A Baker's Odyssey: Schwabisch Pretzels Recipe

[@gregpatent]

I did learn how to make Brezel from a German master baker. And I thank you for the very interesting information on the lye bath ratio and the use of lard in the dough.

[@saharhawasli8567]

Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe, I am going to make it today.

[@gregpatent]

Congratulations on the pretzels! You deserve many pats on the back for being so adventuresome.

[@wernerh869]

Very informative video. Thank you!

[@SkaRocksYea]

@gregpatent I like your kitchen. Reminds me of my mothers.

[@pjalice1]

WONDERFUL. THANK YOU

[@MokusGabor]

Thank You very much for your quick answer! I'll try to bake them!

[@agerpic]

This video was really good, thanks a lot for showing how to do those! Even though I'm German and I know good pretzels here, your pretzels look really great and tasty!

[@pelangable]

By the way, here in Germany, they use 1:10 ratio. For 1 liter wasser 1/10 liter solution. It is said that by baking, the solution on the Brezel is neutralized. the solution gives its shiny in color, the crispiness, and it has a different taste when baked. Thanks for explaining what a lye bath is. our recipe used pork lard but during our last few years prior to my husband's retirement, we used vegetable lard because some customers who didn't like the idea of eating pork protested.

[@gregpatent]

@MrVincentGoldman No special method. You soften yeast in warm water and add it to the flour, salt, some softened butter, etc. in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with flat beater until crumbly. Add remaining water and knead with dough hook to make a stiff dough. Cover and let rise to double, then shape pretzels. Hope this helps. Very glad you enjoyed the video.

[@gregpatent]

Thank you very much for clarifying Bavaria versus Swabia. And also for your kind comments about my video.

[@pelangable]

Hi! thanks for this video. you must have befriended a german from schwabenland to know this method. anyway, i'm from Schwabenland and we used to have a bakery. my husband is a retired Bäckermeister. we kinda thaw the Brezel before bathing it with a solution and baking it. other methods are, they are bathed before they are placed in freezing units and thaw them before baking . But that's what they do in bigger bakeries.

[@gregpatent]

@izelxx1 I much appreciate your very kind comments. Thank you very much for taking the time to watch and to write.

[@pjalice1]

WONDERFUL

[@gregpatent]

Thank you!

[@MokusGabor]

Gladly! I found some NaOH yesterday, so I'll make the lye, and as soon as I find some time I'll make-bake them and inform You on the final outcome...

[@gregpatent]

Excellent questions. I have presented the recipe the way I learned it from master baker, Rudy Klopp, who taught me how to make these pretzels at Esther's German Bakery in California. That is how Rudy adds the butter. The unbleached all-purpose flour I use has a protein content of 10.5 percent. You rest the dough for 10 minutes before kneading to allow the flour to absorb as much of the moisture as possible, which helps activate the gluten. Happy baking!

[@gregpatent]

Lye has been used for centuries in cooking. For pretzels, it gives them a sheen and crispness that baking soda can't duplicate. I understand your concerns, so if you're going to make pretzels just dissolve 2 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart of water for dipping the pretzels. Hope this helps.

[@gregpatent]

@goodforyou3000 That's a very good question. Lye is alkaline so you need an acid to neutralize it. I add one volume of plain vinegar and flush it away.

[@gregpatent]

@mukwah1111 Good question. Bagels are traditionally dipped into a boiling water bath. The bagel dough is stronger than the pretzel dough, so boiling water probably wouldn't work for pretzels. But I have no definite answer re lye and bagels.

[@MokusGabor]

OK. So I made the pretzles this weekend, and they were wonderful!!! Altough because it was a bit late when I finished the dough, I put the pretzles in the freezer, and baked them the next morning (after I covered them with lye), and way too much salt. That is the only thing I'll change the next time I decide to bake them (maybee today). Otherwise, like I mentioned, they were great, we ate them immediately! Thank you!

[@gregpatent]

The baking soda bath will give the pretzels an appealing shiny glaze, similar to one you get from the lye bath.

[@gregpatent]

@agerpic You're very kind. I learned from a German pretzel master, who was a great teacher.

