Evelyns German Pretzel Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the water and yeast. Stir in the molasses and set aside until the yeast is bloomed and foamy, 5 to 7 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add the flour, butter and sea salt and use your hands to press and pinch the butter so that it's coated in flour. Add the yeast mixture and cider and stir together with a fork or a Danish dough whisk to make a loose, shaggy dough.
• Use your hands to combine the dough or beat the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, until the dough forms a loose ball, about 1 minute. The dough will be firm. (If it feels sticky, add in a bit more flour, a teaspoon at a time, until it is tacky.)
• Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface or beat the dough on medium-high speed, until it's smooth and springs back when pressed, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to a well-buttered bowl, turn to coat completely and cover tightly. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours at room temperature, or at least 8 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator (a longer resting time develops the flavor of the dough even further).
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn out the dough. Press down gently to deflate. Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Cover the dough and, working with 1 piece at a time, roll between your palms and the surface to create a long rope, about 12 inches long. (The dough will spring back as you work with it. If it's being stubborn, set it aside under a towel and come back to it.) Continue with the remaining dough until all 8 pieces are in long ropes, using a bit of a damp hand to create more friction as needed. Let all the ropes rest while you prepare the baking sheets.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Begin rolling each rope again, working them into a long 25- to 30-inch rope with a slightly thicker center and tapered ends (Don't worry if they're not perfect, they will still be delicious!).
• Shape each rope into a U shape. Hold the ends in each hand and lift and cross to make an X a third of the way down from the ends. Fold the ends of the dough toward the bottom, creating a slight overhang, and pinch to seal against the fatter part of the dough, creating a pretzel shape. If this is challenging or your dough is really puffy, fold and loop the dough around itself into a spiral, creating a pretzel bun instead. Transfer to the prepared sheets, leaving space between them.
• Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay over the top. Let them rest in a warm (but not hot) place until they have doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position the racks in the middle and lower third of the oven, then preheat the oven to 475 degrees F on convection setting if available.
• Bring 6 cups of water and the baking soda to a gentle simmer in a wide stainless-steel saucepan. Using a large skimmer, fish spatula or slotted spoon, lower 1 to 2 pretzels into the soda water and cook, keeping the water at a low simmer, 10 seconds per side. Remove, letting all the water drip off, and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
• Before baking, reshape each pretzel as needed, schooching them with a spoon or gloved hand (they can be slippery) to guide them into shape. Brush the tops of each pretzel with the egg wash, then sprinkle with salt. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until deep golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes.
• Serve warm with Sweet Brown Mustard Butter. Eat within 24 hours, or cool completely, wrap well and freeze for afternoon snacks.
• Combine the butter, mustard and honey, working together with a spoon or a spatula until lightly streaked and flavorful (do not fully combine, as the mustard can break the butter). Serve at room temperature. Makes 1/4 cup.

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients together. Add liquid ingredients and mix on medium speed in Kitchen Aid Mixer until a ball forms.
• Let dough rise until double in size -- about one hour.
• Form into pretzel shapes, sticks or rolls.
• To shape pretzels, roll dough (about 2 ounces) into an 18 inch rope (leave the middle a little fatter than the ends), form into a circle with about a 2 inch tail on each end, twist the cross over twice, fold in half, and press the end of the tails into the circle.
• Refrigerate pretzels for about 10 minutes, let rolls or sticks rise for 10-15 minutes.
• Dip in Lye bath for 10 seconds or boiling baking soda mixture for 30 seconds. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Slit with a sharp knife or razor blade. Sprinkle with pretzel salt.
• Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a mixer), stir together syrup, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half the flour. Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture comes together in a shaggy mass.
• Turn out onto counter (or attach dough hook to mixer) and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and supple. Cut into 12 pieces and let rest 5 minutes.
• Roll out each piece into a rope about 22 inches long. (For traditional shape, the ends should be thin and the center fat.) Lift both ends, twist them around each other once, then bring ends back and press them on either side of fat "belly," at about 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Then gently spread out "shoulders" of pretzel. Transfer shaped pretzels to an ungreased baking sheet. (Alternatively, form each piece into a round or oval to make laugenbrötchen, rolls.)
• Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a deep bowl, wearing rubber or latex gloves, make a solution of 1/2 cup lye and 10 cups water (or 1 part lye to 20 parts water); pour lye carefully into water to avoid splashing. Dip each pretzel in solution, turning it over for 10 to 15 seconds, and place back on baking sheet.
• Sprinkle pretzels with salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until deep brown. Remove to a rack and serve warm.

Steps:

• To make in food processor or large mixer: combine flour, gluten, brown sugar, salt, yeast. Add water until dough ball is formed. (This will take much longer in a mixer than a food processor.) Remove from bowl and knead by hand for 2-5 minutes until dough ball is smooth.
• If you have an extra day, place dough in covered bowl into refrigerator for 8-24 hours; bring to room temperature before rolling out (approximately 25 minutes).
• If making the same day, allow dough to sit on counter top for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil water for dipping pretzels.
• Divide dough into six pieces and roll each piece into long thin pieces approximately 24" long. Take each piece and shape into upside down U. Lift up the ends and form a twist in the middle section of the piece. Bring the ends to the top of the pretzel and press into the dough. Proceed with shaping each piece.
• Add baking soda and sugar to boiling water. With large slotted spoon, dip each pretzel into the water solution for 5 seconds. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place baking sheet in oven and reduce heat to 425 deg F and bake for 10 minutes. Then turn the sheet and bake for another 10-15 minutes until all pretzels are nicely browned.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, then add salt & sugar to the yeast mixture.
• Blend in the flour & knead the dough until smooth, about 7 or 8 minutes.
• Cover & let dough rise for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until double in bulk.
• Grease several cookie sheets, then punch dough down & cut it into 12 pieces.
• Slightly beat the egg & set aside.
• Roll each piece of dough into a thin rope about as round as your little finger, then twist each into pretzel shapes before placing them on a greased cookie sheet.
• Using a pastry brish, coat the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg & sprinkle with coarse salt, before allowing the pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F & bake the pretzels for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned.
• Best if eaten while stlil warm, but if allowed to cool, store in an airtight container.