I was surprised Dan didn't mention baked baking soda, it's 1 simple extra step and gives you something that's still pretty safe but has lots more flavor
Hot lye pretzels are a death row food for me. They're some of the best foods on earth. I am glad you showed the differences between baking soda and lye pretzels and how to properly dip a lye pretzel (15 seconds is what I do as well). Long sleeves and safety glasses are a must, that stuff is no joke and will burn. Remember Fight Club? So many pretzel videos are afraid to talk about lye, maybe because they're afraid of the lye-ability... but it's totally worth getting some and putting on the PPE.
Lye isn’t even all THAT bad as far as chemicals are concerned. Like, you DO NOT want to mess about with it, but, if I had a choice between dipping my finger in the boiling-hot baking soda mixture used by some people as an alternative to lye, and dipping my finger in a lukewarm lye solution- I’d chose the lye. Assuming you wash it off thoroughly afterwards, brief contact between your skin and a lye solution isn’t the end of the world. You biggest concern should be making sure you don’t get it in your eyes. -Proper PPE is a must obvs. Chemicals are not to be feared- simply respected.
You should probably specify that the baking sheets must be steel, since lye is corrosive to aluminum (ie the soda can). I've stained some aluminum pans (Nordicware) that way, and now only use steel. Of course, the lye then eats through the seasoning on the pans and they can get rusty. I assume that's why you have the silicone mat, but it will certainly affect your drip station.
My G'Ma Hiltz used to make these, using lye. Now I know why I was always shooed out of her house whenever she made them. She was an amazing baker (and cook) and she used a wood stove for everything! She had no use for electric stoves, even the bath water was heated up on the wood stove. She did eventually let her children chip in to buy her a hot water heater one year and she was grateful for that. That wood stove was even used to heat the house in winter. As a kid, I loved spending every summer at her house. I was fascinated by her mangler washing machine too! I was so proud of her and loved her probably more than my own Mother. She was the hardest working woman I ever knew and so kind to boot. ❤
We’ve been making pretzels since I was young, and about 20 years ago someone explained to us why/how the lye was safe. We were grateful to know, but it didn’t change anything! We always have made them with lye, always will. But we often eat them with ham and cheese (and a whole lot of homemade mustard).
Fun fact is that lye will etch Aluminum and dissolve it, so be sure to either line all aluminum cookware with parchment paper, or use stainless steel instead. If you splash lye on yourself, immediately wipe down with vinegar, then run under water for 5min. Strong acids are neutralized by weak bases, and strong bases (such as lye) are neutralized by weak acids (like acetic acid/vinegar). Having made both lye pretzels and baking soda pretzels, here's the major difference: - BS pretzels are par-cooked on the outside and are a poor choice for loafs, but work fine for normal pretzels; they'll taste a bit saltier and more crispy. They benefit HEAVILY from brushed on butter. - Lye pretzels can be any shape and turn out a lot more tender, they also have a stronger "pretzel" flavor and need a bit more sprinkled on salt. BS pretzels are obviously way safer, but you can't do every type with this method. Lye solution can be brushed onto any kind of bread to "pretzel" the dough, which lets you do crazy things like pretzel croissants, buns or pizza dough. BS method is basically only good if you wan to make pretzel bread to snack on.
Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf - the lye safety page is behind a blocked pay wall. I was able to login as I am a member of ATK. The safety page should not be blocked.
When he cut it in half like a bagel, I felt my heart drop. Mostly because I had never even considered that. I always just ripped them apart and dunked. I am a sucker for a good cheese sauce with my pretzels.
Saw that in a train station one time over there and decided to give it a shot, unbelievable. To be honest, and this may be heresy, some of the best food, doener, etc I had was in trainstations@@tomretan4491
The perfect pretzel should get slimmer towards the knot and have a slit in the crust at the thickest part. I'm from the south of Germany and here you can get freshly baked perfect pretzels in some supermarkets for well under half a euro. Oh and we call it Breze(n) in Bavaria and love to eat it also with Obazda (when you try a good one, you will agree that it's a perfect match). Brezn are also a great snack for children that are picky eaters because everybody loves Brezn. Great video as always! 😃
I have made 3 batches of these - all with baking soda. After the first batch I tweaked the recipe by subbing crisco for the butter and adding 2 TBSP of sugar. I found the original recipe to lack flavor but the sugar was all that they needed 🤤 I don't believe investing in lye is necessary at all. Also, the thicker the rope, the softer the pretzel. A thinner rope yields a crisper pretzel. I'm so glad I tried this recipe and will def be making them again - with crisco, sugar, and baking soda 😉🥨
I don't think it's inherently a bad thing. But I agree this is a recipe where you shouldn't need it. Our taste buds and brain chemistry want it for sure. I do agree that the lye is not necessary. Baked baking soda works extremely well as a sub. I used it for bagel making in the same manner.
Lye Will not explode on water contact. But it can heat it enough to break the glass container. Another possibility is that it will not dissolve well and remain stuck to the bottom of the vessel
Bavarian Brezeln use water, Swabian Brezeln use milk. Both can benefit from adding 3% (of the flour weight) sugar and 2% diastic malt. On the swabian brezel, score rhe thick part with a laim.