[@HazletNJ]

I will make my first batch of pretzels tomorrow and will apply some of the techniques that I learned in this video. Not sure about the lye though.

[@izelxx1]

THANKS THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO THAT SHOWS HOW TO DO IT; OTHER VIDEOS I HAVE SEEN SHOW MANUFACTURE BY SOME COMMERCIAL OUTFIT IT DOES NOT SHOW ONE HOW TO DO IT; YOU DO!

[@katiep9543]

Hi - thanks for the reply! I did a google search on "blistered pretzels" and the image I found was exactly what my pretzel looked like. I couldn't paste it on this link but it was 4 rows down and three to the right. Also, can you freeze the pretzels for an hour, dip them in lye and then refreeze them for another time?

[@mattr5737]

Hi Greg, Thanks for the recipe - I tried it at home and it worked great. I have a question about freezing the pretzels 1. After the pretzels are shaped and have their final rise, I put them in the freezer (uncovered/unwrapped), baked some of them right away (after letting them freeze completely for an hour) and they tasted great. I baked the others about a week later - they didn't taste as good as that first batch and they seemed a little doughy to me.

[@sebastianvelcro]

Awesome video! But I was wondering about how you mix the actual ingredients together to make the dough. Is there a special way to do this?

[@588158]

Excelent video! What is the dough recipe? Also, I assume the lye you are talking about is not the Lye sold in the store under the name DRAINO. Can you tell me from what type of store I would buy the Lye and in what strength; I live in New York City?

[@gregpatent]

If you left the pretzels unwrapped in the freezer for about a week they would have lost moisture. After baking I can see how they might have seemed "doughy." I think it's best to not leave them in the freezer for more than a day or two (wrapped tightly after they're frozen solid). Thanks for writing, Matt.

[@oldhoss44]

Good Point

[@gregpatent]

@bilgerburg Thank you very much for the great compliment, and also thanks for taking the time to write me.

[@gregpatent]

@hoorayforpeepeee Recipe is in my cookbook, "A Baker's Odyssey." Very sorry I cannot post it because of copyright laws. But thank you very much for your interest

[@gregpatent]

No, you can't buy lye in the supermarket, but you can order it from various sources online. Just be sure it's food grade sodium hydroxide. Lye was originally derived from the ashes of burned trees, much older than the middle ages.

[@MokusGabor]

I have a question: I couldn't understand the time you put the brezels in the freezer... And is it a freezer (below 0°C) or a refrigerator (around 4°C) ? Thank you very much for the video, and the answer!

[@sascharupp4234]

Great vid! My pretzel dough is to sticky though, I can't roll it proper in to the long string, but maybe my recipe is wrong. I was looking for the recipe you used, but couldn't find it. If anybody can help, I'd be very happy. Thanks!

[@gregpatent]

@16hilltyKMS You can order it from amazon.com. Thank you very much for asking.

[@mukwah1111]

Hi Greg Does this lye dip also work for bagels?

[@gregpatent]

You're very welcome. I learned from a master Schwabish baker. Let me know how yours turn out.

[@xerxes467]

@IFLY337S I think you'd probably be unpleasantly surprised if you knew what some of the ingredients in most of the stuff you consume could do, if you separated them out. NaOH, or sodium hydroxide is pretty mild compared to what's in the average energy drink.

[@gregpatent]

I'm puzzled about the "blisters." Do all your pretzels have them? Are you using the lye bath or baking soda? Pretzels are best eaten the day they're made. You can always freeze baked pretzels and reheat them as needed. Thaw first, then refresh in a moderately hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

[@gregpatent]

I got my lye, a totally pure form suitable for use in cooking, from Fisher Scientific. Google the company then go to their website. The lye pellets come in a large container, but they keep forever. If you have friends who would like to using lye, you can split the cost and the lye. Have fun!

[@BlackForestBreads]

Where did you get this formula?

[@katiep9543]

For some reason, my pretzels are getting "blisters" on them after I've baked them - does anyone know why? Also, any tips for storing these overnight? I find they get either stale or soggy if they are left out overnight.

[@gregpatent]

Please let me know how the pretzels turn out.

