Pretzel Buns

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure that people associate soft pretzels with hot summer days at the baseball stadium, sharing the twisted mass of ballpark mustard slathered dough with their dads as they eagerly await a fly ball heading their direction. For me, soft pretzels bring back memories of my childhood. Granted, they are not associated with American sports and good ol’ times but they’re not necessarily bad either. As non-idyllic as it may seem, soft pretzels remind me of a dingy and run-down mall and of a time where simple pleasures were all that mattered.

I now refer to this place as “the old mall” and I haven’t a clue what it is really called. I do know that I haven’t been there in probably ten years. It had an old Regal Theatre in the basement level with a massive burgundy carpet and golden handrail lined stairway descending down to the atrium. It also had an enormous Pick ‘n’ Mix where I always scooped out my own bugling bag of nonpareils. The mall also had a Stride Ride shoe store, the destination of my yearly back-to-school footwear trip. Now, I know that most children aren’t thrilled about shopping but I was especially difficult. I still hate shopping and the thought of hanging around a dirty-carpeted store in my bare feet while sales associates constantly inform me that “the style does not come in your size but here are seven other similar pairs for you to try on just in case you like them” does not carry too much appeal. So, as you can imagine, my shoe shopping adventures generally ended in bad moods and sometimes no shoes at all. My one incentive for good behavior was the guaranteed after trip to the Auntie Anne’s pretzel stand for salty soft pretzel sticks, complete with processed cheese food dipping sauce on the side.

Like all guilty pleasure food, mall pretzels seem to have a salivation-inducing smell. It vaguely resembles melted butter with a slight hint of cinnamon sugar but of course mixed with that unique pretzely aroma. Even when I happen to catch a view of the salt-speckled logs, permanently glued to one another in their humid heat lamp habitat, and that tub of neon yellow “cheese” sauce, my nose seems to deceive my eyes into thinking that they are most definitely the right choice. And sure, I’ll have a large lemonade to go with that just in case the pretzel didn’t make me feel sick enough already. This is all pretty sad coming from someone who is about 90% German. However, considering that the German traditions in my life are limited to sauerkraut at Thanksgiving and hiding a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree should let you know that I’m not the good German girl whipping up homemade pretzels in my home kitchen. Well, until now at least.

With Oktoberfest slowly creeping up over the holiday horizons (German beer! Yay!) and a brief mention by a coworker about a craving for soft pretzels and mustard, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take advantage of my day off with some good, relaxing bread baking. And when my search for pretzel recipes led to this one for pretzel hotdog buns, the idea for brat dogs topped with kraut and brown mustard came about oh so naturally. And it actually happens to be a nice transitional recipe between summer and early fall. It’s a little comforting from the chewy and hearty pretzels with a summery smokiness from the grilled sausages and a refreshing pickled cabbage tang.

The greatest part is, these buns are a cinch to make. The dough is nice and pliable and a rising time is minimal. Sure the part where you have to boil the reshaped buns in a vat of baking soda water is a little daunting but also fun in a Bill Nye sort of way. Intimidation aside, however, DO NOT skip this step. The baking soda bath (traditionally a lye bath) is the absolute key to the quintessential pretzel taste and the deep brown chewy crust. I sprinkled the uncooked buns with a generous pinch of fleur de sel and popped them into the oven for a mere 14 minutes. The buns are heaven still hot and steaming but give them about ten minutes to allow the crust to firm up a little. And if you make these ahead of time, they keep quite well and only need a gentle warming before serving. I ate mine hotdog style but these pretzels are in no way limited to that. Shape them into thinner logs (reminiscent of the mall pretzel sticks) and serve them with a beer cheese fondue alongside slivers of seared kielbasa. Keep them round and use as fancy hamburger buns. And, if you are feeling traditional, twist them into their standard shape and eat plain or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or butter, parmesan, and garlic for a savory Italian flair.

Now that I’m reuniting with my German heritage and all of its pretzel glory, I guess it’s time to say auf wiedersehen to those sad yet fondly remembered mall pretzels. Though on second thought, maybe I can make an exception for bad shoe shopping days. Gotta give in sometimes.

Pretzel Buns
recipe by Jeff Mauro for Food Network
Makes 8 buns

Ingredients
1 cup milk
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. honey
1 packet of active dry yeast
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
3 cups all-purpose flour (you could replace 1 cup with whole wheat if you prefer)
1 cup bread flour
pinch sea salt
½ cup baking soda
pretzel salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

for the brat dogs
8 brats
sauerkraut
german mustard
havarti cheese (optional)

In a saucepan, heat the milk, ½ cup of water, the brown sugar, and the honey until it reaches 105 degrees and the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Pour the packet of yeast overtop and set aside for five minute to allow the yeast to bloom.

Meanwhile sift together the flours and the pinch of salt. When the yeast liquid is bubbly, pour over the flour mixture and then the melted butter. Combine in your stand mixer using the dough hook or alternately stir with a wooden spoon until combined and continue kneading by hand. Knead until the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.

On a well-floured surface, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll them into balls and place them on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, roll each ball into a 6 or 7-inch log and return to the baking sheet. Cover again with the towel and let rise for 30 more minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough is almost ready, bring a large pot with 8 cups of water to a boil. Add in the baking soda and stir. Transfer the logs of dough to the water, 2 at a time, and let boil for 30 seconds on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and use a pair of scissors or a knife to cut 3 shallow diagonal slits into the top. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until dark golden. Let cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

For the brat dogs, cut a slit along the top of the bun halfway down. Place a grilled bratwurst inside and, if you so desire, cover with a piece of havarti cheese and place under the broiler for a few seconds to melt. Top with as much sauerkraut and mustard as you desire and serve with a nice big mug of German beer.