 15 minutes.
Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, uncovered.
Near the end, boil 10 dl water and dissolve 3 tbsp baking soda—watch for splattering!
Dip each pretzel in the bath for 30 seconds (they'll float).
Drain, sprinkle with coarse salt.
Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 220°C on the middle rack for 18–20 minutes until golden.
Serve warm, with butter for pure bliss!
