Andy's German Homemade Pretzels (Laugenbrezeln)

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Andy's German Homemade Pretzels (Laugenbrezeln)

Bakery-style homemade pretzels, aka Laugenbrezeln, from a German baker to you! These are the large pretzels that taste so good dunked into German mustard.

Ingredients:

*This recipe is sized for a 575w Kitchenaid mixer batch and has been scaled down/translated from an old recipe from Straubing, Bavaria*

• 5½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1½ ounces lard – about a ⅝-inch slice off a regular 16-ounce brick (slightly warmed for better mixing)
• 1 small egg
• 16 ounces cool water (can vary slightly based on dry ingredients)
• 57 grams sodium hydroxide (food grade or lye) & water for glazing dip solution. (Food grade is available on Amazon or commercial bakery supply stores)
• Coarse salt for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl except for last 2 cups of flour.
2. Mix at Speed #2
3. Add wet ingredients (water, egg and lard), then slowly add last 2 cups of flour.
4. Continue mixing until bread dough consistency is complete. If necessary, add a small amount of water or flour to achieve this tacky bread dough consistency.
5. Remove dough and divide into thirds.
6. Keeping two pieces covered with damp cloth, divide first third into 6 pieces and roll these pieces into approximately 24” long strips, thin at ends, somewhat thicker in the middle. Do this with the remaining two thirds.
7. Form pretzels and put on large board. Put board in a cool place so they proof slowly. Outside during cool weather is good.
8. Grease cookie sheet with lard. Not too light (or they will stick) and not too heavy (or they will be greasy). It is normal for the first batch to stick a little with consecutive batches coming off more easily.
9. Once the pretzels have risen, dip them one at a time as directed in Oma’s notes below. Place six pretzels on each prepared baking sheet.
10. *NOTE* The lye solution is extremely corrosive so care must be taken about dripping onto counters, etc. Cookie sheets will also be affected so it’s best to use ones that you don’t mind getting permanently marked. (Read Oma's NOTE below!)
11. If baking slowly (only one cookie sheet at a time) keep others outside in cooler air while they wait.
12. Nick the fat part with a razor or knife (for decorative purposes) and sprinkle with coarse salt around the bottom (fat part).
13. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes at 450°F until a dark golden brown.
14. Remove and put on cooling rack.

Oma Gerhild's NOTE:

The lye bath gives Andy’s pretzels their deep brown crust and traditional flavor. If you’d rather skip the lye, try my pretzel recipe without lye.

1. Put on chemical-resistant gloves and splash goggles before opening the lye. Work in a well-ventilated area and keep children and pets away
2. Pour 6 cups (about 1.42 liters) of cold water into a sturdy glass or stainless steel bowl wide enough to fit one pretzel flat. Weigh 57 grams of food-grade lye (sodium hydroxide) on a digital scale. Slowly add the weighed lye to the water. Do not use aluminum or heat the bath. 
3. Once the shaped pretzels have risen, use a stainless steel skimmer to lower them into the bath one at a time. Dip each pretzel for 10 to 15 seconds total, then lift it out and let the excess drip back into the bowl. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, then score, salt, and bake as directed.

NOTE: If lye splashes onto your skin or into your eyes, start rinsing immediately with plenty of running water and contact your local poison center.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe updated: November 9, 2026