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German Pretzel experts?

ftmsb

By ftmsb
in Pastry & Baking

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ftmsb

ftmsb

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Hi,

I recently returned from a trip that included some time in the Black Forest. Some friends in the area gave us a local cookbook dedicated to pretzels (bezeln). We're just trying our hand at the basic pretzel, and I'm a bit confused at the technique the cookbook suggests. As a first step, the recipe has me putting the flour into a bowl, making a small well, and dumping some yeast and milk into the well. Along the "flour border" (unsure if this is the border of the flour and milk/yeast or flour and bowl) I place pats of butter and sprinkle on salt. Then let the whole thing sit for 15 minutes. Then I knead into a dough and move on.

I'm no expert baker, but I've never run across anything like this. I am wondering if anyone knows what the purpose is of letting the flour rest with the milk inside the well with the butter and salt surrounding? Does this accomplish anything that simply mixing it all together and kneading doesn't?

Thanks for any insight.

Scott

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K8memphis

K8memphis

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Wow that's interesting. I do not know. All I can think of is the obvious. That the yeast can activate in 15 mins sitting there and the butter can get more mixable and keeping the salt away from the yeast so it can feed & get going. It sounds pretty though, all arranged like that. Kind of a showpiece mis en place-ish in progress??? :raz: Think it's just a mild temperature thing and a kind of a 'happening' with the display??

And the butter salt I think should go around the flour/bowl perimeter so the salt doesn't inhibit the yeast.

Is this an old book??? What kind of yeast is recommended???

I'm eager to hear more.

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ftmsb

ftmsb

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Is this an old book??? What kind of yeast is recommended???

No, actually it is a new book, though I suspect that the recipe is old. The book is "Brezeln, Selbst Backen" by Hanna Renz. It comes with a nifty little packet of Kaiser-Natron--as near as I can tell a baking soda with a little salt (used for either painting on the pretzels or as part of a boiling bath the pretzels are dunked into).

The recipe calls for fresh yeast, though with no fresh yeast on hand I'm trying it with dry. The pretzels are in the oven. We'll see how it all turns out.

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ludja

ludja

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I have a bunch of Austrian and German cookbooks and this is often the instruction for making many different types of dough that need to kneaded, for eg. bread, some cookies, dumplings. That is, make a well in the flour and add the liquids/eggs/ etc in the middle. The instructions usually say to slowly work the flour into the liquid with your hands to form a dough. Then you're all set to knead. Less bowls to wash, I guess!

(This is an old way to do it but I think a lot of home bakers there still use this technique.)

edited to add: if you google "make a well" and 'flour' there are lot of hits, especially for pizza or pasta doughs andIndian flat breads...

Edited by ludja (log)

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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K8memphis

K8memphis

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...The recipe calls for fresh yeast, though with no fresh yeast on hand I'm trying it with dry.  The pretzels are in the oven.  We'll see how it all turns out.

Oh wow "in the oven'. Be still my heart. I'm in the middle of loosing that hiccoughing ten pounds, take it off put it on take it off put it on <sigh> ) Talking about baking and getting cyber whiffs from your oven is great therapy.

Fresh yeast, yes it sounds like an old recipe. I cannot even get it in my area unless I fedex it in. $2 for a pound block of fresh yeast, $40 for the shipping. :rolleyes:

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ludja

ludja

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...The recipe calls for fresh yeast, though with no fresh yeast on hand I'm trying it with dry.  The pretzels are in the oven.  We'll see how it all turns out.

...

Fresh yeast, yes it sounds like an old recipe. I cannot even get it in my area unless I fedex it in. $2 for a pound block of fresh yeast, $40 for the shipping. :rolleyes:

Fresh yeast is still commonly available and used in Austria and Germany. Again, many of my Austrian or German cookbooks give recipes using fresh yeast. I'd have to look back at them to see what the suggested substitution ratio is. I guess recommendations could also be found via googling.

Hope they come out nicely, ftsmb!

A whole cookbook just on pretzels sounds kind of neat. Do they suggest some other pretzel toppings besides coarse salt or poppy seeds?

We have a great German bakery that sells goods at my local farmer's market. They have a bunch of pretzels and one topping I really like is coarse salt and pumpkin seeds.

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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K8memphis

K8memphis

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Fresh yeast, yes it sounds like an old recipe. I cannot even get it in my area unless I fedex it in. $2 for a pound block of fresh yeast, $40 for the shipping.  :rolleyes:

Check with a local bakery, chances are they'll sell you a block.

Thank you, Scott123.

But sadly it is not available in my area at all anywhere. Bakeries do not use it here. My fingers have done the walking :laugh: It can't be got. Done. Fini. Unfortunately because....

It doesn't really matter if you can't get any fresh yeast. Just use 40% dried yeast and increase the water a touch to compensate.

Happy baking :smile:

Thank you CookieBoy.

You can substitute of course. But it does make a difference in the final product to me. Subtle but sure difference. And geez the sweet yeasty intoxicating buzz from the ssmmellll!!!! Umm, someday maybe for Christmas I will pop to get the fresh shipped in. But the kids are grown, no grandbabies yet...I need serious inspiration to get motivated for all that.

Thanks guys.

Maybe when I visit Chef-boy in Virginia I can get a block and freeze it??? Hopefully Virginia is North enough. I know Pennslyvania & upwards can get it. It does freeze doesn't it?? Or does it?

Besides, any dang thing I make will go straight to the thunder thighs. 6 of one half dozen of another. :rolleyes:

Edited by K8memphis (log)
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