As someone who has started a toaster oven fire just making toast, I’m pretty sure this won’t be in my recipes to try category. It was really fun to watch though, and now I’ve got to find one of those (already made by someone who makes them without setting the neighborhood on fire) yummy pretzels 🥨 😋 🔥 Thx Dan!!
I found this when I left the PBS app searching for ATK. I've used lye but in boiling the pretzels. I've used Alton Brown's pretzel recipe (but modified from a baking soda bath to lye) I'm in the process of making KAF hoagie rolls, so I think I'll try your recipe. Originally from Philly, it's hard to find good pretzels like those in Philly. So I make my own. 😊
Whilst Interrailing in 2008, I took a train from Munich to Stuttgart. At some point in the journey, I went to the buffet car, and asked if they had any pretzels (Brezeln). No, I was told. When I looked idsappointed, I was told "You're not in Bayern any more." I like the implication that DB changes out its baked goods based on state. It's equally possible they'd run out and he was messing with a tourist. On a minor etiquette point; for the avoidance of hypertension, the salt is often scratched off.
That's super weird, though. Brezeln are as commonplace in Baden Wuerttemberg as they are in Bavaria. ... that being said ... both Schwaben and Bayern can have a very dry sense of humor as well as a love for practical jokes. So, yes, it is possible you were pranked.
For German pretzels you would roll out the dough so it gets thinner at both ends, you get crisper parts in the middle part of the pretzel like that. Mustard is actually not traditional, but butter and chives are and they are delicious as a topping
I helped work in a pretzel shop at a time many moons ago. I don't remember all the trade secrets but the one trick to learn was how to shape the pretzels. You essentially lifted it up, smacked the center on the counter and got it to spin around and then laid the ends down.
This is great info, Dan. Thanks! I made them once with regular AP flour, baking soda and kosher salt to top, and I was quite impressed with the outcome, but I can see how bread flour, compressed salt and lye would give it that quality finish. ❤
I got my Hand caught in the Mixer, cut the tip off one finger cutting the dough, knocked my phone off the counter trying to trigger the Timer for the Lye Bath, then knocked the Lye off the counter and down the front of me trying to catch my phone which shattered the screen when it hit my Ceramic Tiles... I'm thinking those Frozen Pretzels might be for me. 😁
Thanks Dan. I basically knew this but your explanations are always so great. I loved the recipe methods. I bet some of those pretzel designs would go over great in Germany! Can’t wait to do it.
4:53 Now that you've learned to spin the dough, the next challenge is making lamian, Chinese pulled noodles. The gluten is developed by spinning the dough the same way. Then comes the hard part: Stretching the dough to the thinness of spaghetti.
This was so great! I have honestly been scared to use lye but this makes it feel much more approachable. I like the point about how all cooking has some level of danger to it. Thinking of this as similar to just being careful of a hot oven or a recently sharpened knife - and not, say, something that will blow up your kitchen and really make your landlord mad - makes this feel much more doable. And of course now I can't wait to smell a freshly baked real pretzel.
Oooh, this video makes me wish I had more counter space to set up a little science station! (Just a thought for the ATK web team-you might consider removing the paywall from the lye safety guide article if you’re going to promote the method in free content.)
I've been using lye for years (using an NYT recipe) but have had issues with wet lye-pockets on the undersides that have to be cut out or else getting mild chemical burns while eating. Not a great time! I'm guessing it's because I haven't been draining them on a rack, so I guess it's finally time to buy a nice wire rack.
Damn, looks so good. Pretzels are something that's never really on my radar, but now I'm either going to make this or buy one from the next legit place I see that bakes them fresh and traditionally.
I WAS going to try this until I shopped food grade Lye. IMO, too expensive for an occasional baking project. I'll stick to using baking soda that's already in my pantry... Thank you Dan for the lesson and Andrea for the time & effort on her research. I always enjoy watching what you share💞
Many years ago I was tasked with making some lye dipped pretzel bits. I thought a couple layers of latex and vinyl kitchen gloves would be fiiiiiine for protection. Nope. DO NOT skimp on the glove thickness!
I use nitrile gloves when I make pretzels and they work fine. I think it’s more about the material the gloves are made from than the thickness, but I would say if you’re really worried about it use dishwashing gloves. Also, if you get the solution on you, you can neutralize the burning by pouring vinegar on it. Works like a charm.
@@GwynneDearI mean you can use vinegar but it's a really dilute solution of weak acid so you would need quite a bit of vinegar depending on the concentration of lye. Its always best you use water to fully rinse off all residues of sodium hydroxide.
Another alternative between lye and baking soda is sodium carbonate, which can be made from baking soda. Place a layer on a baking sheet in the oven for an hour at 200F.
Weird, I just looked and can't find the recipe on their site, although I did find the sidebar about how to make sodium carbonate. So I guess they took it down or maybe I'm just not remembering correctly. Anyway I made them that way once and they were pretty good, but I thought they were still lacking compared to lye pretzels.
