Soft German Bretzels

INGREDIENTS

5 cups flour

1½ cups lukewarm water

2 tsp bakers yeast

3½ tsp sugar

40g butter, softened

MIXTURE FOR BOILING

2l Water

½ cup Baking Soda

Start by placing the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and warm water in a mixer with dough hook and mix the ingredients for 5 minutes. Then add the softened butter and continue to mixing for a further 10 minutes until the ingredients are well combined.

Now place the mixture in the steam oven on dough proving setting, and prove for 30 minutes until it has doubled in size. Alternatively, cover and rest in a warm location for 1 ½ hours to prove. While dough is proving, preheat the oven on CircoTherm/4D HotAir/Fan bake and set to 200°C (with highest level steam).

Lightly flour a clean surface and tip the dough out onto it, then separate mix into 8 evenly sized balls, resulting in approximately 130g each. First roll into long thin logs with a slightly larger bulb in the middle of the dough, then, twist the two ends together so you have a circle with twist at the end. Attach the ends of the twists to either side of the large bulb. Repeat for remainder of the mixture.

Bring 2l of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and add the baking soda. Caution: the water will bubble up when you add the baking soda. You may want to add it bit by bit so the water doesn’t overflow. Now gently drop the bretzels into the water, 1-2 at a time. While they boil in the water, after around a few seconds they will rise to the top. Turn them over so both sides are full immersed into the water.

Remove after 15 seconds with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with rock salt or sesame seeds. Place bretzels on baking paper on your baking tray and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes or until dark golden brown.