My mother and step-father left this week for their European adventure.  They are biking along the Danube River from Passau to Budapest.  My step-father only used two words to describe to me how the trip was going.  He called and said, “Pretzel Roll”.  That was enough of a description for me to be intrigued.  I started scanning the internet for pretzel roll recipes that I could possibly try.

As it turns out, I am not a baker.  These were not as easy to make as a simple Google search.  Mistake number one was that you don’t bake all day when it is 90 degrees outside, which leads me to mistake number two.  Why was I baking all day when the recipe should have been finished within two hours?  That’s because I didn’t properly know how to activate yeast, and had to recreate the recipe three times before I got it right.  The verdict?  It’s worth every minute I spent frustrated over my inactivated yeast.  If this is what Germany tastes like, then I am moving!

Pretzels as we know them today were invented by mistake.  A Bavarian baker wanted to make sweet bread, but instead of dipping his bread in sugar-water, he accidentally used sodium-hydroxide (baking soda).  Once baked, it produced a crispy outer layer with a moist interior.  Pretzels are still an important part of German culture, and are often synonymous with Oktoberfest and German cuisine.

Pretzel Roll with Onions and Caraway Salt

(adapted from The Cooking Channel)

• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 yellow onions
• 1 cup warm water (between 105-115 degrees)
• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 2 3/4 cup bread flour, plus extra for kneading dough
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• Vegetable Oil

First, finely dice onions, sprinkle with salt, and saute in butter until caramelized, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove the onions from the heat, place into a small bowl, and place the bowl in the refrigerator to fully cool.

Next, activate your yeast.  To do this properly, pour 1 cup of warm water into the bowl of a mixer (with a hook attachment).  Add a generous pinch of sugar to the water, and then mix in your yeast package.  Let this sit for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to bubble.

While this is activating, mix the flour, remaining teaspoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of salt.  Once your yeast mixture is ready, add the flour mixture to it as well as the cooled onions.  Mix on a low speed until barely combined, and then turn the speed up to medium and let mix for 6 minutes.  Roll the sticky dough into a ball and place back into the bowl.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for 40 minutes.  The dough will rise to 2-3 times its size.

After that, dust a clean surface with flour and take your dough out to knead.  Knead the dough for 5 minutes.  Shape into 8 evenly sized rolls, slice 1/4″ deep diagonal lines across the top, and let sit on a greased sheet pan, covered by a damp towel, for another 20 minutes.

While the dough rises a second time, heat a large pot of water until boiling and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place one oven rack at the bottom and one near the top.  Mix the salt and caraway seeds in a small bowl and set aside.  Once the water boils, add the baking soda and stir.  Drop 4 loafs of dough into the boiling water at once and boil for 1 minute, turning halfway through.  Remove from water, and place on a towel-lined surface and let dry for 1 minute.  Sprinkle with the caraway salt (a little goes a long way) and place on a greased parchment-lined sheet pan and put into the oven on the top rack.  Cook for 12 minutes until golden brown, and then finish for 2 additional minutes on the bottom rack.  Remove from oven, let cool, and serve with butter, mustard, or as a sandwich roll for sausages.