Mr. A. Brown did a pretzel episode where his 'lawyers' came out and made him stop using lye because it's dangerous. And I'm thinking to myself, if you aren't careful, the home kitchen is rife with dangers. You are using sharp knives, hot skillets, hot oil for frying, hot ovens, boiling water... I use lye in a much stronger concentration to make my own soap and say respect it but don't fear it. Maybe at the time lye was less common, but really wish he would have made the pretzels both ways and cut out a bunch of his shtick. Of course, now you have me wanting to make a batch of pretzel!
Cheater! Jk. 😂 Seriously though, that sounds like a plan. Throw in some beef kielbasa, properly cooked, with some good mustard and that will be a road trip I'd make.
Lye turns grease in to soap. (That's what traditional soap is, oils and lye) And with creating heat in water is why it works as a drain cleaner. It is what most drain cleaner products are made of. (A few others are made of acid)
I was going to make these last week. However, I tested my box of baking soda . . .and it needs to be replaced. I was also going to try them with sodium carbonate(made by "cooking" the sodium bicarbonate), which gives a pH inbetween baking soda and sodium hydroxide. Ive never used NaOH in the kitchen, but I do remember many chemistry labs, many years ago. Probably this weekend, however!
@@mariaroldan4200 In a 200 F oven for 1 hour, or in a skillet on the stove over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until it stops bubbling . The baking soda reacts, giving off water and carbon dioxide, and leaving behind the sodium carbonate.
I haven't checked the comments extensively but if you bake sodium bicarb it turns into sodium carbonate which has a pH of about 11.5. Not a bad substitute for NaOH - not readily available in small amounts.
Grandma and mom used lye for pretzels... changed to baking soda for safety reasons when I had kids of my own. Still use soda. Inagree... better "chew" with lye... but safer all around with soda. 😊
I have to say, I’ve never ever cut my pretzel like a bagel or put butter on it. Mustard and pretzel gets drawn and quartered all the way. Looks delicious and am tempted to order some lye now… 😅
I hope you'll try butter at least once. Pretzels and butter are a combination made in heaven! People in Germany commonly eat their pretzels with butter, often you can buy them already buttered in the store. If the thinner parts of the pretzel are crisp and brittle, just cut and butter the thicker parts.
I'm doing low carb with great results. Not eating pretzels is the hardest part. I love all pretzels. Best perk of my Sam's club membership is the $1 soft pretzels dipped in clarified butter. No... They aren't the best pretzels in the world but... $1.
Two comments from a German pharmacist: 1) A pretzel should have a variation in thickness, the bottom U shaped part being the thickest and getting thinner as you go outwards. Google the German word “Breze” for images. 2) Being nitpicky here but: The potency of an acid is measured as pKa. pH can only be measured in an aqueous solution :)
If a strong base takes up the proton, it becomes a (extremely weak) acid. So the pkA is used to describe the strength . But yeah it’s a little misleading :)
My lye pretzels never last longer than an hour. Everyone devours them immideatley. The dough is pretty hard on my stand mixer though. It gets really hot by the time the dough is done.
Pretzels are usually left to be done by the baker in Germany, but there's a bakery within 5 minutes anywhere in the country and they all have them, so I imagine maybe making your own is the way to go in the US.
I come from a German family, I speak German, and I grew up in the NYC/PHL/Cape May triangle, where the eating of pretzels is commonplace, because of the strong German influences in the region. I have never in my life ever heard of anyone slicing a pretzel in half and spreading it with butter. I eat my pretzels with mustard, like a good German girl.
Such a fun video! My grandmother used lye to make hominey -- my grandfather built a stone outdoor kitchen for this (along with other things that taste better made outdoors, like apple butter). As kids, we had to stay on the porch when the lye was in use though. My grandmother wore gloves, but would never have thought of wearing goggles. The trick was to be so very careful.
Is lye / NaOH used for bagels too? Also, there is also washing soda (sodium carbonate) which is more alkaline than baking soda. So maybe a good intermediate.
I bought some pretzel hot dog buns recently that were kind of disappointing. I might have to try my hand at making my own, but I'll probably go baking soda.
You're missing out. Lye pretzels have a unique taste and texture. I'm originally from Germany and my wonderful American husband tried surprise me, got the frozen pretzels. They're actually decent for what they are, but yeah, no, not even close to a German Brezel.
I feel as if I can smell those lovely looking treats. Yet, I am probably a viewer who will enjoy fresh baked pretzels when created by an experienced baker.😁!!! They look delicious, however.❤
Seems like soft pretzels are bagels that are just extra. Dough rope is twisted instead of ringed and dipped in a lye bath instead of boiling water. Like the little brother that keeps trying to outdo it's big brother.
Come to Philly. Go to Reading Terminal Market. Find a pretzel place. Say "yes" when they ask you if you want it brushed with butter. I wouldn't exactly call it life-changing, but it is very very good.
While I have enjoyed eating this type of pretzel in the past, now that I've seen this video, I probably will never eat them again or consider making them, knowing how they are made. It's not a bad thing. It's just a me thing. This was very interesting. Thank you.
Can you elaborate on why? Is it like, you feel like the lye makes the food un-food-like or something? Or what? Edit: I mean the “eating” part. I also am unlikely to try making these (though I would still be unlikely to make them even if it didn’t involve the lye, haha. Though, not *as* unlikely.)
