German Breakfast Pretzels Brezeln Recipe
German Brezeln are distinctive twisted bread rolls, especially popular in Bavaria. They are often eaten in the morning with butter and jam or during the day with sausage and beer. They have a soft interior and a slightly crisp, darker crust sprinkled with coarse salt.
Brezeln are a Bavarian icon – served for breakfast with butter, as a work snack, and in the evening with beer and weisswurst. In bakeries they are traditionally dipped in lye, but at home people more often use a safer baking soda bath.
These homemade Brezeln recreate the authentic Bavarian bakery experience, with a characteristic soda-bath crust and soft, fluffy interior that’s perfect for both sweet and savoury toppings.
Why this version works
- The water-to-flour ratio gives a dough that is elastic yet easy to shape, so it doesn’t tear while rolling.
- A bath in gently simmering water with baking soda turns the crust deep golden without risking the pretzels falling apart.
- High baking temperature creates a contrast between the soft interior and the springy, slightly chewy crust.
- Optional scoring of the “belly” gives a bakery-style look and controlled openings instead of random tears.
Chef's tips
Work quickly when shaping and dipping the pretzels so the dough doesn’t overproof. Make sure the soda bath is hot but not violently boiling to keep the pretzels from losing their shape.
How to serve
Serve in a bread basket lined with a cloth to keep them warm. Pair with butter, Obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread), sausages or simply with jam and coffee for breakfast.
Watch out for
- Water that is too hot and at a full rolling boil can deform the pretzels and tear the thin ends.
- Too much flour when rolling makes it hard to seal the ends, and they may come apart in the oven.
- Don’t shorten the proofing time – dough that’s too dense will give heavy, tough pretzels instead of light and springy ones.
Substitutions
- You can replace butter with vegetable oil, but the crust will be less aromatic and slightly different in texture.
- You can swap coarse salt for sesame or poppy seeds if you want to avoid a lot of salt on top.
- You can replace part of the wheat flour (up to 1/4) with wholemeal flour, bearing in mind the crumb will be a bit denser.
Ingredients
- wheat flour type 550 or all-purpose - 500 g
- instant dry yeast 1 standard sachet - 7 g
- water lukewarm, not hot - 280 ml
- butter melted, cooled - 40 g
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt for the dough - 1.5 teaspoons
- baking soda for the soda bath - 2 tablespoons
- water for the soda bath - 1 l
- coarse salt for sprinkling - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a large bowl and mix. Add the lukewarm water and melted butter.
- Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook attachment for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. If it is too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 45–60 minutes, until the dough has clearly risen and almost doubled in volume.
- After rising, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. From each piece form a rope about 50–60 cm long, thinner at the ends and thicker in the middle.
- Shape each rope into a pretzel: lay it in a U shape, cross the ends twice, then press them onto the lower part of the “belly”. Place the pretzels on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (top and bottom heat). In a pot bring 1 litre of water to the boil, add the baking soda and stir (be careful, the water will foam).
- Carefully dip each pretzel in the hot soda water for about 20–30 seconds, using a slotted spoon to help, then place it back on the tray.
- When all the pretzels have had their soda bath, sprinkle them with coarse salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until they turn a deep golden colour and the surface cracks slightly.
- Cool on a wire rack. Serve still slightly warm or completely cooled.
Storage
Store cooled pretzels in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 1–2 days. Refresh by briefly reheating in the oven so the crust becomes crisp again.
Once you get used to shaping the pretzels, the process becomes almost meditative, and the smell of freshly baked Brezeln instantly brings a bit of Oktoberfest atmosphere into your kitchen.
