pretzel

Pretzel – a yeast-based pretzel sprinkled with coarse salt. In the basic version, this is a symmetrical connection of bundles that form 3 holes. A feature of the product is soaking in caustic soda. Pretzels occupy a special place in German gastronomic culture – in honor of them, holidays and large-scale carnivals are organized, where thousands of different pretzels are prepared. What you need to know about salty cookies, how to cook them, what to eat with and why soak in a solution of soda?

General characteristics of the dish

Pretzel is a bakery product made from rich dough in the form of a pretzel. The product is especially popular in Southern Germany. Pretzels are served as an appetizer for beer and a variety of sauces. The size, shape, taste of each pretzel is unique. On average, the diameter of the product is 10-15 centimeters. The most common are classic salted pretzels (made from dough that is neutral in taste with coarse salt on the surface) and sweet chocolate ones.

There are several legends about the origin of the pretzel. According to one of them, the Bavarian king instructed his court cooks to prepare a roll through which one could see the sun three times. The pretzel resembles a curved inverted “B” with just three holes.

Traditional pretzels have been cooked since the XNUMXth century. The bakery product does not lose popularity to this day. It is often used in emblems and signs for bakeries/deli/industrial establishments. Pretzels appear not only on signs, but also on grocery shelves in both classic and most unexpected variations.

During the Middle Ages, the manufacture of pretzels was available only to a certain circle of people. The process was strictly regulated in terms of time and resources.

The composition of classic pretzels includes only 4 ingredients: malt, yeast, flour, water. Before baking, the products are dipped in a solution of sodium hydroxide or ordinary soda to start the breakdown of the protein in the dough. The process lasts only a few seconds and provides a special crisp, typical brown color, preparing the surface for salt application.

Pretzel in culture

In Bavaria, salted pretzels are considered a traditional snack for beer at folk festivals (for example, at Oktoberfest). In Luxembourg, the product is served for the Easter holiday cycle. On the fourth Sunday of Lent, it is customary to give each other miniature savory biscuits. The boys give the girls pretzels, and if they reciprocate, they exchange salted pretzels for chocolate eggs. In leap years, the order of giving is reversed: girls give cookies, and boys give chocolate eggs. This tradition is revered by all residents of Luxembourg, regardless of age and social status.

In America, the pretzel also received special fame, but it is associated with the 43rd US President George W. Bush. The story took place in January 2002 and was called the “salty pretzel incident”. George Bush choked on his pretzel and lost consciousness for a few seconds. Events unfolded in the White House apartments. At this time, Bush was watching a National League American football game on TV. Bush choked, collapsed from the sofa to the floor, scratched his left cheek and lay unconscious for several seconds. The incident was covered by all the media and discussed by every American family. Bush himself laughed at what had happened and said that he would listen to his mother and chew food more thoroughly before swallowing it.

Varieties of bakery products

The appearance and features of the recipe depend on the gastronomic characteristics of each region. Size also varies, from meter-long pretzels prepared for holidays/carnivals to miniature snack cookies. Pretzels can be cooked not only in the classic form of crossed cords, but also in the form of people, animals, and various household items. In addition to the classic salty, the following types of pretzels are prepared:

• olgabrezeln (a festive item in honor of the Württemberg queen);
• Luxembourgish (made from sweet dough, decorated with sugar-almond sprinkles);
• nussbrezel (made from puff pastry, decorated with crushed nuts)
• verbal (from sweet yeast dough, most common in Swabia, Germany);
• martinsbrezel (a festive dessert made from sweet dough, decorated with large multi-colored sugar);
• Speyer (from yeast dough with salt and cheese);
• puddingbrezel (vanilla pudding stuffing).

Useful properties and possible harm

It is impossible to determine the benefit or possible harm for all pretzels. It is necessary to consider separately each type of product, taking into account the composition / size, determining the strengths and weaknesses of the dish.

