Pretzels, the German bow-shaped bread rolls, by Joseba Arguiñano

Pretzels are savory, knot-shaped breads typical of German cuisine, and Joseba Arguiñano shows you how to prepare this simple recipe.

Ingredients · Servings 12

250 gramos de harina de fuerza
5 gramos de levadura fresca
5 gramos de sal
175 mililitros de agua
400 gramos de masa fermentada
500 gramos de harina de fuerza
10 gramos de levadura fresca
15 gramos de azúcar
10 gramos de sal
50 gramos de mantequilla
100 gramos de leche
100 gramos de agua
1 huevo
1 cucharada de escamas de sal
1 cucharada de semillas de sésamo
hojas de menta

Method · {'@type': 'Duration', '@value': 'P0DT15H50M0S'}

Para hacer la masa fermentada, mezcla en un bol los 250g de harina de fuerza, la sal, la levadura y el agua. Deja reposar la mezcla durante 30 minutos aproximadamente. Amásala un poco, vuelve a colocarla en un bol, cúbrela con film de cocina y déjala fermentar en la nevera de un día para otro.
Pon en un bol los 500g de harina de fuerza, el azúcar, la sal, la levadura, el agua, la leche, la mantequilla (a punto pomada) y la masa pre-fermentada. Amasa los ingredientes hasta que queden integrados y no haya rastro de harina. Tapa la mezcla con film de cocina y deja que realice la autolisis (auto amasado) durante 30 minutos.
Saca la masa del bol y mézclala durante 3 minutos. Colócala de nuevo en el bol, tápala con papel film y déjala reposar a temperatura ambiente hasta que doble su volumen.
Corta la masa en 12 trozos y haz bolas. Empieza a estirarlos (por el primer trozo que has boleado) formando 12 cilindros. Cuando termines con todos, vuelve a estirarlos (empezando por el primero que has estirado) hasta conseguir unos cilindros largos de unos 30 centímetros.
Ve formando los lazos (siguiendo siempre el orden del estirado) y colócalos sobre 2 bandejas (6 lazos en cada una) de horno cubiertas con papel de horno. Úntalos con huevo batido, tapa las bandejas con 2 paños limpios y déjalos fermentar hasta que doblen su volumen (1 hora aprox.).
Retira los paños y úntalos de nuevo con huevo batido. Espolvorea la mitad con semillas de sésamo y la otra mitad con escamas de sal.
Introduce una bandeja en el horno y hornea los pretzels a 180º-190º durante 10-12 minutos. Repite el proceso con la otra bandeja. Retíralos y deja que se templen sobre una rejilla. Sirve y adorna con unas hojas de menta.

German cuisine places such importance on bread that it is known worldwide for its different types, including the pretzel, whose original German name replaces the p with a b: Brezel.

This easily recognizable, bow-shaped savory bread is traditionally eaten as an appetizer with beer or other drinks and is one of the star dishes of Oktoberfest. To make a homemade pretzel, Joseba Arguiñano has prepared this delicious recipe so you can impress your guests.

These homemade pretzels take about 30-40 minutes to make, but you need to factor in the approximately 1 hour the dough needs to rise properly before shaping and baking. Follow the recipe step by step and make golden pretzels that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

What do you serve with pretzels?

Pretzels are typically eaten with butter, cheese, or mustard, but you can also enjoy them with peanut butter or chocolate, adding a sweet contrast to the pretzel's saltiness. You can also eat them plain, perhaps with a beer at a Biergarten, a traditional German beer garden—one of the most popular ways to enjoy this pastry.

For the pre-fermented dough

250 grams of strong flour

5 grams of fresh yeast

5 grams of salt

For the pretzels

400 grams of fermented dough

500 grams of strong flour

10 grams of fresh yeast

15 grams of sugar

10 grams of salt

50 grams of butter

100 grams of milk

100 grams of water

1 egg

1 tablespoon of salt flakes

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

mint leaves

Portions

Prepare the dough and let it ferment.

To make the sourdough starter, mix 250g of strong bread flour, salt, yeast, and water in a bowl. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes. Knead it briefly, place it back in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Incorporate the remaining ingredients with the fermented dough

Put in a bowl the 500g of strong flour, the sugar, the salt, the yeast, the water, the milk, the butter (softened) and the pre-fermented dough.

Knead the ingredients until fully incorporated and no trace of flour remains. Cover the mixture with cling film and let it autolyse (self-kneading) for 30 minutes.

Knead the mixture well and let it rest, covering it with plastic wrap.

Remove the dough from the bowl and mix it for 3 minutes. Place it back in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature until it doubles in volume.

Cut and shape the dough

Cut the dough into 12 pieces and shape them into balls. Start rolling them out (from the first piece you rolled into a ball) into 12 cylinders. Once you've rolled them all out, roll them out again (starting from the first one you rolled out) until you have long cylinders about 30 centimeters long.

Shape the bows and prepare them for baking

Form the bows (always following the order of stretching) and place them on 2 baking trays (6 bows on each one) covered with baking paper.

Brush them with beaten egg, cover the trays with 2 clean cloths and let them rise until they double in volume (approx. 1 hour).

Grease the bows and sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds

Remove the cloths and brush them again with beaten egg. Sprinkle half with sesame seeds and the other half with sea salt flakes.

Bake the pretzels and enjoy!

Place a tray in the oven and bake the pretzels at 180-190°C for 10-12 minutes. Repeat the process with the other tray. Remove them and let them cool on a wire rack.

Serve and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Tips and tricks

If you're baking both trays at the same time, Joseba recommends increasing the baking time slightly. Put the trays in the oven, bake the pretzels for 10 minutes, then switch their positions and bake for another 10 minutes.

When shaping the balls and forming cylinders, start with the first ball you shaped, so that the dough can rest.

When shaping the cylinders, it's normal for the dough not to stretch much. If you wait a couple of minutes and start again from the first one, it will stretch more easily.

If you prefer, simply sprinkle salt on your pretzels, which is the most common way to serve them. Add both salt and sesame seeds to taste.