I appreciate soft pretzels but not so much the crunchy snack version. What I don't get is the salt topping, particularly if you're going to dip the pretzles in mustard. I want to taste pretzel not salt.
Ahhhhhh! Watching episodes like this are an indescribable self-inflicted pain (I have a gluten intolerance 😅). But I wanted to say for my GF peoples I’ve done something similar but with cream of tartar and an almond flour dough. I’d love to know how cream of tartar stacks up to baking soda and lye.
I miss European cheese (since I immigrated to the US), so I watch a guy on RUclips making cheese. I can't, I don't have the necessary space ... it is pure masochism. So...gluten intolerant. You have my deepest sympathy.
I'm an ATK/cooks illustrated subscriber already and love it, but if you're going to reference a safety guide this heavily, maybe putting it behind a paywall isn't such a great idea.
Great video! Good German Brezen are just heavenly! The only challenge with the video is that even after living in the US for over 16 years I have never ever found good Weißwurst here. Never. Ever. For those I have to go back to my hometown of Munich, Germany. Which I luckily do frequently. Good Brezen (pretzels) are nowadays actually easier to find in the States. Good but not perfect. That’s at least some progress! 😃😃
Tip if you just have baking soda: cook the dry baking soda first to turn it into washing soda, which has a higher pH (~11) ✅
Yes! Baked baking soda pretzels are much closer to lye pretzels. Harold McGee has an article on it.
I was surprised Dan didn't mention baked baking soda, it's 1 simple extra step and gives you something that's still pretty safe but has lots more flavor
He mentions “dipping in a simmering baking soda solution” boiling it would work fine instead of baking it
@@finestitch9200he did mention baking soda at 2:15
@@bonvvvvbaking sodium bicarbonate converts it to sodium carbonate. A much higher pH substance. Which you then add to water and simmer.
Hot lye pretzels are a death row food for me. They're some of the best foods on earth. I am glad you showed the differences between baking soda and lye pretzels and how to properly dip a lye pretzel (15 seconds is what I do as well). Long sleeves and safety glasses are a must, that stuff is no joke and will burn. Remember Fight Club? So many pretzel videos are afraid to talk about lye, maybe because they're afraid of the lye-ability... but it's totally worth getting some and putting on the PPE.
Lye isn’t even all THAT bad as far as chemicals are concerned. Like, you DO NOT want to mess about with it, but, if I had a choice between dipping my finger in the boiling-hot baking soda mixture used by some people as an alternative to lye, and dipping my finger in a lukewarm lye solution- I’d chose the lye. Assuming you wash it off thoroughly afterwards, brief contact between your skin and a lye solution isn’t the end of the world. You biggest concern should be making sure you don’t get it in your eyes. -Proper PPE is a must obvs.
Chemicals are not to be feared- simply respected.
You should probably specify that the baking sheets must be steel, since lye is corrosive to aluminum (ie the soda can). I've stained some aluminum pans (Nordicware) that way, and now only use steel. Of course, the lye then eats through the seasoning on the pans and they can get rusty. I assume that's why you have the silicone mat, but it will certainly affect your drip station.
My G'Ma Hiltz used to make these, using lye. Now I know why I was always shooed out of her house whenever she made them. She was an amazing baker (and cook) and she used a wood stove for everything! She had no use for electric stoves, even the bath water was heated up on the wood stove. She did eventually let her children chip in to buy her a hot water heater one year and she was grateful for that. That wood stove was even used to heat the house in winter. As a kid, I loved spending every summer at her house. I was fascinated by her mangler washing machine too! I was so proud of her and loved her probably more than my own Mother. She was the hardest working woman I ever knew and so kind to boot. ❤
A wonderful memory that you kindly shared with us. You were lucky to have her!
@@TamarLitvot I was, but she wasn't around long enough 😢
Thanks for your kind words 😊
We’ve been making pretzels since I was young, and about 20 years ago someone explained to us why/how the lye was safe. We were grateful to know, but it didn’t change anything! We always have made them with lye, always will.
But we often eat them with ham and cheese (and a whole lot of homemade mustard).
Fun fact is that lye will etch Aluminum and dissolve it, so be sure to either line all aluminum cookware with parchment paper, or use stainless steel instead.
If you splash lye on yourself, immediately wipe down with vinegar, then run under water for 5min. Strong acids are neutralized by weak bases, and strong bases (such as lye) are neutralized by weak acids (like acetic acid/vinegar).
Having made both lye pretzels and baking soda pretzels, here's the major difference:
- BS pretzels are par-cooked on the outside and are a poor choice for loafs, but work fine for normal pretzels; they'll taste a bit saltier and more crispy. They benefit HEAVILY from brushed on butter.
- Lye pretzels can be any shape and turn out a lot more tender, they also have a stronger "pretzel" flavor and need a bit more sprinkled on salt.
BS pretzels are obviously way safer, but you can't do every type with this method. Lye solution can be brushed onto any kind of bread to "pretzel" the dough, which lets you do crazy things like pretzel croissants, buns or pizza dough. BS method is basically only good if you wan to make pretzel bread to snack on.
Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf - the lye safety page is behind a blocked pay wall. I was able to login as I am a member of ATK. The safety page should not be blocked.
When he cut it in half like a bagel, I felt my heart drop. Mostly because I had never even considered that. I always just ripped them apart and dunked. I am a sucker for a good cheese sauce with my pretzels.
Standard stuff in Germany. Cut it in half and butter it up or use different fillings. Also just eaten by itself.
Yes…same reaction. He caught me attention with that version! Wow!
It’s a Butterbrezel…the only way to improve it is with some chives and a slice of lachs (salmon) 😀
Saw that in a train station one time over there and decided to give it a shot, unbelievable. To be honest, and this may be heresy, some of the best food, doener, etc I had was in trainstations@@tomretan4491
I screamed out loud 😆
The perfect pretzel should get slimmer towards the knot and have a slit in the crust at the thickest part. I'm from the south of Germany and here you can get freshly baked perfect pretzels in some supermarkets for well under half a euro. Oh and we call it Breze(n) in Bavaria and love to eat it also with Obazda (when you try a good one, you will agree that it's a perfect match). Brezn are also a great snack for children that are picky eaters because everybody loves Brezn. Great video as always! 😃
Yea lye burns are no joke. It’s very facinating to learn about the science of how it works to make things taste good.
I have made 3 batches of these - all with baking soda. After the first batch I tweaked the recipe by subbing crisco for the butter and adding 2 TBSP of sugar. I found the original recipe to lack flavor but the sugar was all that they needed 🤤 I don't believe investing in lye is necessary at all. Also, the thicker the rope, the softer the pretzel. A thinner rope yields a crisper pretzel. I'm so glad I tried this recipe and will def be making them again - with crisco, sugar, and baking soda 😉🥨
Nice tips, especially about the sugar and thickness. Thanks.
Nothing needs sugar
@@lenabreijer1311 sounds like you do 🤣🤣
I don't think it's inherently a bad thing. But I agree this is a recipe where you shouldn't need it. Our taste buds and brain chemistry want it for sure. I do agree that the lye is not necessary. Baked baking soda works extremely well as a sub. I used it for bagel making in the same manner.
Thanks for the tips. I make my own soap so I usually have lye on hand. I'm going to try this eventually.
You ALWAYS have to put water first into that bowl an then the lye crystals. Otherwise the lye will explode on you and burn you really badly.
Lye Will not explode on water contact. But it can heat it enough to break the glass container. Another possibility is that it will not dissolve well and remain stuck to the bottom of the vessel
Bavarian Brezeln use water, Swabian Brezeln use milk. Both can benefit from adding 3% (of the flour weight) sugar and 2% diastic malt. On the swabian brezel, score rhe thick part with a laim.
If I remember correctly, there's also a difference in the amount of fat. 3% for Bavaria, 3-10% for Baden Wuerttemberg.
As someone who has started a toaster oven fire just making toast, I’m pretty sure this won’t be in my recipes to try category. It was really fun to watch though, and now I’ve got to find one of those (already made by someone who makes them without setting the neighborhood on fire) yummy pretzels 🥨 😋 🔥
Thx Dan!!
I found this when I left the PBS app searching for ATK. I've used lye but in boiling the pretzels. I've used Alton Brown's pretzel recipe (but modified from a baking soda bath to lye) I'm in the process of making KAF hoagie rolls, so I think I'll try your recipe. Originally from Philly, it's hard to find good pretzels like those in Philly. So I make my own. 😊
Whilst Interrailing in 2008, I took a train from Munich to Stuttgart. At some point in the journey, I went to the buffet car, and asked if they had any pretzels (Brezeln). No, I was told. When I looked idsappointed, I was told "You're not in Bayern any more." I like the implication that DB changes out its baked goods based on state. It's equally possible they'd run out and he was messing with a tourist.
On a minor etiquette point; for the avoidance of hypertension, the salt is often scratched off.
That's super weird, though. Brezeln are as commonplace in Baden Wuerttemberg as they are in Bavaria.
... that being said ... both Schwaben and Bayern can have a very dry sense of humor as well as a love for practical jokes. So, yes, it is possible you were pranked.
Try adding a couple grams of diastatic malt. I generally also use a darker beer instead of water. Might not change anything, but feels extra German 😂
For German pretzels you would roll out the dough so it gets thinner at both ends, you get crisper parts in the middle part of the pretzel like that. Mustard is actually not traditional, but butter and chives are and they are delicious as a topping
A Brezen to a Weißwurstfrühstück is about as traditionell as it can werden.
@@iQKyyR3K yes, in Bavaria. For the rest/majority of Germany... not so much.
@@idenpoelchau1656 who cares. Bretzels are Bavarian, so it has the cultural lead on that :p
A Brezen and also a Weißbier! @@iQKyyR3K
@@iQKyyR3Kall good but the Senf iss füa d' würschd und ned die Brezn
The link leads to a paywall! If you have access to the recipe, please post the weights of the ingredients.
He is so amazingly entertaining. The fact that he is so skilled is a great bonus.
