Homemade Bretzel recipe
The Brezel or Pretzel is a type of typical bread very popular among populations of Teutonic origin, and therefore widespread above all in Germany, you know it well if you have been at least once at the oktoberfest.Below you will find the recipe for this typical German bread.The solution of water and Sodium Hydroxide is the only one able to give the Bretzel its typical flavor but it is also very dangerous, for this reason among the ingredients you can also find Bicarbonate as an alternative.The solution that we will prepare is very dangerous and HIGHLY BURNING so it is necessary to follow all the advice that will follow to the letter.
Ingredients
- 500 g Flour "0"
- 250 ml water Lukewarm
- 30 g Butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 25 g Brewer's yeast or 1/3 of Dry Yeast
Solution for wetting the pretzels
- 3 spoons Bicarbonate in 1 liter of water
or
- 30 g NaOH tablets in 1 liter of water
Instructions
Preparation NaOH solution
- Pour COLD water into a steel or glass bowl (Absolutely not plastic) and add the NaOH tablets that you will have to try to dissolve by stirring slowly to avoid dispersion, with a steel spoon. The solution of water and sodium hydroxide is very dangerous, so if you are not sure what you are doing we recommend using the bicarbonate as an alternative.
- If, at the end of the whole procedure, there is some solution left over, it can be kept in a glass jar. For safety reasons it is essential to keep it away from food or foods and apply a & #39; label specifying that it is a burning substance.
Dough preparation
- Place the flour in a fountain, in the center dissolve the yeast with warm water and a teaspoon of sugar.
- Mix incorporating a little flour and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Then add the salt and soft butter.
- Knead for a long time until the dough is smooth and well strung.
- Leave to rise for about 40 minutes in a bowl lined with cling film and placed in a warm place.
- The dough must be compact enough to be worked without sticking to the hands.
- From the dough, form 16 elongated balls of about 50 g.
- Form the Bretzel by obtaining strands about 50 cm long, thicker in the center and thinned at the ends and give them the classic shape.
- Put them on a greased plate or with parchment paper and let them rest for about 20 minutes at room temperature so that they swell slightly, then place them in the refrigerator for about an hour. This will form a thicker crust which will ensure the baked Bretzel has a more glossy appearance.
- The hardest part: prepare the solution as described above and, being very careful not to come into contact with your hands and eyes, dip the bretzels in, one at a time and leave them immersed for about 10 seconds (if they are well risen they will float), recover them finally with a perforated steel pallet. We remind you that as an alternative to the NaOH solution you can use bicarbonate which is completely harmless and without dangers.
- Let them drain very well, placing the perforated spatula, with the pretzel on top, on a cloth that is able to absorb the excess liquid and then place them gradually on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Score the surface by making a cut in the thickest part lengthwise and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Cooking
- Bake at 200 ° until the pretzels become golden of the classic dark brown color, they usually take about 20/25 minutes for cooking.
Notes
The solution of water and sodium hydroxide is the only one able to give the Bretzel its typical flavor, but it is also very dangerous, so if you are not sure what you are doing we recommend using the bicarbonate as an alternative, the photos represent the recipe with the use of baking soda. Sapori Nostra assumes no responsibility for any damage, direct or indirect, of any nature, deriving from or in any way connected with the use of this recipe.