Nowadays, who doesn't know this famous bread with its particular shape evoking a knot or crossed arms? Whether it is masculine or feminine, sweet or savoury, German or Alsatian, the pretzel is undoubtedly the most famous bread of the Eastern region, but do you know its legend?
In 1477, the King's appointed baker was sentenced to imprisonment for missing his bread. In despair, his wife went to beg the monarch to give her husband one last chance, which turned into a challenge: to redeem himself, the baker had to invent a bread that the sun could cross three times.
The baker then set to work, but no inspiration came. Then, looking out of his kitchen window, he saw his wife praying for him on her knees. As a tribute, he made a bread in the shape of her praying arms. As he showed it to her, the sun shone through the three holes in the bread and the baker knew that he was saved.
The pretzel then became a speciality of the region sold in all the inns of the kingdom.
But one day, while a minister was biting into his pretzel, the taste was not the same; the baker had taken the wrong bowl and had brushed the bread with a solution of baking soda normally used to clean the baking sheets in the oven!
This mistake would have resulted in the pickled pretzel.
Beyond this legend, this very special bread does not have a precise origin, each region or country having its own history. It is claimed to be Alsatian, German or more specifically Bavarian, it is called Pretzel, Laugenbrezel or Brezn...
But what is certain is that the Pretzel comes from the East and that its recipe is based on a dough composed of water, egg, flour, salt and baker's yeast. The dough is first poached in water with baking soda added. Then the mixture is sprinkled with coarse grains of salt before baking.
The result is a crispy French toast that is the great specialty of the region!
Makes your mouth water? Order your favourite pretzels directly and discover other variations of this recipe ...
Marie de Comme des Français
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