Pretzels 😋

Soft, salty and almost delicious, these pretzels are baked and often dipped in thick yellow cheese. My husband and I have always bonded over our shared love of soft pretzels, but it was the first time we lived in the same town as a few years ago that we loved her as much as she did. Sources: 5, 12

This tiny store on East Carson Street is a jewel on the South Side serving flavored pretzels with a variety of flavors, from sweet and salty to sweet, salty and sour. You will receive a caustic-alkaline water bath, which gives the pretzel its characteristic glossy golden brown color, giving it its unique taste and texture. These soft pretzels are sold in a number of high-profile chains, including Aunt Anne, Pretzmaker’s and Pretzel Time. They are also served in restaurants and bars in Los Angeles and New York City (including the popular La Cienega restaurant in New Orleans), as well as restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago and San Diego. Sources: 3, 7, 15

Bertinet pretzels are delicious in soft, fluffy rolls, and about 30-35% of the recipe can be made in one batch, which is about the same time as a full-grown pretzel roll. However, as Bertinet suggests, one would not be tempted to cut the water into the milk and bake it in the oven. Sources: 8, 18

As an appetizer, there is something more homemade, but here are some combinations to help you get started. Try cheese balls covered with pretzels and nut bites or drizzled with praline, mustard glaze and fig jam. Check out this list of popular cheese spreads that often go with Bavarian pretzels, and here’s a combination that gets us started! Sources: 4, 6, 14

Mix pretzels, nuts, cereal and other ingredients with melted butter and put in the oven. Alternatively, brush the surface of each pretzel with the melted peanut butter before baking and spread over it. Sources: 6, 9

Bake the pretzels in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top, about 5 – 6 minutes. Leave to bake for 10-12 minutes on the other side of the baking tray or a few minutes before serving. Cook the frozen soft pretzels in a microwave – a safe bowl over medium heat – for 1-2 minutes, then bake for another 5-10 minutes until crispy. Sources: 1, 11, 13

Cut the dough into wedges, roll each wedge into a ball (it’s okay to stretch out a little with your fingers, it’ll have a classic pretzel shape). Pour the cheese into a small bowl over medium heat for a few seconds, just enough to prevent it from melting into the dough and forming a crispy layer on top of the pretzels. Sources: 0, 9, 16

The nut pretzel, for example, is made with puff pastry and baked crispy and flaky. The other type that is sold is the two-shaped looped knot, which can be the most popular type of pretzel. In the US, this thick type of stick is called Bavarian pretzels (or “pretzel sticks”) and can be up to half an inch thick or up to half an inch thin. Sources: 7, 8, 16

The pretzels spoil very quickly, so there are various tasty solutions if you want to dry your savory baked goods. If you are saltier than sweet, most pretzel dough contains sugar in some form to give it a sweet taste, but not too sweet or too salty. You can prepare these snacks by controlling the amount of added sugar so that you can prepare them as sweet and as healthy as you like. It is delicious to top a yogurt pretzel with a little yogurt, a little more sugar or even a pinch of salt and pepper. Sources: 6, 12, 18

Call Pittsburgh pretzel foodie Twistburgh as he travels the city in search of the best soft pretzels. This is my absolute favourite recipe for pretzels and reminds me of the way I fried so beautifully in Berlin a few years ago. I searched for a pretzel recipe and this one is much easier than most I found. At this point I have been baking this recipe for years, after working at one of these pretzel places in the shopping center. Sources: 2, 3, 15

Hard pretzels originate from the United States, where Sturgis Bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania, became the first commercial hard shell bakery around 1850. Although many of the most famous American bakeries are located in the Keystone State, it remains the American capital of Pretzel. Sources: 7, 10

A recent market study has shown that the pretzel market in the United States is about $560 million a year and produces about 2.5 million tons of pretzels annually. As a share of total sales, Pretzel (soft or hard) is responsible for about 20% of total U.S. pretzel sales. Sources: 4, 8

The downside of eating too many pretzels is that the calorie content of the pretzel and the sodium content can easily increase. Because of the calorie content, it is best to share a soft pretzel with other people and divide it into two or three portions. It is important to cook the pretzel before cooking, as it expands quite a bit during cooking. Sources: 5, 17

Food: Pretzels 🥨