Classic pretzels are made from ordinary white flour of the first grade. This food product is considered useless. It has very few vitamins / minerals, but the degree of calorie content goes off scale. Such pretzels are unable to satisfy hunger for a long time. On the contrary, a snack only whets the appetite and can cause overeating. Moreover, the abuse of white flour is fraught with:

• sharp jumps in blood glucose;
• uncontrolled hunger, compulsive overeating;
• obesity, the development of diabetes;
• internal inflammatory processes;
• development or exacerbation of acne;
• slowing down metabolic processes, disruption of the digestive system.

How to avoid unpleasant symptoms? Ditch the use of white flour in favor of whole grains. Vital nutrients are concentrated in the shell. During industrial processing, grains are completely cleaned, utilizing the most important element of cereals. Coarse grinding retains most of the vitamins/minerals as it retains the grain shell.

Whole grain flour affects the human body in exactly the opposite way to white flour. It lowers blood glucose/bad cholesterol levels, minimizes inflammation, nourishes the microbiome, boosts metabolism, and clears skin.

For the manufacture of pretzels, you can use any whole grain flour – wheat, rice, oat, nut and others. Flour will add not only benefits, but also a special taste to pretzels. Experiment with different types of flour until you find your perfect pretzel recipe.

Use in gastronomy

Pretzel sprinkled with sesame seeds and salt is a traditional German snack for beer and sausages. Miniature pretzels have a special place on the menu of the annual Oktoberfest beer festival. A special appetizer called viznbrezel is prepared for the holiday. It has a characteristic light crust (the shade can vary from light yellow to ruddy brown). The consistency of the appetizer is very similar to fresh bread made from first grade wheat flour. Wiznbrezel is eaten with rich broths, special sauces or hundreds of different types of meat.

The pretzel has its own holiday. Every year, the first five days of July in the city of Bottrop are held in carnival mode, which is dedicated to the German salty snack.

The modern gastronomic market offers many variations of the pretzel. In addition to the classic salty version, on the shelves and in cozy bakeries you can find sweet pretzels in chocolate fudge, white icing, colorful sprinkles, with mastic images.

Recipe number 1: “quick”

We need:

• milk – 220 milliliters;
• ice water – 1 liter;
• wheat flour – 200 grams;
• salt – 1 teaspoon;
• dry yeast – 1 teaspoon;
• soda – 1 teaspoon;
• sesame for decoration.

Preparation

Warm the milk, pour it into a deep container. Add dry yeast to milk, mix thoroughly and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. Pour salt, flour into the milk-yeast mixture, form an elastic dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a cloth and leave in a warm place for at least 20 minutes.

Knead the dough, put on the surface, cut and roll into several equal parts. One part should be equal to one pretzel. Form pretzels of any size and dip them in a special solution. How to prepare a solution? Mix soda with water, put on medium heat and bring to a boil. Gently lower the pretzels into the boiling liquid for 1-3 seconds. Immediately send the soaked pretzels to a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Cover the baking sheet with a cloth or foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. At this time, preheat the oven to 220°C. Cooking time for pretzels is 20 minutes.

Recipe number 2: “Bavarian”

We need:

• wheat flour – 250 grams;
• fresh yeast – 10 grams;
• butter – 25 grams;
• milk – 50 milliliters;
• ice water – 50 milliliters;
• egg – 1 piece;
• sugar – 1 teaspoon;
• sesame/cumin for decoration.

Preparation

Prepare the dough with all the ingredients, except for the sesame/cumin, which are listed in the recipe. Let the dough “rest” for 20-30 minutes, then cut into small pieces and form pretzels.

Bavarian pretzel does not need to be placed in a soda solution. Instead, the dough is smeared with a mixture of egg and salt, after which it is kept in the air for 30-60 minutes. Before baking, the pretzels are again brushed with egg, sprinkled with coarse salt/sesame/cumin and immediately sent to the oven.

Bavarian pretzel is baked less than other varieties – an average of 15 minutes.