Recipe // Laugen Rolls & Pretzels (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in laugen buns? ›

WHEAT flour, water, rapeseed oil, yeast, fermented WHEAT flour, salt, malt flour (WHEAT), gluten (WHEAT), acidity regulator (sodium hydroxide), flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid).

The pretzel buns get a water bath in a solution made from water and baked baking soda - this gives them that signature pretzel taste. Egg wash and score.

Lye has a pH of around 13 whereas baking soda has a pH of around 8. This extra alkalinity accelerates the Maillard reaction, allowing that caramelization to develop on the exterior of the pretzels. That ultra-deep color and slightly crispy, crunchy exterior crust is only made possible with lye.

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains. It can even dissolve glass.

The pretzel, known as "Brezel" in German, is a type of baked bread product that is typically twisted into a distinctive knot-like shape. Its origin is often attributed to Germany, specifically to the region of Bavaria, although its precise beginnings are somewhat debated.

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns.

But it's the distinctive "pretzel" flavor that makes this bread extraordinary. That comes from dipping the shaped dough in an alkaline solution — traditionally a small amount of food-grade lye dissolved in water — before baking.

Pretzel buns are different to regular bread because they are boiled in a baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and water solution before being baked in a hot oven. The baking soda/water combo helps to give the pretzels their golden brown, crispy crust and signature chewy texture.

Well, the cheery ladies were very clear with me: they do NOT use lye. No sodium hydroxide/poison/caustic soda—none whatsoever—in their pretzels. (They do, however, dip their pretzels in a baking soda solution.)

Where to Buy Food-Grade Lye. Food-grade lye isn't something you'll find at most grocery stores, but it's readily available on Amazon and sometimes at specialty baking retailers or restaurant supply stores.

Why do you boil the pretzels in baking soda and water? ›

Furthermore, we've introduced the baking soda bath. While it sounds strange, this step is what gives pretzels that iconic flavor, chewy texture, helps deepen their golden color in the oven, and locks in the super soft interior.

The popular toppings of authentic bavarian pretzels are:

Sesame, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin or caraway seeds, cheese sauce and bacon bits. Bavarians especially enjoy their pretzels in the late morning with Weißwürst, sweet mustard, and a Beer.

Unlike their American counterpart, Bavarian pretzels pack a denser, chewier inside and a darker, crispier outside. And there's a certain "tang" to the Bavarian-style pretzel that sets it apart from other soft pretzels. But best of all, it doesn't need to be dipped in cheese or drenched in butter to taste delicious!

Choices include Cheese, Hot Salsa Cheese, Sweet Glaze, Caramel, Honey Mustard, Marinara, and Light Cream Cheese.

For Quick Buns

In a stand mixer with a dough hook, add sourdough starter, warm water, all purpose flour, melted butter or coconut oil, honey, egg, and salt. Knead for 5-10 minutes with dough hook. Roll into eight balls and place about two inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Ingredient Statement: Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley), Water, Sugar, Yeast, Butter, Milk Powder, Contains less than 2% of each of the following: Wheat Gluten, Salt, Corn Flour, Soybean Oil, Spices (Turmeric and Paprika), Natural Flavor, Cultured Wheat Flour, Vinegar, Dextrose, Guar Gum, Enzyme, Ascorbic Acid, Corn ...

The Ingredients

Cream cheese– Softened and full fat. Eggs– Two eggs will be used in the dough and the other will be whisked and brushed on top of the buns, to create a shiny brown crust! Almond flour– You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Baking powder– Gives the buns a little stability and structure.

Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough. Made with a mix of flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil, the bao is a tad sweeter than its closely related cousin, the dumpling.