He has a very quirky sense of humor for sure
And it doesn't hurt that he is very easy on the eyes.
He is a knock off Alton Brown without the personality or cooking knowledge.
This guy is to AB what Bam Margera is to Tom Green.
I helped work in a pretzel shop at a time many moons ago. I don't remember all the trade secrets but the one trick to learn was how to shape the pretzels. You essentially lifted it up, smacked the center on the counter and got it to spin around and then laid the ends down.
My brother did this once. It was enough to convince me to just always go to the baker. It's not cheap, but it's good and risk free
Agree!!!!!
As someone that bought a flamethrower to control weeds in my driveway... This is the perfect recipe for me.
I thought this 15 seconds into the video.
This is great info, Dan. Thanks! I made them once with regular AP flour, baking soda and kosher salt to top, and I was quite impressed with the outcome, but I can see how bread flour, compressed salt and lye would give it that quality finish. ❤
My brother used to make them this way, with the lye. He was so proud to do it this way.
I got my Hand caught in the Mixer, cut the tip off one finger cutting the dough, knocked my phone off the counter trying to trigger the Timer for the Lye Bath, then knocked the Lye off the counter and down the front of me trying to catch my phone which shattered the screen when it hit my Ceramic Tiles... I'm thinking those Frozen Pretzels might be for me. 😁
Another excellent episode!!!! What's Eating Dan is my favorite ATK series.
Thanks Dan. I basically knew this but your explanations are always so great. I loved the recipe methods. I bet some of those pretzel designs would go over great in Germany! Can’t wait to do it.
4:53 Now that you've learned to spin the dough, the next challenge is making lamian, Chinese pulled noodles. The gluten is developed by spinning the dough the same way. Then comes the hard part: Stretching the dough to the thinness of spaghetti.
This was so great! I have honestly been scared to use lye but this makes it feel much more approachable. I like the point about how all cooking has some level of danger to it. Thinking of this as similar to just being careful of a hot oven or a recently sharpened knife - and not, say, something that will blow up your kitchen and really make your landlord mad - makes this feel much more doable. And of course now I can't wait to smell a freshly baked real pretzel.
I wish Dan would run for president. I would vote for him.
5:35 omg the lye bottle 😂
Pretzels/Bagels: 1/2c | 10cups
_Aluminum Etching_ : 1/2c | 2cups
Dissolving a body: 5lbs | 1lbs fat
Oooh, this video makes me wish I had more counter space to set up a little science station!
(Just a thought for the ATK web team-you might consider removing the paywall from the lye safety guide article if you’re going to promote the method in free content.)
4:46 Me trying to tie shoelaces like
We had them every Sunday morning when I lived in Germany with butter cheese and schinken. Wunderbar!!!
I've been using lye for years (using an NYT recipe) but have had issues with wet lye-pockets on the undersides that have to be cut out or else getting mild chemical burns while eating. Not a great time! I'm guessing it's because I haven't been draining them on a rack, so I guess it's finally time to buy a nice wire rack.
Damn, looks so good. Pretzels are something that's never really on my radar, but now I'm either going to make this or buy one from the next legit place I see that bakes them fresh and traditionally.
I WAS going to try this until I shopped food grade Lye. IMO, too expensive for an occasional baking project. I'll stick to using baking soda that's already in my pantry...
Thank you Dan for the lesson and Andrea for the time & effort on her research. I always enjoy watching what you share💞
Many years ago I was tasked with making some lye dipped pretzel bits. I thought a couple layers of latex and vinyl kitchen gloves would be fiiiiiine for protection. Nope. DO NOT skimp on the glove thickness!
How thick?
@@9Godslayer think those yellow dishwashing gloves.
I use nitrile gloves when I make pretzels and they work fine. I think it’s more about the material the gloves are made from than the thickness, but I would say if you’re really worried about it use dishwashing gloves. Also, if you get the solution on you, you can neutralize the burning by pouring vinegar on it. Works like a charm.
@@GwynneDearI mean you can use vinegar but it's a really dilute solution of weak acid so you would need quite a bit of vinegar depending on the concentration of lye. Its always best you use water to fully rinse off all residues of sodium hydroxide.
Then why oh why does anyone feel it’s safe for consumption???
Thank you for your service.
Another alternative between lye and baking soda is sodium carbonate, which can be made from baking soda. Place a layer on a baking sheet in the oven for an hour at 200F.
If I recall, CI actually did a recipe like this.
@@russb24 So did Adam Ragusea
@@EvanRustMakes Yeah but I just thought Dan might have mentioned the CI one since he works for them.
@@russb24 Yup! Just adding some more sources if anyone's interested. Both videos are great.
Weird, I just looked and can't find the recipe on their site, although I did find the sidebar about how to make sodium carbonate. So I guess they took it down or maybe I'm just not remembering correctly. Anyway I made them that way once and they were pretty good, but I thought they were still lacking compared to lye pretzels.
