Homemade giant pretzel
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The idea of creating a homemade giant pretzel, perfect for an appetizer with friends, was born on a particularly warm spring day. As I was expecting an afternoon with high temperatures, I decided that for this occasion I would prepare a cold aappetizer with different kind of cheese, olives, fruit, vegetables, and sauces. I decided that a perfect kind of bread for this occasion shoul be a pretzel.
The idea of making a giant pretzel popped in my head like in cartoons: the light bulb just appeared and I thought “why not?”. This pretzel need to be served so that everyone could tear or cut out a piece. The pretzel itself is salty, not too soft and covered with the typical golden crust. It is ideal for a fun, vegetarian and delicious appetizer.
Homemade giant pretzel
Ingredients
- 180 ml warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 400 g all-purpose flour
- 1,5 tsp salt
- 2 generous tbsp olive oil
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- dark sesame seeds or poppy seeds for garnish
- cheese of different kinds and textures, sauses, fruits, veggies, nuts
Instructions
Instructions for giant pretzel
- For this recipe and with this preparation I used delicious sauces that I kindly received from Cavazza. The sauces which I paired with pretzel are: red onion compote, pear and ginger chutney with cinnamon, tomato and coconut chutney.
- In a bowl mix 180 ml of warm water with active dry yeast, honey and sugar. Set aside until it becomes foamy (about 5 minutes).
- In a bowl put flour with salt and 2 tablespoons of oil. Begin to knead and add water and yeast mixture. Knead until all the ingredients are combined.
- Knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes. The dough is quite hard but work it patiently until it becomes elastic. Put it in a bowl and cover it with a cotton cloth. Place it in a warm place and let it rise until it doubles its volume, about 2 hours.
- The rising times are approximate, it can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the environment, the freshness of the yeast, the strength of the flour and other factors not related to the recipe.
- Deflate the dough and place it on a work surface. Stretch it with your hands until you create a cord about 80 cm long. Create the classic pretzel shape and set aside.
How to cook a pretzel
- Pour 6 glasses of water into a pan large enough to hold the pretzel. As soon as it begins to boil, add baking soda. Stir and wait 1 minute for the water to stop foaming. Add your pretzel and cook for 30 seconds, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Move the pretzel over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and sprinkle with salt and black sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Let it rest for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Cook your pretzel for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving with cheese, sauces, nuts, fruit and veggies to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
lot of love. B.
If you liked this recipe maybe you would also like: Soft beer pretzel
Recipe notes
This recipe comes from the collaboration with Cavazza a company specializing in the production of fruit compotes, traditional Italian fruity mustards, chutney, and high quality juices.
