VeganOver-the-Rhine German cuisine Baking

Over-the-Rhine Soft Pretzel

Name: Over-the-Rhine Soft Pretzel
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Over-the-Rhine German
Ingredients: 4 cup All-purpose flour; 2.25 tsp Active dry yeast; 1.5 cup warm water; 1 tbsp Brown sugar; 1.5 tsp Kosher salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 0.5 cup Baking soda; 8 cup Water; 2 tbsp Coarse pretzel salt

A chewy, dark-crusted soft pretzel with a shiny lye-bath finish and a heavy scatter of coarse salt, sold in bakeries and beer halls throughout Cincinnati's historic German quarter.

🇺🇸United States· Ohio

Prep: 90 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 105 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 250 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Stand mixer
•Wide shallow pot
•Baking sheet

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 250 kcal
fat: 3
carbs: 46
protein: 7
calories: 250

Instructions

1
Stir the yeast and brown sugar into warm water. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2
Mix in the flour, salt, and oil to form a dough. Knead for about 8 minutes until smooth.
3
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
4
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
5
Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a long rope and twist it into a pretzel shape.
6
Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a wide shallow pot on the stovetop.
7
Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer them onto the prepared sheet pans.
8
Sprinkle coarse salt generously over the tops while the pretzels are still wet.
9
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until deeply browned and shiny.

Chef's tips

A quick dip in boiling baking-soda water gives the pretzels a classic dark, chewy crust without needing harsh chemicals like lye.

Storage

Store at room temperature in a paper bag up to 1 day, or freeze for up to a month.

Reheating

Warm in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to restore chewiness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the boiling water bath, which makes the crust look like pale bread instead of shiny pretzel crust.
•Letting the shaped pretzels rise too long before boiling, which makes them lose their shape.