Mr. A. Brown did a pretzel episode where his 'lawyers' came out and made him stop using lye because it's dangerous. And I'm thinking to myself, if you aren't careful, the home kitchen is rife with dangers. You are using sharp knives, hot skillets, hot oil for frying, hot ovens, boiling water... I use lye in a much stronger concentration to make my own soap and say respect it but don't fear it. Maybe at the time lye was less common, but really wish he would have made the pretzels both ways and cut out a bunch of his shtick. Of course, now you have me wanting to make a batch of pretzel!
Okay, I think it's time for a trip to the local Pennsylvania Dutch market. I won't be able to stop thinking about these pretzels now.
They’re a little different, but equally delicious!
Cheater! Jk. 😂 Seriously though, that sounds like a plan. Throw in some beef kielbasa, properly cooked, with some good mustard and that will be a road trip I'd make.
Lye turns grease in to soap. (That's what traditional soap is, oils and lye) And with creating heat in water is why it works as a drain cleaner. It is what most drain cleaner products are made of. (A few others are made of acid)
I was going to make these last week. However, I tested my box of baking soda . . .and it needs to be replaced. I was also going to try them with sodium carbonate(made by "cooking" the sodium bicarbonate), which gives a pH inbetween baking soda and sodium hydroxide. Ive never used NaOH in the kitchen, but I do remember many chemistry labs, many years ago. Probably this weekend, however!
How do you cook it?
@@mariaroldan4200 In a 200 F oven for 1 hour, or in a skillet on the stove over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until it stops bubbling . The baking soda reacts, giving off water and carbon dioxide, and leaving behind the sodium carbonate.
in philly growing up we'd cut them in half & put deli ham & cheese on the still warm philly soft pretzels. ...don't forget the spicy brown mustard.
Loved the presentation for the chemistry and the pun.
I've been on team baking soda for years. Not sure about trying lye, but it sure does sound fun!
Fantastic video! Interesting and super informative. That said…that looks like a lot of trouble for some pretzels!
Awesome episode. I want pretzels
I haven't checked the comments extensively but if you bake sodium bicarb it turns into sodium carbonate which has a pH of about 11.5. Not a bad substitute for NaOH - not readily available in small amounts.
Grandma and mom used lye for pretzels... changed to baking soda for safety reasons when I had kids of my own. Still use soda. Inagree... better "chew" with lye... but safer all around with soda. 😊
I was an analytic development chemist in my younger days. I used NaOH on a daily basis. It's less scary than a hot pan.
I have to say, I’ve never ever cut my pretzel like a bagel or put butter on it. Mustard and pretzel gets drawn and quartered all the way. Looks delicious and am tempted to order some lye now… 😅
I hope you'll try butter at least once. Pretzels and butter are a combination made in heaven! People in Germany commonly eat their pretzels with butter, often you can buy them already buttered in the store. If the thinner parts of the pretzel are crisp and brittle, just cut and butter the thicker parts.
Sweet mustard, Weißwürst, Hefeweizen and Brezen.
The ideal Bavarian breakfast for a heavy day of drinking.
This is the first I've heard someone mention this since I saw the episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown years back.
Lye is the best for cleaning baked on carbon and grease on nonaluminum and glass cook and bakeware.
I just was mentioning these to people at lunch in the work cafeteria.. Nice one!
I'm doing low carb with great results. Not eating pretzels is the hardest part.
I love all pretzels. Best perk of my Sam's club membership is the $1 soft pretzels dipped in clarified butter.
No... They aren't the best pretzels in the world but... $1.
Two comments from a German pharmacist:
1) A pretzel should have a variation in thickness, the bottom U shaped part being the thickest and getting thinner as you go outwards. Google the German word “Breze” for images.
2) Being nitpicky here but: The potency of an acid is measured as pKa. pH can only be measured in an aqueous solution :)
Yes, and a slit in the thick part. Sooo good!
Being picky here, but lye is not an acid, it's a base.
If a strong base takes up the proton, it becomes a (extremely weak) acid. So the pkA is used to describe the strength . But yeah it’s a little misleading :)
You can also cook out the water from baking soda to make sodium hydroxide, which isn't as alkaline as lye.
So glad im living in Germany and get these at a bakery
Terrific video! Thanks for sharing putting butter inside a pretzel...I never heard of that. ☝
My Dad used to make soft pretzels. He told me there was poison in them. As a six year old it confused me.
Till now! Lol! Thanks.
We used to get lye burns every day at a bakery I worked at 😢 so fun. But the pretzels were delicious!
such wonderful informative videos. Share with the ATK content creaters that are phoning it in.... Professional, fun and eagerly waited for....
My mom used a lye solution to make bread and butter pickles. They were so good.
This was so fun to watch 🤣
Great vid. My favorite pretzels are the very hard ones like the Snyder's sourdough. I can't find any directions on these. Why is that?
Important distinction is to use “food grade” lye so that you know there aren’t unsafe contaminants getting into/onto your pretzels.
My lye pretzels never last longer than an hour. Everyone devours them immideatley. The dough is pretty hard on my stand mixer though. It gets really hot by the time the dough is done.
Mine are the same way. I also wrap hotdogs in the pretzel dough and then dip the whole thing in the lye. You get the BEST pretzel dogs this way.
Try a bread machine. :)
@@jenntuomala6259I have both. Bread machine not strong enough. I’d stick with a kitchen aide.
