Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had an amazing time welcoming 2013 last night. I found a recipe for a German new year’s pretzel that is supposed to bring good luck throughout the year. We used the pretzel loaf for French toast this morning— fingers crossed we ate enough.
German New year’s Pretzel from America’s Test Kitchen
Makes 2 large loaves
Dough
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/3 cup warmed water (110 Degrees)
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6-6 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mace (I used nutmeg)
1 large egg for eggwash
Glaze
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
pinch salt
1. For the dough: Whisk milk, eggs, water, and melted butter together in liquid measuring cup. Combine 6 cups flour, granulated sugar, yeast, salt, and mace in stand mixer fitted with dough hook. With mixer on low speed, slowly add milk mixture and let dough come together, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes dough seems very sticky, add remaining 1/2 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom.
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball. Place dough in large, lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn doug hout onto lightly floured counter, divide into two equal pieces, and cover with greased plastic. Roll one piece of dough into 36-inch rope, about 1 1/4 inches thick, then transfer to prepared baking sheet and shape into large pretzel following photos. Repeat with remaining piece of dough.
5. cover pretzels with greased plastic and let rise in warm place until nearly doubled in size and dough barely springs back when poked with knuckle, 45-75 minutes.
6. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush pretzels with egg mixture and bake until deep golden brown and centers of pretzels register 200 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Let pretzels cool on baking sheets for 15 minutes.
7. For the glaze: whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, almond extract (if using ), and salt together in bowl. Brush glaze evenly over warm pretzels. Transfer glazed pretzels to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
Follow me on Twitter @Pilots_Daughter
