Sometimes I make these pretzels in the morning, especially when I want something warm and salty, with a crispy crust, straight from the oven. I prepare them almost like in a bakery. It took me a few tries to get used to the shaping method, but it’s nothing complicated if you have patience while modeling. They don’t need special ingredients, just a little attention to the rising and baking times.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour
Baking time: 35 minutes (20 min + 15 min)
Servings: 8 pretzels (depending on size)
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: savory snack, homemade pretzels
Ingredients
500 g all-purpose flour
150 ml milk
150 ml water (plus 1 tablespoon for the salt crust)
25 g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
For the salt crust:
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salt
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
Preparation method
1. Put the flour in a large bowl.
2. Dissolve the yeast in 150 ml of warm water and add it to the flour.
3. Add the milk, the remaining water (if you have some left from the initial 150 ml), salt, and sugar.
4. Mix and knead until you get an elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. If it feels too soft, sprinkle a little more flour.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should double in volume.
6. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Divide the dough in half for easier handling.
7. Take half of the dough, roll it out by hand or with a rolling pin into a not-too-thick sheet.
8. Cut long and relatively equal strips from the dough. Shape each strip into a classic pretzel by bending and sealing the ends.
9. Transfer the pretzels to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. A standard baking tray usually fits one row of 4 pretzels.
10. Brush each pretzel with beaten egg yolk for color when baking.
11. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
12. Place the tray in the oven and bake the pretzels for 20 minutes.
13. In the meantime, prepare the salt crust: mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of salt until you have a thicker paste.
14. Remove the pretzels from the oven after 20 minutes. With a spoon, quickly draw thin lines of the salty paste over each pretzel in a zig-zag pattern.
15. Put the tray back in the oven for another 15 minutes, until they have a golden brown and slightly cracked crust.
16. Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tray.
Why I make the recipe often
I like that you don’t need special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. The pretzels turn out tasty, with a salty crust and a soft interior. They are good next to a cup of milk or as a quick snack.
Tips and variations
Tips
Don’t let the dough be too soft, as it will stick when shaping.
The salt crust should be added after the first 20 minutes; otherwise, it will burn or harden too much.
Use parchment paper; otherwise, they may stick to the tray.
Let the pretzels cool a bit before removing them; they break more easily when hot.
Substitutions
You can use dry yeast (about 7 g), dissolved in warm water like fresh yeast.
Milk can be replaced with whole water for a vegan version, but the crust will be less shiny.
Variations
If you want, sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame over the egg, following the classic bakery pretzel style.
You can make the pretzels smaller or thicker, but adjust the baking time by a few minutes.
Serving ideas
They are good warm, but also great cold, on the go.
You can serve with yogurt, milk, cream soup, or as a simple snack.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can dry yeast be used?
Yes, dry yeast works too. Use about 7 g and dissolve it in warm water like fresh yeast.
2. Can I make pretzels without milk?
Yes, you can use only water. They will turn out just as well, but will have a slightly simpler taste and the crust will be a bit less shiny.
3. Can pretzels be frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing them, but the texture doesn’t remain as pleasant after freezing and thawing. They are much better fresh.
4. How much do they rise in the oven?
They rise quite a bit, almost doubling in volume while baking, so leave space between them on the tray.
5. What kind of flour should I use?
Classic all-purpose flour type 650 is suitable. If you want a different texture, you can try type 000, but it doesn’t change the result much.
Nutritional values
On average, a medium-sized pretzel has about 220 kcal. It mainly contains carbohydrates (about 43 g), proteins (about 6-7 g), and fats (3-4 g, depending on how much yolk you use). If you add seeds or modify the dough, the values may vary. These are just basic estimates.
Storage and reheating
They are best eaten on the day they are made. If there are leftovers, you can keep them for 1-2 days at room temperature in a bag. They can be reheated for 2-3 minutes in the oven or on a skillet, but the crust becomes harder over time. They are not suitable for long storage or freezing.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour
Baking time: 35 minutes (20 min + 15 min)
Servings: 8 pretzels (depending on size)
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: savory snack, homemade pretzels
Ingredients
500 g all-purpose flour
150 ml milk
150 ml water (plus 1 tablespoon for the salt crust)
25 g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
For the salt crust:
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salt
For brushing:
1 egg yolk
Preparation method
1. Put the flour in a large bowl.
2. Dissolve the yeast in 150 ml of warm water and add it to the flour.
3. Add the milk, the remaining water (if you have some left from the initial 150 ml), salt, and sugar.
4. Mix and knead until you get an elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your hands. If it feels too soft, sprinkle a little more flour.
5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should double in volume.
6. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Divide the dough in half for easier handling.
7. Take half of the dough, roll it out by hand or with a rolling pin into a not-too-thick sheet.
8. Cut long and relatively equal strips from the dough. Shape each strip into a classic pretzel by bending and sealing the ends.
9. Transfer the pretzels to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. A standard baking tray usually fits one row of 4 pretzels.
10. Brush each pretzel with beaten egg yolk for color when baking.
11. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
12. Place the tray in the oven and bake the pretzels for 20 minutes.
13. In the meantime, prepare the salt crust: mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of salt until you have a thicker paste.
14. Remove the pretzels from the oven after 20 minutes. With a spoon, quickly draw thin lines of the salty paste over each pretzel in a zig-zag pattern.
15. Put the tray back in the oven for another 15 minutes, until they have a golden brown and slightly cracked crust.
16. Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tray.
Why I make the recipe often
I like that you don’t need special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. The pretzels turn out tasty, with a salty crust and a soft interior. They are good next to a cup of milk or as a quick snack.
Tips and variations
Tips
Don’t let the dough be too soft, as it will stick when shaping.
The salt crust should be added after the first 20 minutes; otherwise, it will burn or harden too much.
Use parchment paper; otherwise, they may stick to the tray.
Let the pretzels cool a bit before removing them; they break more easily when hot.
Substitutions
You can use dry yeast (about 7 g), dissolved in warm water like fresh yeast.
Milk can be replaced with whole water for a vegan version, but the crust will be less shiny.
Variations
If you want, sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame over the egg, following the classic bakery pretzel style.
You can make the pretzels smaller or thicker, but adjust the baking time by a few minutes.
Serving ideas
They are good warm, but also great cold, on the go.
You can serve with yogurt, milk, cream soup, or as a simple snack.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can dry yeast be used?
Yes, dry yeast works too. Use about 7 g and dissolve it in warm water like fresh yeast.
2. Can I make pretzels without milk?
Yes, you can use only water. They will turn out just as well, but will have a slightly simpler taste and the crust will be a bit less shiny.
3. Can pretzels be frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing them, but the texture doesn’t remain as pleasant after freezing and thawing. They are much better fresh.
4. How much do they rise in the oven?
They rise quite a bit, almost doubling in volume while baking, so leave space between them on the tray.
5. What kind of flour should I use?
Classic all-purpose flour type 650 is suitable. If you want a different texture, you can try type 000, but it doesn’t change the result much.
Nutritional values
On average, a medium-sized pretzel has about 220 kcal. It mainly contains carbohydrates (about 43 g), proteins (about 6-7 g), and fats (3-4 g, depending on how much yolk you use). If you add seeds or modify the dough, the values may vary. These are just basic estimates.
Storage and reheating
They are best eaten on the day they are made. If there are leftovers, you can keep them for 1-2 days at room temperature in a bag. They can be reheated for 2-3 minutes in the oven or on a skillet, but the crust becomes harder over time. They are not suitable for long storage or freezing.