Eggless Neujahrspretzel / New Year Pretzel

Even though I started the New Year with a nice note and started taking part in group challenges, there were some problems with my internet connection. My 3G data card started behaving weird. It worked when others used it but whenever I sat before my PC, it stopped working. I tried and tried a lot to post this but after a week of struggling with the data card, I just stopped trying. Till now hubby is clueless why it is not working for me. I think my data card doesn’t want me to blog!!!! Today surprisingly it is working and I am not going to waste a single second….

This month’s Baking Partners Challenge started by Swathi was hosted by Swetha of Tasty Curry Leaf suggested two recipes – one sweet and the other savoury. This recipe looked so nice and so I selected it. This New Year Pretzel is a sweet bread usually glazed and topped with almonds. This pretzel is popular in European countries especially Germany. Consuming a slice of this pretzel at 12 am on New Year is said to bring good luck through out the year. This pretzel is baked as a large loaf than individual servings.

The original recipe used 6-7 cups of flour. I just couldn’t imagine baking such a huge pretzel as my oven is not that large. So I did some calculations and came up with 1/3rd of the recipe and I should say that it was perfect for my oven. If you want individual serving size pretzels then you can divide the dough into 6 equal portions and shape each into a pretzel. And at the last minute I found that there was no almond in my fridge. So I used pistachios. If you have almonds then go for it. Blanch it, remove skin and slice it. Then toast it in oven until slightly brown and then use it as the topping. The pretzel was so soft and tasted absolutely delicious when still warm. The next day however it hardens a little but a minute or two in microwave will make it fresh and warm and yumm…

Recipe Source: Pittsburg Magazine

Makes one pretzel which fits 13″ * 9″ tray

Ingredients:

For the Pretzel:

Milk-2/3 cup

Butter-1/6 cup

Sugar-1/6 cup

Instant Yeast-1 tsp

Flour-2 1/2 cups

Salt-1 tsp

Curd-1/6 cup

For The Glaze and Topping:

Icing Sugar-3/4 cup

Vanilla Essence-1/2 tsp

Milk-2-3 tsp

Sliced Pistachios / Almonds – 2 tbs

Procedure:

In a bowl mix together milk, butter and sugar and heat it.

When the butter is half melt, remove from stove and bring it back to warm.

By the time the butter will fully melt in the remaining heat.

Now in a large bowl add 2 cups of flour, salt, instant yeast, curd and the warm milk mixture.

Mix to form a sticky dough.

Take it onto the counter and add 1/2 cup flour and start kneading.

Dust with more flour if it is very sticky. But if it is slightly stick, then stop adding flour.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is soft, elastic and passes the window pane test.

Oil a bowl and place the dough inside.

Cover with a cling wrap and allow it to double. It may take between 30 minutes to 60 minutes depending upon the freshness of your yeast and the temperature of your place.

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

Press the doubled dough to remove air.

Roll it into a rope thick in the middle and thin at the sides.

Shape it into a pretzel and carefully place it on the greased baking tray. No need to wait for the pretzel to double. Once shaped it goes into oven.

Apply a coat of milk using a pastry brush all over the pretzel and bake it in oven for 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

Remove from oven and carefully transfer it on a wire rack.

Mix together icing sugar, vanilla essence and teaspoons of milk until you get the glazing consistency.

With the help of a spoon drizzle the top of pretzel with the glaze and immediately decorate it with sliced nuts. The glaze dries very fast so you need to work fast with the topping otherwise the nuts will not stick to the glaze.

When warm, slice it and serve.

Eggless Neujahrs Pretzel / New Year Pretzel

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

For the Pretzel

• Milk-2/3 cup
• Butter-1/6 cup
• Sugar-1/6 cup
• Instant Yeast-1 tsp
• Flour-2 1/2 cups
• Salt-1 tsp
• Curd-1/6 cup

For The Glaze and Topping

• Icing Sugar-3/4 cup
• Vanilla Essence-1/2 tsp
• Milk-2-3 tsp
• Sliced Pistachios / Almonds - 2 tbs

Instructions

 

Procedure

• In a bowl mix together milk, butter and sugar and heat it.
• When the butter is half melt, remove from stove and bring it back to warm.
• By the time the butter will fully melt in the remaining heat.
• Now in a large bowl add 2 cups of flour, salt, instant yeast, curd and the warm milk mixture.
• Mix to form a sticky dough.
• Take it onto the counter and add 1/2 cup flour and start kneading.
• Dust with more flour if it is very sticky. But if it is slightly stick, then stop adding flour.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is soft, elastic and passes the window pane test.
• Oil a bowl and place the dough inside.
• Cover with a cling wrap and allow it to double. It may take between 30 minutes to 60 minutes depending upon the freshness of your yeast and the temperature of your place.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C.
• Press the doubled dough to remove air.
• Roll it into a rope thick in the middle and thin at the sides.
• Shape it into a pretzel and carefully place it on the greased baking tray. No need to wait for the pretzel to double. Once shaped it goes into oven.
• Apply a coat of milk using a pastry brush all over the pretzel and bake it in oven for 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
• Remove from oven and carefully transfer it on a wire rack.
• Mix together icing sugar, vanilla essence and teaspoons of milk until you get the glazing consistency.
• With the help of a spoon drizzle the top of pretzel with the glaze and immediately decorate it with sliced nuts. The glaze dries very fast so you need to work fast with the topping otherwise the nuts will not stick to the glaze.
• When warm, slice it and serve.