RECIPE: Traditional Pretzels with Horseradish Mustard Dip (from Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace, A Cookbook)
Alsace is a region that, while physically part of France, is culturally neither France nor Germany but a spiritual mixture of both. Here, as in Germany, we love our pretzels and beer—and horseradish, a flavorful but underused aromatic root.
Pretzels are simple to make. The amazing transformation that happens when the leavened, shaped dough is dipped into a base solution (using lye or baking soda) is so satisfying, fun, and delicious, it’s especially great to do with kids. Although if you’re using food grade lye (easily available online), you’ll need to be careful, as when it combines with water it is as caustic as sulfuric acid. Lye reacts with carbon dioxide and, in the heat of the oven, forms a carbonate, making the food safe to eat. When cooking with children, just use baking soda. I like the taste of lye-dipped pretzels and the deep brown color the lye creates. But baking soda is an acceptable substitute and completely safe.
While the classic pretzel shape is my favorite, with its twists and the increased surface area that allows for more browning and flavor, you can also make fabulous hamburger buns, pretzel rolls, or a braided pretzel loaf with this dough.
We eat pretzels with a dipping sauce—horseradish, sour cream, and mustard. Fresh horseradish is best, but some brands of prepared horseradish, such as Atomic and Gold Brand, are acceptable.
Makes 10 medium pretzels
FOR THE PRETZEL DOUGH
½ cup (125 ml) warm water
½ cup (125 ml) warm milk
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons fresh yeast (10 g) or 1 ½ teaspoons (5 g) active dry yeast
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (75 g) butter, melted
Fleur de sel or any large coarse salt
FOR THE LYE DIPPING LIQUID
2 quarts/liters water
2 tablespoons (30 g) food grade lye
FOR THE BAKING SODA DIPPING LIQUID (USE THIS IF YOU DON’T HAVE LYE)
1 ½ quarts/liters water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup (50 g) baking soda
FOR THE BAKING SODA– DIPPED PRETZELS
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
Combine the water, milk, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle (or crumble) the yeast on top and mix it in. Allow the yeast to multiply, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, salt, and butter and mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it double in size, about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare the dipping liquid of your choice by combining all the ingredients and bringing them to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Again, be careful when using lye, which can burn. You can wear gloves if you’re concerned, but they’re not strictly necessary if you’re careful with it.
As the dipping liquid is coming to a boil, turn the dough out onto a work surface (you should have about 30 ounces/900 g of dough). Divide it into ten equal pieces, so ten 3-ounce (90 g) pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into about a 2-foot (about 65 cm) rope of dough.
For a pretzel shape, make a horseshoe shape, bottom toward you. Cross the two ends once and then twice, leaving about an inch or two of tip above the curl. Pull the tips toward you and press down on the bottom of the “horseshoe.” Adjust the shape to your liking and place it on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other pieces.
Once the pretzels are made, you can freeze them; this way they are easier to handle when you have to dip them into the lye solution. It also gives you the possibility to make more and keep half frozen for an alternate day.
Using a large, flat, slotted spatula, carefully place each pretzel into the hot dipping water (15 seconds for the lye solution, 30 seconds for the baking soda solution). If they’re not fully submerged, flip them. Return them to the lined baking sheet and repeat the process for the remaining pretzels. If you are using baking soda, brush the pretzels with egg wash for a deeper color. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and starting to show the hallmark signs of pretzel crackling. Remove the pretzels from the oven and, using the flat spatula again, transfer them from the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then enjoy them with the dip.
HORSERADISH MUSTARD DIP
Makes about 1 cup (240 ml)
Generous ¾ cup (200 g) sour cream
3 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish, or more to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and a few grinds pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
From award-winning chef Gabriel Kreuther, the definitive cookbook on rustic French cooking from Alsace
Gabriel Kreuther is the cookbook fans of the James Beard Award-winning chef have long been waiting for. From one of the most respected chefs in the United States, this cookbook showcases the recipes inspired by Kreuther’s French-Swiss-German training and refined global style, one that embraces the spirits of both Alsace, his homeland, and of New York City, his adopted home. Sharing his restaurant creations and interpretations of traditional Alsatian dishes, Kreuther will teach the proper techniques for making every dish, whether simple or complex, a success. Recipes include everything from the chef's take on classic Alsatian food like the delicious Flammekueche (or Tarte Flambée) and hearty Baeckeoffe (a type of casserole stew) to modern dishes like the flavorful Roasted Button Mushroom Soup served with Toasted Chorizo Raviolis and the decadent Salmon Roe Beggar’s Purse garnished with Gold Leaf.
Featuring personal stories from the chef's childhood in France and career in New York as well as stunning photography, Gabriel Kreuther is the definitive resource for Alsatian cooking worthy of fine dining.
For more information, click here.
