Difference between revisions of "Brezels and other Laugengebäck"
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If there is any German baked good that goes well with beer, it must be the ''Brezel'' (or ''Brezn''' as the Bavarian says). The Brezel is part of what is called ''Laugengebäck'' (lye bread) in Germany. There you will also find it in many more shapes Than just the ''Brezel''. I'm a big fan of the ''Laugenbrötchen'' (lye roll) and here I want to share how to make them and ''Brezels'' at home. | If there is any German baked good that goes well with beer, it must be the ''Brezel'' (or ''Brezn''' as the Bavarian says). The Brezel is part of what is called ''Laugengebäck'' (lye bread) in Germany. There you will also find it in many more shapes Than just the ''Brezel''. I'm a big fan of the ''Laugenbrötchen'' (lye roll) and here I want to share how to make them and ''Brezels'' at home. |
Revision as of 04:54, 17 December 2009
If there is any German baked good that goes well with beer, it must be the Brezel (or Brezn' as the Bavarian says). The Brezel is part of what is called Laugengebäck (lye bread) in Germany. There you will also find it in many more shapes Than just the Brezel. I'm a big fan of the Laugenbrötchen (lye roll) and here I want to share how to make them and Brezels at home. The recipe, that is used here, comes from a PDF document written for professional German bakers which I happened to come across on the internet [Ulmer Spatz]. I'm using the Bavarian Breze recipe scaled down from the 10,000 kg version. Here is what you need for the dough. Like many professional bread recipes it is completely weight based (except for the yeast):
(*) if you don't have dry malt extract use 10g table sugar instead
Once the Brezels, rolls and other pieces have been formed let them rest and rise for 20-30 min. After that it is time for the lye treatment
Brezels and lye rolls get their characteristic taste and dark brown color from Maillard reactions during baking. While those reactions also happen during the baking process of regular bread and rolls it is greatly accelerated by the high pH that the lye treatment provides. Food grade lye can be found for sale on the internet. Local specialty stores may carry it as well. The lye solution should have a strength of 3-4 % by weight. This means you add 30-40 g (1-1.2 oz) to 1 liter or quart of warm water. I found that 0.5 liter ( 1 pint) of lye solution to be a sufficient amount. Always add the lye to water and not the other way around. When lye is dissolved in water heat is created and adding water to lye can cause a rather sudden release of heat and possibly an eruption of concentrated lye. A much safer alternative to lye is the use of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Though the Brezels and rolls won't have the same sheen compared to those prepared with lye is is an attractive for those who want to avoid using lye or try baking Brezels without having to buy lye. I have baked many batches of Brezels and "lye" rolls using a boiling baking soda solution. Simply prepare a 3-4% baking soda solution (30-40 g /1- 1.2 oz baking soda per liter or quart of water) and bring it to a boil. Submerse the formed Brezels and/or rolls in it and keep it in there for 20-30s. Then follow the rest of the instructions. ![]() Figure 12 - Place the risen Brezels and rolls into the lye (or boiling baking soda) solution. If you are using lye getting the Brezels covered with lye is sufficient. When using baking soda, keep the Brezel in the solution for 20-30s, Place the treated Brezels onto parchment paper, sprinkle with coarse salt and cut the dough where you want it to open up during baking. If you want to learn more about making bread check out these Good Eat's eposides on Youtube: References
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