Pretzel Bread

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jackattack1

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
23
OMG...My friend just dropped off a loaf of Pretzel bread from the farmers market since she knew I was talking about making pretzel/buns/rolls for a brat burger thing I've been making. I take the bratwurst out of the casing and form into patties served with kraut, Koops deli mustard, swiss cheese, etc. The Pretzel bread was amazing. I have researched the topic and it seems like the pro's all use Lye vs. baking soda. Apparently, the Germans insist that Lye is vital to give the pretzels their slightly crunchy exterior with the soft inside. I'm not afraid of using a weak solution of Lye so I'll report back when I make these. I believe using Malt extract dried or syrup is truly authentic as well, vs. using brown sugar. Any thoughts? I'm just so inspired after eating this bread. I just put proscuitto on it with mustard. Unreal. BTW...my spelling is horrible. See ya' Jack
 
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Wow. I have never heard of pretzel bread! I hope it turns out well for you. I can't wait to hear all about it!
 
I have never had a loaf of pretzel bread, but serving a sandwich on a large pretzel used to be a nice novelty when I was younger. All I can remember is you had to get them at a bakery. Grocery stores did not have them. It may have even been one of the German bakeries that are no longer around. They were great when boating because they held up to a little wetness.
 
pretzels

Basically, the dough one would make soft pretzels with is the same for the rolls, baguettes, and buns. It's really all a matter of how you portion the dough and shape it. Also, rise times would be a factor for something like a soft pretzel baguette vs. a soft pretzel. I would do the pretzel baguette much like making french bread with a few rises and punch-downs and hanging the rising dough over the counter in a kitchen towel sling held by a few heavy plum tomato cans on the counter. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? (btw...I live in my own little world at times.) Nice place to visit but I woudn't want to live there? Haha....Anyway...I will post pictures when I get this pretzel thing going. Someone dropped offf red potato's for me to make German Potato salad today. I cook for all my friends moms and dads....My older neighbors too. It's fun cuz' they request certain dishes and I get to play around with recipes. I always try to go pretty much authentic and later adjust to my tastes as well as my friends. I have to post my coleslaw recipe. I put chopped dill pickles in it and it rocks. Anyway, my ADD just kicked in. Gotta run. J
 
I've eye-balled recipes to pretzel bread a few times but have yet to tackle it. Please let us know which recipe you use and what the results are!
 
I've make "pretzel" Kaiser rolls for burgers...yum! I use a pretzel salt, but I've also used coarse sea salt with a pinch of the white truffle salt I got in Chicago at the Spice Shop/House. Yummy!
 
Be careful. Sodium hydroxide can be quite corrosive.

Personal Protective Equipment
Eyes: Wear chemical splash goggles and face shield.
Skin: Wear gloves, apron, and/or clothing made of butyl rubber, nitrile rubber,
and/or polyethylene.
Clothing: Wear appropriate protective clothing to prevent skin exposure.
Respirator: A respiratory protection program that meets OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.134
and ANSI Z88.2 requirements or European Standard EN 149 must be followed
whenever workplace conditions warrant respirator use.
 
horse pucky.

a good bread dough, add a double dose of diastatic malt, two teaspoon lye in a big pot.
no, not Draino lye - food grade stuff. not sold in 7-11.

a moon suit is not required.

a baking soda wash is a semi-acceptable alternative - pretzel salt is a highly nice touch - it's the puffed rice version of sea salt.

crystalline lye _must_ be stored carefully - especially if children or dummies are involved.
 
High concentrations of lye can cause blindness and highly debilitating lung damage. Read the MSDS. Why else do you think the international symbol for this substance is a melted / eaten away glove?
 
Moon suit? :huh:
We haven't walked on the moon since 1972. Do they still make moon suits?

Tyvek should work. With a good respirator.


:wacko:
 
Lutefisk takes three days and hundreds of gallons of fresh water to purge the lye before being packaged. And the workers DO suit up in protective clothing!
 
That may be true now (re: lutefisk), but I doubt that was true of the lutefisk my ancestors ate (regularly). My ancestors were key lutefisk producers in the 1700-1800s. The "bridal" grandfather clock at my parents' house is +350 years old--the part that forms the top (where the face is) is part of a lutefisk barrel with a ship's portal window for the glass. My brother and I are pushing that it be donated to Vesterheim because of the history and the link to Norway's history--we'll see. Traditionally, it has been handed down to the eldest daughter--that would be me (since I'm the only daughter), and, I should've been gifted it when I married (but then, it took 20 years after I was married for my parents to let me take my great-grandmother's sterling silverware home--they tend to hang onto things). I don't have the house for it--my parents have built the last 3 of their houses around this clock.

It took a long time, but the "barrel" doesn't smell like lutefisk anymore <g>.
 
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Hmmm--doesn't explain why Norwegians survived eating lutefisk...
It's a question of concentration. I've personally experienced brief exposure to Red Devil lye. Fortunately my grandparents (who used it to make their own soap) recognized the problem and rescued me from the disfigurement that this substance can cause.

Laugen brot with sweet butter (with or without a tart fruit preserve) is one of my favorite breakfast foods.
 
You guys are really making me not want to make this kind of bread, but would love to find some in a bakery. May just have to do just that! :ermm:
 
I've read more on pretzel making and the Lye solution is nothing to be fearful of. It's basically 3T to a gallon of water. Yes, you do wear rubber gloves to avoid skin irritation. Respirators and all that gear is very unneccesary. I just watched a youtube of a guy making pretzels the way he was taught by an artisian pretzel maker in Munich. He freezes the formed pretzel dough and then floats them in the Lye/water bath for 20 seconds or so...blots off excess and returns to sheet pan to thaw..sprinkles with pretzel salt and bakes. I think some boil the soft pretzels briefly..then the above process. I'm going to make the pretzel rolls in the next few days. I'll take pictures and put them in my album. My yield on my Bolognase was 6 qts. Still dragging my feet to assemble the eggplant parm. Had to make a run for Panko. I grill the eggplant rounds briefly on the Weber b4 I dredge/bread and fry them in Olive oil.
 
We love pretzel bread .. actually rolls .. I'm dough challenged, so my hat's off to you for attempting this. I buy them from our local bakery .. 4 for $3 .. Very delicious.
 
If you've been following this pretzel discussion, you might want to go to YouTube and type in " A baker's odyssey: Schwabisch Pretzels Recipe. I would use the same method for making rolls or baguette pretzel bread. The video is produced well and is easy to follow. Very informative. Check it out.
 
horse pucky.

a good bread dough, add a double dose of diastatic malt, two teaspoon lye in a big pot.
no, not Draino lye - food grade stuff. not sold in 7-11.

a moon suit is not required.

a baking soda wash is a semi-acceptable alternative - pretzel salt is a highly nice touch - it's the puffed rice version of sea salt.

crystalline lye _must_ be stored carefully - especially if children or dummies are involved.



I like the way you think. You pretty much summed it up.
 
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