How to Freeze German Pretzels
If you've ever had a fresh, chewy German soft pretzel, you know that a soft pretzel from street vendor in New York is a poor substitute. Traditionally called a "Laugenbrezel," a German pretzel is formed in the familiar "cross-arm" shape with a twisted center, dunked in an alkaline bath, brushed with egg and sprinkled with coarse salt, onion or seeds. Baked, the pretzel has a chewy crust and a soft interior. While making a batch isn't difficult, it does require time and effort. You can, however, double a batch of pretzel dough, form the pretzels and freeze them for later baking. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cookie sheets
- 4-qt. pot
- Slotted spoon
- Plastic wrap
- Freezer bags
- Mixer with dough hook
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 22 oz. all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
- 2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for pan
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- Egg Wash
- Kosher Salt
- Poppy Seeds
- Sauteed onions
Instructions
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Prepare Pretzel Dough
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1
Combine water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Proof the yeast by sprinkling it on top. If you plan to freeze the pretzel dough, double the yeast. According to the site Fresh Loaf, some yeast will die in the frozen dough. By doubling the yeast, you ensure enough live yeast to raise the thawed pretzels.
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2
Proof the yeast until the mixture is foamy and double in size. Add flour and butter. With a dough hook attachment on the mixer, mix on a low speed until combined. Turn the mixer to medium and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. This should take five to seven minutes, depending upon the power of your mixer and type of dough hook.
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3
Remove the dough from the bowl, oil it with vegetable oil and place in a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place until the dough rises and doubles in size. A slightly warmed oven (turn off the oven) is an ideal, undisturbed place to rise dough.
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4
Punch down your dough and remove it from the bowl. On an oiled surface (a floured surface dries out the dough), knead the dough to remove any air pockets. Cut the dough into eight equal portions.
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5
Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, hold the ends of the rope, cross them over each other, twist the ropes once again and press onto the bottom of the "U" in order to form the shape of a pretzel.
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6
Place formed pretzels on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer. The freezer should be cold enough to deep-freeze the pretzels within an hour. Once frozen, remove pretzels and store in freezer bags or in an airtight container.
To Thaw Pretzel Dough
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7
Remove pretzels from the freezer, place on a greased cookie sheet, cover with greased plastic wrap and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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8
Remove thawed pretzel dough from refrigerator and bring to room temperature before you boil and bake. Thawed dough, once warm should begin to rise. While the dough comes to room temperature, boil a bath of water with 2/3 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).
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9
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Dunk pretzels with a slotted spoon into the bath. Count to 10, remove the pretzel from the bath and place on a lightly greased, parchment-lined cookie sheet.
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10
Brush with an egg/water glaze, sprinkle with coarse kosher salt, sauteed onions, poppy seeds or any other topping you like. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
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1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit two tasty pretzels image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
