Name: Pretzels (Swabian style)
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 10 pretzels
Ingredients: 250 g water; 500 g all-purpose flour; 20 g baker's yeast; 25 g fat (margarine, pork lard); 10 g salt; 250 ml 4% sodium hydroxide solution

Pretzels (Swabian style)

Traditional lye-baked goods with a shiny brown crust, pale splits, and a firm dough. The dough is shaped after a short rest, proofed, allowed to dry briefly, then dipped in lye before baking.

500g flour

50% hydration

10 pretzels

Basic recipe for pretzels (Swabian style)

250g water500g all-purpose flour20g baker's yeast25g fat (margarine, pork lard)10g salt

Lye Solution

250ml 4% sodium hydroxide solution

Steps

1

Mix and knead

Prepare a firm, cool dough and knead until smooth. Keep the dough temperature cool, as warmer doughs mature too quickly and can be harder to process.
2

Rest

Let the dough rest briefly before dividing and shaping.

15min
3

Shape

Divide the dough and roll into strands. For Bavarian pretzels, keep the strands even; for Swabian pretzels, make the middle thicker. Twist into pretzel shapes and place with the pressed ends facing down.
4

Proof

Proof under normal proofing conditions until ready.
5

Dry the surface

Let the shaped pieces stand in cool air or a draft so the surface dries slightly. This helps limit rapid lye penetration and improves shape stability.
6

Lye dip

Dip the proofed pieces in lye and transfer for baking.
7

Bake

Bake until the crust is deep brown and glossy with characteristic pale splits.