Vegan Soft Pretzels. Freshly made German style soft pretzels made with beer. Delicious eaten warm fresh out of the oven dipped in a tasty vegan cheese sauce.
There are several ways to enjoy pretzels. We like to eat our traditional Pretzel shapes as a snack dipped in our homemade vegan cheese sauce. They are also great cut in half and spread with some vegan butter. Alternatively, you can make soft pretzel rolls and use them as a burger bun or a hot dog roll.
Traditionally pretzels are slowly risen in a fridge and dipped in a lye solution to give them the classic chewy dark outer crust. A lye solution shouldn’t be used in a home setting as it would be too dangerous. However, a bicarbonate of soda solution is a slightly less dangerous alternative that can be used in the house as long as care is taken when using it.
Make sure you use bicarbonate of soda or baking soda, not baking powder which has different ingredients that will not work.
We love serving pretzels with our Vegan Cheese Sauce it’s truly the perfect snack to have while watching a movie. Make double the amount of pretzels when family and friends visit as they are sure to disappear quickly!
Vegan Soft Pretzels (Brezn)
Ingredients
- 500 g White bread flour
- 7 g dried yeast
- 10 g White sugar
- 10 g salt
- 30 g vegan butter room temperature
- 150 ml unsweetened plant-based milk room temperature
- 150 ml German beer room temperature
Basting ingredients
- 1.5 l water
- 50 g bicarbonate of soda
Topping
- Rock salt
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt to a large bowl and thoroughly mix to combine.
- Now add the room temperature butter, milk and beer.
- Gently fold all the mix together until it forms into a manageable dough.
- Transfer to a stand mixer and knead on high for 5- 8 minutes until a smooth ball can be formed. Alternatively, knead with your hands for 10-12 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Push the dough down using your hands to remove all the air.
- Divide the dough into 8 even balls and place on baking parchment on a tray.
- Cover and let rest for 15 minutes
- Flatten each ball out with your hands to make a flat circle then roll one end to make a sausage or baguette shape.
- Repeat this step with every ball then rest them for 10 minutes.
- On a large surface begin rolling one of them into a long sausage shape, starting in the middle with both hands and working your way along to the ends. Do this until it is roughly 80cm in length. It should be thicker in the middle and taper out to a point at the ends.
- Cross over both ends to form a large loop then fold the ends around each other again and bring over the top of the loop and secure the ends onto the top of the loop to make a traditional pretzel shape. Alternatively, roll them into a ball for a burger roll or leave them in the sausage shape to make a hotdog roll.
- Cover for 5-10 minutes while preparing a bicarbonate of soda bath.
- Preheat your oven at 200°C / 180°C Fan
- Heat a large pan of 1.5 litres of water until boiling then very carefully add in the bicarbonate of soda. Stir until dissolved. Watch out you don’t splash any of the water as it is very alkaline.
- Gently place one pretzel into the hot water for 30 seconds on each side then place onto the baking parchment on a baking tray. Use a slotted spoon to remove them.
- Use a sharp knife to score a line on the outside of the thicker section of the pretzel then sprinkle with rock salt. Repeat this with every pretzel or roll. You may have to use 2 baking trays as the water will cause the dough to puff up.
- Place the pretzels into the preheated oven for around 15-20 minutes until brown in colour.
- Enjoy with your favourite filling or dip
Delicious!
Will definitely be making these again.