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Authentic German Lye Pretzels (Laugenbrezel )

Ingredients (makes 15 pretzels) 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

• ¼ cup sugar

• 6 tablespoons shortening

• 1¼ teaspoons salt

• 1 cup warm (100°) water

• 2 pkg. (4.5 teaspoons) active dry yeast

• pretzel salt (www.bakerscatalog.com)

• parchment paper

For the lye bath:

• 1 TBS food-grade lye (sodium hydroxide) (www.summerbeemeadow.com)

• 1 quart cold water

Exercise caution when handling lye.  While you don’t need a haz-mat suit or rubber gloves to use it, you do need to be careful to avoid spills or splashes.  Avoid using aluminum utensils with it, and avoid using it around young children & pets.

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup of warm water with a ½ tsp. of sugar, and let it sit for ten minutes.  While the yeast is getting ready, combine the flour, sugar, dry milk, salt and shortening.  Slowly add yeast and the additional cup of warm water and knead for 5 minutes into a soft, elastic dough.  Place in a bowl, cover with a towel and let rise until about doubled, about 30-40 minutes.

In a stainless 1.5—2 qt. saucepan or stovetop-safe glass dish, add lye to the cold water and stir to dissolve.  Bring to a slow simmer.  While the lye bath heats, divide the risen dough into 15 pieces, and roll into 15-18 inch ropes.  The middle of the ropes should be fatter than the ends.  Form into pretzels.  Immerse them one or two at a time into the simmering lye bath for 20-30 seconds.  Remove from the bath (a skimmer works great for this) and place on a damp linen towel to drain for 5 minutes...don’t use terrycloth because the “nap” will stick.  Carefully put the pretzels onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  They will rise more while baking, so leave space between them.  Sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake in a 400° oven for 12-15 minutes (until mahogany brown).

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Web site maintained by Steve Kranz.  Last updated May 10, 2009