Monday, February 17, 2014

pretzels


If you make pretzels and put a dent in them then you can celebrate Pretzel Dent Day deliciously. 

*gets coat, sees self out * 

The baker who invented pretzels with lye was demented. 

He was cleaning with a solution of lye and dropped a batch of pretzels in it, somehow, that's the story, hard to imagine, maybe one pretzel, and baked it anyway, marveled at the darkened color and increased crunch, dared himself to eat it, ate it, and did not die. Apparently, the lye is altered to harmlessness by high heat. 

A small amount of baking soda in the dough changes it completely and it darkens evenly brown when baked. I haven't tried dunking pretzels in a strong baking soda solution, but after making steamed buns with yeast and addition of baking soda or baking powder, I have no doubt it will work as well if not better. 

That both baking soda and baking powder worked the same in both trials suggests the pH is being jacked with and that is the thing affecting it, not necessarily acid or necessarily base, either one will do, or both as with baking powder, that is, a touch of vinegar might even do the same or similar thing. I haven't tried that.

6 comments:

chickelit said...

Apparently, the lye is altered to harmlessness by high heat.

Yeast gives off CO2

CO2 is a Lewis acid and may quench the lye:

CO2 + NaOH --> NaCO3H

NaCO3H is baking soda!

The browning may be an enhanced Maillard Reaction.

Just guessing -- don't quote me on either.

ricpic said...

So is this a pretzel insufficiently baked? Cause it doesn't have that inviting brownness.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I use a mixture of water and baking soda to pre poach my soft pretzels right before baking them.

After the shaped pretzels have risen.... Combine 6 cups water with 6 tbsp baking soda. Bring to a simmer in a stainless or enamel pan. NOT aluminum! Lower one pretzel into the water with a spatula and cook for 10 seconds on each side. Like bagels. Remove from water and drain on a rack. Place on greased baking sheet and sprinkle with salt while still just slightly moist. Repeat for the rest of the pretzels.

Bake

It gives the pretzels a nice shiny brown coating and that distinctive flavor you expect from a pretzel.

Michael Haz said...

Thanks, Chip (and CL); now I need to put on warm clothing, appropriate footwear, a winter hat and matching gloves, and drive my car on snowy roads so I can go to the nearest mall and buy a pretzel. Dang it!

deborah said...

"Pretzel Dent Day"

And don't let the screen door hit you on the way out.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Looking up "These pretzels are Making Me thirsty" I found this...

The episode was written by Larry David and Bill Masters; it was directed by Tom Cherones. The idea for the Woody Allen story came from David's experiences working with Allen; he briefly appeared in Radio Days (1987) and New York Stories (1989). He would later appear in a lead role in Whatever Works (2009). Seinfeld recently admitted that this is his least favorite episode, saying it made him feel uncomfortable.

Plot...

Jerry's car is stolen and he has a conversation with the thief (voiced by Larry David) on the car phone. George takes a job moving cars from one side of the street to the other (covering Sid's shifts whilst he travels to visit his sick nephew) to comply with alternate side parking regulations, in which he does a predictably shoddy job. Elaine cares for her 66-year-old boyfriend, who has had a stroke just before she was about to break up with him. Kramer gets a line in a Woody Allen film, "These pretzels are making me thirsty!" All four of the main characters use the line at least once during the episode, further popularizing the expression.