german new year pretzel

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm milk, divided
• 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, or more as needed
• 4 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or as needed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 2 hrs 20 mins


• dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup milk in a bowl; add 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar. let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• stir yeast mixture and 2 1/4 cups flour together in a bowl until dough is dry and clumpy. allow dough to rise for 15 minutes. add remaining 1/2 cup milk, butter, egg, lemon zest, and salt to dough until evenly mixed.
• knead dough, adding more flour as needed, until dough is elastic. cover bowl with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• preheat oven to 390 degrees f (199 degrees c). grease a baking sheet.
• gently knead dough; roll into a long rope on the prepared baking sheet and twist into a pretzel shape. cover dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 15 minutes more.
• brush egg yolk over dough and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over egg yolk.
• bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.