German pretzels (Bretzeln)

I tried pretzels (Bretzeln) for the first time a few months ago, while travelling in Germany with husband. We grabbed a couple of sandwiches made from pretzels from a small food counter in the Nürnberg train station...it was love at first bite. The surface was salty and crisp, the bready center was soft and yummy and delicious. I knew once we returned to Canada that I would have to try making them - the first time, we ate them all on the very same night, every single last one. Sooooo gooooood. 
U

Nürnberg

Here is a modified version that turns out a pretty good Bretzel, but without the traditional use of food-grade lye bath. It does not taste the same, the surface has a little less flavour, but it is simpler and yummy all the same. I plan to order the lye soon, because I do want to make authentic Bretzeln to remind me of our adventures in Germany, but for now these are a great treat and will go well with hot mustard or served up as yummy sammies for lunches. 

Making Bretzeln is a little time-consuming, so it's a good weekend baking task to do between other chores. Well worth the effort, you won't be disappointed!

Makes 10 large pretzels.


1.5 tsp instant yeast
1 Tbsp malt powder or sugar
3.5 cups of white flour
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm milk of choice
2 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp coarse salt, for sprinkling


Put the yeast, sugar, 2 cups of flour, salt and warm milk in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to work the dough, mix for about 2-3 minutes to activate the yeast. Clean off the beaters, and work with a wooden spoon to mix in the remaining flour. Turn out on to a clean surface dusted with flour. Knead for 4-5 minutes, and shape into a ball. 


Drizzle the oil into a clean mixing bowl, and spread it around the bottom and sides. Place the dough ball into the bowl, and pat the top with the oil on your fingers to cover the exposed surface - this prevents the dough from drying out while it rises. Place in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size.


Turn out the dough on to a clean floured surface, and knead for 1 minute. Cut the dough into 10 equal parts. With your hands, roll each piece of dough back and forth so that it forms a long rope about the thickness of your index finger. To keep things authentic, leave the middle of the rope a bit thicker, this will form a 'Bauch' (belly) at the bottom of the pretzel once formed. Allow the dough to relax for 5 minutes - use the time to start a large pot of water to boil, and to turn your oven on to 425 degrees.

Shaping the pretzels is simple. Place one of the ropes in front of you, take each end in one hand, and bring them together and twist once. Lay the ends down on the 'belly' of the rope, using a bit of water and pressure to make the ends stick. Cut across the belly with a sharp knife. 

To boil the pretzels, place a pretzel on a spatula and lower into the boiling water. Use the spatula to push the pretzel under the water, and hold it there for exactly 20 seconds. Lift the pretzel out of the water, and allow any excess water to drain off. Place on your prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt while the surface is still wet. It's best to boil the pretzels one at a time.


Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until nice and browned on top. Enjoy!


Per Bretzel: 184 cals, 2g fat, 36g carbs, 350mg sodium, 15g fiber, 5g protein. (PRO12%,CHO80%,FAT8%)

Apfel Kuchen, German Apple Cake

Makes 10 slices.

I've been wanting to work on a vegan version of Kuchen, a simple German white vanilla cake baked with fruit - most typically apples. Thinking back to high school German class, one of my textbooks had the perfect Kuchen recipe...moist, sweet and somewhat dense. I'd also seen versions where the baked kuchen was glazed with apricot jam, but I only had crabapple on hand and it turned out quite well. Here is my vegan adaptation of Kuchen, try it with apples, but fresh blueberries, apricots, or plums would be just as yummy!

2 cups flour of choice

1/2 cup sugar of choice
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

1/3 cup margarine, melted

2 cups milk of choice
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp lemon juice or zest
2 apples, sliced
1 Tbsp apricot jam

Use pan oil spray to prepare an 8" baking tin. Blend dry ingredients. Mix together milk, vanilla, lemon juice and melted margarine. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Peel and core apple, cut into slices and push down into top of cake. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 mins, until done and lightly browned. Brush top with jam to glaze if desired, and serve with creme anglaise, soy ice cream or anything that adds a little sweetness to the cake. This part is up to you of course, the cake is traditionally served as is!

Note: if using frozen blueberries, toss with a little flour before pushing down into dough.

Per serving: 211 cals, 6g fat, 36g carbs, 78mg sodium, 2 fiber, 4g protein.  (PRO8%,CHO68%,FAT24%)