German New Year Pretzel Recipes

GERMAN NEW YEAR'S PRETZEL

Steps:

• Heat the milk and vanilla, stirring to combine in a small saucepan until warm. Do not boil.
• Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm temperature.
• In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the lemon zest, flour, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
• Make a well in the middle of the mixture and sprinkle the yeast into the well.
• Pour about 1/4 cup of the vanilla milk on top of the yeast to dissolve it. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the top.
• Scrape some flour off of the sides of the bowl with your hands and mix everything together to form ragged dough.
• Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rest for 10 minutes
• Sprinkle the dough with the salt. Add the rest of the milk and the 4 egg yolks. Use the dough hook attachment of your mixer (or your hands) to knead everything into a smooth dough (about 8 minutes)
• Add 5 tablespoons of the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Knead again for 3 minutes until the dough becomes elastic.
• Cover the bowl again with the dishtowel and let stand for 1 hour in a warm place.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Knead the dough again for a few minutes.
• Divide the dough into three equal portions (use a kitchen scale).
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll each portion out into a log 2 feet long.
• Braid the three dough strands together.
• On the last 4 inches of both ends, roll them out 8 inches long (4+3/4 inches wide) and use a sharp knife to cut the ends into three strands. Roll each stand to create log shapes, then braid them together.
• The result should be a long fat braid in the middle with small long, thinner braids on the ends.
• Transfer the entire dough braid to the prepared baking sheet. Pull both ends down and tuck them under the fat middle braid, forming two loops.
• Cover with the dishtowel and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Beat the egg white in a small separate dish.
• Brush the braided dough with the egg white and sprinkle the pearl sugar over the top.
• Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and scatter over the top.
• Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the pretzel is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool to warm before serving.
• Serve with butter and jam.

GERMAN NEW YEAR'S PRETZEL (GROSSE NEUJAHRS-BREZE)

Steps:

• Measure or weigh flour into a large mixing bowl.
• Proof the yeast by dissolving it in 1 cup/250 milliliters warm milk with a pinch of sugar. Leave it in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
• When bubbles form, add it to the flour together with 1 whole egg, butter, salt , and lemon zest, and work it into a medium-stiff dough.
• Knead for several minutes or until dough becomes smooth and silky. Form it into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle a large tabletop or another work surface with flour and turn dough out onto it. Turn once to coat. Divide into 3 equal pieces (it helps to weigh them, not just eyeball them).
• Roll each into a 1-foot-long cylinder and let rest for a few minutes (this helps relax gluten ). Starting in the middle, lengthen the dough into a rope by rolling against the table top and applying pressure outwards. The middle should be thicker than the ends.
• Continue this way until you have 3 strands of dough at least 3-feet/1-meter long each. If dough continues to spring back, let it rest for a couple minutes and try again.
• Beginning in the middle, braid the 3 strands together toward each end. Pinch the ends closed. Lengthen the braid slightly by pulling on the ends.
• For good luck : Place several foil-wrapped coins (lucky pennies- Glueckspfennige ) between the braided strands. The person who finds a coin has their New Year's wish come true.
• Form braid into a pretzel shape and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Cover with a clean dish cloth.
• Place the oven rack on the second shelf from the top. Heat oven to 350 F for 30 minutes. Make an egg wash with the egg yolk beaten together with 3 tablespoons of water. Brush the braid with it.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack .
• If you are serving the bread the same day, sprinkle with sugar for decoration. If the bread is to be kept for several days, frozen or shellacked, do not sprinkle with sugar , as it will make it soggy.
• Enjoy.

NEUJAHRSPRETZEL (NEW YEAR'S PRETZELS)

Steps:

• Heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130°F).
• Mix yeast, salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour.
• Slowly beat into warm milk.
• Beat for 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and 1 cup of flour.
• Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add enough flour to form a soft dough.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl.
• Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and let rise again until doubled (1 hour more).
• Divide dough in half.
• Shape pretzel as follows: roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center.
• Flip loop back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place pretzels on greased baking sheets.
• Let rise 15 minutes more.
• Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing.
• Spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds.
• Makes 2 large pretzels.