[@gregpatent]

Just use vegetable oil for the butter. I think you'll be fine with the amount of flour and water in the recipe.

[@gregpatent]

You use cool, not hot, water to dip the pretzels. There is no danger with baking soda. If using lye, protect your hands with kitchen gloves.

[@goodforyou3000]

how can I dispose of the lye solution

[@gregpatent]

@izelxx1 Thank you for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed it. If you like baking, please check out my new blog, thebakingwizard.

[@juliefrank5524]

The blisters are probably from the salt absorbing moisture from the air. Try not salting them (or not as much), and see what happens! And everyone, it is important you purchase pharmaceutical- or food-grade lye. It's certified not to be made with any additives. Industrial lye is still smelted with heavy metals. Not safe for consumption! I found the audio to be off on this video... Anyone else?

[@gregpatent]

Your take on the blisters makes sense. Thanks very much. Food-grade lye (Sodium Hydroxide) may be ordered from www.modernistpantry.com/sodium-hydroxide.html.

[@juliefrank5524]

Greg Patent I just watched the video on my laptop, as opposed to my iPhone (the audio is much better via laptop, for some reason). I can also see the blisters that are appearing after baking. I was thinking the other commenter was talking about the watery blisters that form around the salted areas. But the blisters I'm seeing on your pretzels (and on mine sometimes) seem to happen when I don't let the dough do a slow ferment overnight in the fridge. The dough that gets a 8-12 hr rest in the fridge doesn't bubble as much. A lower temp (350 for 20 min) yields fewer blisters, too. However, I don't see any difference in the taste. Greg, have you ever experimented with liquid malt, and see if there's a difference? I have never tried powder, only the liquid. Available from home-brew suppliers. Another variation to try: pat down the dough into a rectangle "boat," dip in the bath and top with grated gruyere or Swiss cheese. Divine! I'm just launching my pretzel business this summer, getting out of teaching! Check me out at fraupretzel.com ... wish me luck! :)

[@gregpatent]

schnitzel bank I'm going to make some pretzels to check out the blistering. I've not tried liquid malt. Good luck with your business launch. And I look forward to seeing more on your web site.

[@obaidCarkey]

I know what lye is but i can guarantee you that most supermarkets around the world don't have this product, especially in europe!--Maybe a wholeseller where you can only buy if you have a restaurant/bakery or pastry shop. BTW: soft pretzels are over 800 years old; did they have lye in the middle ages?

[@gregpatent]

You freeze the shaped pretzels for 1 hour to make them easier to handle.

[@gregpatent]

@andrewlamb123 Thanks so much.

[@obaidCarkey]

is this a cooking/baking class or a WMD class? where do i get all those chemicals? do i have to call assad in syria?

[@mattr5737]

Is this because the pretzels were in a freezer uncovered and air was exposed to the dough? I'm not a baker so I don't know the science behind it!

[@ancamg]

NaOH is not easy to find here in Canada. And about that razor blade...when I asked for such things in a drugstore, they looked at me as if I was asking for a pot.

[@MultiCmiller]

so you dont have to cook them??

[@gregpatent]

Thanks for asking about lye. You need food grade lye (sodium hydroxide) microbeads. It costs $7.99 for 50 grams and can be ordered from modernist pantry, telephone: [phone]. Let me know if this works for you.

[@tahataha1175]

The sound quality is horrible Other than that great video

[@IFLY337S]

I dunno, call me crazy, but I think I really don't want to eat anything coated with something you need rubber gloves to make, or that stains wood.

[@gregpatent]

Very funny. "All those chemicals" you refer to are just one: lye, pure sodium hydroxide, an alkali, that has been used for centuries in food preparation in different societies. You just have to be careful to protect your skin because it's an irritant. You have to use lye bath--just a 3 percent solution--if you want really authentic pretzels. There is no other way.

[@NaStYaYeLeNa]

yeah deutsche schwäbische bretzeln :D

[@helalumo]

Duh,,, RING!

[@Cruz0e]

do you really think we are interested how to make the pretzel shape? you start your video with a 'ready' dough .. ridiculous