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Soft American-style Pretzels

For Luxembourg’s Bretzelsonndeg the tradition calls to offer your woman a sweet Bretzel, but I think it’s also acceptable to hand out a savoury pretzel – like these soft American-style pretzels.

They are a bit like a ‘Laugenbretzel’, but softer and more buttery. I’ve eaten these at Auntie Annie’s in the US and London – just walking past one of those outlets makes my mouth water, as they will lure you in with a yeasty, buttery smell… In the US, pretzels are often served with a sweet mustard dip or with runny cheese. So for me, I had to pair it with a Kachkéis dip – with added pickles for a bit of tang and vavavoom… Enjoy!

And if you’re wondering: Bretzelsonndeg (‘Bretzel Sunday’) falls on the 4th Sunday of Lent every year. On that day, a man should offer his beloved a sweet bretzel. If she (or he) accepts, she in return will have to give them a chocolate Easter egg for Easter. If they refuse, they give them a basket – hence the Luxembourgish expression ‘hie krut de Kuef’ (he got the basket) if you get dumped…

If you want to make a traditional sweet Bretzel for your loved one, you can find the recipe here.

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Ingredients

Makes 6 – Rising: 1h – Oven: 10 mins

18g fresh yeast
200ml lukewarm water
310g flour
15g sugar
1 tsp salt
20g melted butter
30g baking soda
a bit of coarse salt
30g butter, melted

For the pickle Kachkéis Dip:
250g jar Kachkéis
3 gherkins, finely chopped

Method

Crumble the yeast into the water and stir to dissolve.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and knead the dough with the kneading attachment of a freestanding mixer for 5 minutes. You want a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with the dough with a teatowel and leave to rest for 1 hour.

Line two baking trays with baking paper and et aside.

Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.

After 1 hour Turn the dough onto a flour-dusted work surface divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a log, then stretch with your hands until they are approx. 60cm long.

Twist each pastry strip into a pretzel shape and put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bring 1l of water to the boil and dissolve the baking soda in it.

One at a time, dip each pretzel in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Take out with a slotted spoon and put on baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake the pretzels in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Once they come out, brush with melted butter immediately.

To serve, slightly heat the Kachkéis, then stir through the chopped gherkins.

Serve the pretzels with the Kachkéis dip.