Laugenbrezel (German Soft Pretzels) with Big Sur Sea Salt Blends #SundayFunday #Oktoberfest

 

Today the Sunday Funday group is sharing Oktoberfest recipes. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. This week, Sue is hosting. She said, "Oktoberfest (Munich) runs September 17- October 3rd this year. Let's wow them with our best recipes suitable for celebrating this beer fest. Prost!

Here's the list of the #SundayFunday Oktoberfest recipes...

• German Cucumber Salad from Amy's Kitchen Adventures
• German Potato Salad from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Kohlrouladen - German Cabbage Rolls from Sneha’s Recipe
• Laugenbrezel (German Soft Pretzels) with Big Sur Sea Salt Blends from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Oktoberfest Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sauerkraut Rye Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Vegetarian Flammkuchen from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Wurstsalat from Pandemonium Noshery

How to Shape a Pretzel

And before we get started on the recipe, I'm going to share how I shape a pretzel. My husband laughed and laughed at me while I tried to figure this out because I am definitely spatially challenged. Maybe this will help someone else! Also, forgive my lack of artistic talent.

1: Roll out a rope, approximately 15" long.

 

3: Cross one end over the other.

Laugenbrezel (German Soft Pretzels)

You can use whatever salt you want for this recipe. I had some beautiful salt blends from a local-to-me company called Big Sur Sea Salts. And I am not sure that sourdough is actually traditional, but I try to use my starter whenever I can!

Ingredients makes 8

Dough

• 17 ounces all purpose flour (I use a kitchen scale, but I think this would be just shy of 4 cups) + more as needed
• 1 Tablespoon organic light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup active sourdough starter 
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt (just basic salt here)
• 1 cup whole milk

Cooking and Baking

• 8 to 12 cups water
• 2 to 3 Tablespoon baking soda
• artisan salt of your choice (or any kind of flake salt or pretzel salt)

Procedure

Dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the milk and sourdough starter until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. You can add small amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.

Once you have a smooth dough, form a ball and place it in a clean bowl. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm spot for about an hour. The dough will be puffed up, but not doubled.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape them into pretzel. See my rudimentary drawings above if you don't know how to make the shape! Place these on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.

Cooking and Baking

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, pour water into a large cooking pot and stir in the baking soda. Bring the water to a boil, then hold it at a simmer. 

Gently lift the pretzels from the baking sheet and lower them one at a time into the simmering water. Depending on the of your pot, you can probably do two at a time. You just don't want them to be crowded or touching. Let them simmer for 45 seconds, then flip them over for another 45 seconds.

Remove them to a wire rack and let them drain. Sprinkle each pretzel with the salt of your choice and return them to the baking sheet. Once your sheet is full, place the pretzels in the preheated oven. Bake until they are golden brown or deeper, depending on your preference. 

Mine took about 18 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. 

These are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but you can reheat them in the oven prior to serving if you need to. Jake and I dipped ours in two kinds of mustard.

That's a wrap for my #SundayFunday Oktoberfest offering. The group will be back next week with pumpkin recipes. Stay tuned!