Heat the baking soda in a pot beforehand. Turns it from sodium bicarbonates to sodium carbonate. Higher pH. Same end product as cooking with Lye.
yes! Lye. of course.
This is amazing. No way I would make these, but I love the know how.
Pretzels are usually left to be done by the baker in Germany, but there's a bakery within 5 minutes anywhere in the country and they all have them, so I imagine maybe making your own is the way to go in the US.
I come from a German family, I speak German, and I grew up in the NYC/PHL/Cape May triangle, where the eating of pretzels is commonplace, because of the strong German influences in the region. I have never in my life ever heard of anyone slicing a pretzel in half and spreading it with butter. I eat my pretzels with mustard, like a good German girl.
Just google for Schnittlauch Butterbrezel or just Butterbrezel. It's really common in Germany actually.
Was glaubst woher das Wort Butterbrezen kommt?
Such a fun video! My grandmother used lye to make hominey -- my grandfather built a stone outdoor kitchen for this (along with other things that taste better made outdoors, like apple butter). As kids, we had to stay on the porch when the lye was in use though. My grandmother wore gloves, but would never have thought of wearing goggles. The trick was to be so very careful.
Holy crap hes right. Pretzels smell like pretzels. You can close your eyes and pick it out easily
Is lye / NaOH used for bagels too? Also, there is also washing soda (sodium carbonate) which is more alkaline than baking soda. So maybe a good intermediate.
I bought some pretzel hot dog buns recently that were kind of disappointing. I might have to try my hand at making my own, but I'll probably go baking soda.
I make sure with frozen store bought pretzels. 2 pretzels in one minute in the microwave. Even comes with a packet of pretzel salt.
You're missing out. Lye pretzels have a unique taste and texture.
I'm originally from Germany and my wonderful American husband tried surprise me, got the frozen pretzels. They're actually decent for what they are, but yeah, no, not even close to a German Brezel.
Thanks Dan. Nothing better than a great pretzel.
I love learning things I never knew about the food I eat. LYE. Without rinsing. WHO KNEW???
I’m not gonna lye! Those look great!
Team Lye!!! Dan the Man inspires me again! 🙂
100% going with lye! I use food grade to make soap anyway.
I feel as if I can smell those lovely looking treats. Yet, I am probably a viewer who will enjoy fresh baked pretzels when created by an experienced baker.😁!!! They look delicious, however.❤
Seems like soft pretzels are bagels that are just extra. Dough rope is twisted instead of ringed and dipped in a lye bath instead of boiling water. Like the little brother that keeps trying to outdo it's big brother.
I have never seen a buttered pretzel, and I’m from NYC! How have I missed this? I always went for the spicy mustard at the street carts
Come to Philly. Go to Reading Terminal Market. Find a pretzel place. Say "yes" when they ask you if you want it brushed with butter. I wouldn't exactly call it life-changing, but it is very very good.
While I have enjoyed eating this type of pretzel in the past, now that I've seen this video, I probably will never eat them again or consider making them, knowing how they are made. It's not a bad thing. It's just a me thing. This was very interesting. Thank you.
Can you elaborate on why? Is it like, you feel like the lye makes the food un-food-like or something? Or what?
Edit: I mean the “eating” part. I also am unlikely to try making these (though I would still be unlikely to make them even if it didn’t involve the lye, haha. Though, not *as* unlikely.)
I appreciate soft pretzels but not so much the crunchy snack version.
What I don't get is the salt topping, particularly if you're going to dip the pretzles in mustard. I want to taste pretzel not salt.
Ahhhhhh! Watching episodes like this are an indescribable self-inflicted pain (I have a gluten intolerance 😅). But I wanted to say for my GF peoples I’ve done something similar but with cream of tartar and an almond flour dough. I’d love to know how cream of tartar stacks up to baking soda and lye.
I miss European cheese (since I immigrated to the US), so I watch a guy on RUclips making cheese. I can't, I don't have the necessary space ... it is pure masochism.
So...gluten intolerant. You have my deepest sympathy.
I want to try this recipe. I make my own soap, so I have no problems with using lye.
I'll make them using baking soda. While watching your video I sooo wanted a pretzel 🤤
YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LYE!! 😂
I always wondered who the first person was to say "Let's drop this in lye, it's going to make a great pretzel" 🥨
Zaddy Dan shouldn't risk his life, we can't survive without him.
I like soaking pretzels for 30 seconds, in 3.8% lye solution. I use 45 seconds if I want darker colour.
The cut pretzel in half like a sandwich bread sold me on going "lye"
I'm an ATK/cooks illustrated subscriber already and love it, but if you're going to reference a safety guide this heavily, maybe putting it behind a paywall isn't such a great idea.
Great video! Good German Brezen are just heavenly!
The only challenge with the video is that even after living in the US for over 16 years I have never ever found good Weißwurst here. Never. Ever.
For those I have to go back to my hometown of Munich, Germany. Which I luckily do frequently.
Good Brezen (pretzels) are nowadays actually easier to find in the States. Good but not perfect. That’s at least some progress! 😃😃
I did not know that. But I have used lye for making soap.