How to Make Hard Pretzels | Martin's Pretzel Bakery | PA Dutch Pretzels (2024)
The pretzel dough is mixed in 150 lb. batches. The only ingredients are unbleached flour (from Snavely’s Mill), water, salt, and yeast. There is no oil or shortening, which is why they are harder than other pretzels. The dough rises for half an hour before it is brought out to the twisting table in a large metal cart.
Someone cuts a piece off and kneads it by hand, then shapes it into a round roll that will fit through the cutter. Twelve small pieces fly out of the cutter each time the handle goes around. Each piece will make a pretzel. They are rolled out about 12” long, then you simply pick up the ends and give it a twist. Presto! You have a pretzel! Each employee should be making 10-12 pretzels a minute. Each day we twist appx. 26,000 pretzels, or 1,200 lbs. Ninety pretzels are put on one board. When a board is full, it gets placed on the rack. The rack holds 24 boards. One batch of 150 lbs will fill 1 ½ racks. Once a rack is full, it heads over to the oven. The pretzels rise about half an hour before the are baked.
The boards are taken off the rack and set next to the cooker. Thirty pretzels at a time are pushed into the cooker, which is full of boiling water with a cup of caustic soda in it. The caustic soda is what gives them their color and flavor. After approximately 20 – 30 seconds, they are lifted out to drain. Salt is placed on the peel (the long board with a handle) and the pretzels are placed on top. The peel is then lifted into the oven and the pretzels are flipped onto the stone table inside. The temperature is 500 degrees. The stone table is going around. In ten minutes, the pretzels return to the starting point and a moving chain brings them down the chute. At this point, they are baked on the outside, but still soft on the inside.
The dryer temperature is 180 degrees. This low heat dries out the inside and makes them crisp and crunchy. They slowly travel back to the back of the dryer, drop down a level, and travel front again. This process takes about an hour.
As soon as they come out of the dryer, they get hand picked and are weighed and packaged in bags or boxes. next they are ready to be picked up by distributors, who sell them in grocery store or markets within a 50 mile radius and New York City. Or they might be shipped anywhere in the 48 states.
The only ingredients are unbleached flour (from Snavely's Mill), water, salt, and yeast. There is no oil or shortening, which is why they are harder than other pretzels. The dough rises for half an hour before it is brought out to the twisting table in a large metal cart.
Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.
Pretzels are uniquely shaped baked snacks manufactured from a lean and stiff fermented wheat flour dough. They are typically treated with a sodium hydroxide or other alkali salts prior to baking and topped with coarse or Kosher salt.
Dijon mustard or a spicy brown mustard are the typical go-tos, as they add an extra kick to your pretzel snack. However, you can also get the best of both worlds by choosing a cheesy mustard dip.
According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.
You may pick up on how the taste is different, as German soft pretzels are known for containing a thicker, denser, and chewier inside while having a slightly crispier outside. The main difference to note between the more “American-style” pretzels and German pretzels is an ingredient called lye.
Unless they've been made with a whole grain flour such as rye, most pretzels are not very nutrient-dense, meaning they don't contain many beneficial nutrients relative to their calorie content. That's because most pretzels are made from refined wheat flour, also called white flour.
Products sold at Auntie Anne's franchise locations are baked fresh in-store. In order to provide you with a great Auntie Anne's experience at home, we use the same proprietary blend of flour used in our stores.
This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.
The popular toppings of authentic bavarian pretzels are:
Sesame, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin or caraway seeds, cheese sauce and bacon bits. Bavarians especially enjoy their pretzels in the late morning with Weißwürst, sweet mustard, and a Beer.
The moisture from the baking soda solution will help the salt adhere to the pretzels, keeping the seasoning in place even as the dough bakes. With a baking soda solution, you'll keep your pretzel salted and your taste buds happy.
Instant Yeast, Sugar, and Warm Water - The first step of the dough. Melter Butter and Sugar- Just a little fat and sugar for the dough. Baking Soda - A key ingredient to creating the right texture and flavor from giving the dough a baking soda bath before baking. Egg Wash and Pretzel Salt - To finish the pretzels with.
Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns. Once lye-dipped pretzels are baked, they're totally safe (and delicious!) to eat.
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