Good Friday Pretzels Praying Hands

I love reading about the history of food. While searching for Good Friday foods, I came across this write up on Pretzels and decided to bake some instead of the usual Hot Cross Buns that I bake every year.

The pretzel’s history starts in the Middle Ages, when Italian monks created them as rewards for children learning their prayers. These early pretzels were soft and called “pretiola,” meaning “little rewards”. The most popular story is that an Italian monk in the 6th century created pretzels as a reward for his students, shaping the dough to resemble crossed arms in prayer. German immigrants brought pretzels to the United States, and they became a popular snack, particularly in Pennsylvania, according to the Heinz History Center.

They became a common Lenten food due to their simple ingredients (flour, water, and salt), which allowed consumption during periods of fasting and abstinence from meat, dairy, and eggs. The pretzel’s shape, resembling arms crossed in prayer, also symbolized the spiritual focus of Lent.

The simplicity of water, salt, and flour suggested commitment and attention, not least also prayer. A pretzel for Lent! It will keep us sober, committed, and attentive.

Read more about the Pretzel story here https://www.invermerebakery.com/the-pretzel-story

The Recipe: Makes 4

For The Dough:

11/4 cups wheat flour

2 large garlic cloves, crushed to a smooth paste

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp brown sugar

3.5gms instant yeast Yeast

1/2 cup very warm water

For the Soda Wash:

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 tbsp baking soda

For The Topping:

vegetable oil for greasing the baking tray

Himalayan salt for sprinkling

½ tbsp olive oil

Sesame seeds for sprinkling on top

Method:

Mix the dough ingredients by hand with a wooden spatula. Knead with dough hook in a stand mixer on medium low for 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky, but should not stick to your hands. Place the dough in a ziploc bag and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Celcius /450 degrees F, and brush baking paper with olive oil.

Remove the dough from the bag and place onto a clean board. Divide the dough into 4 (I weighed it on a scale and each piece was 67 gms).

Whisk the warm water and baking soda and boil on gas stove for a minute.

Roll each piece into a long rope, and shape each one into a pretzel.

See the link below on how to shape pretzels. It’s pretty easy when you know how.

Small Batch Soft Pretzels

You could also watch this video to see how it’s done.

Dip each pretzel into the soda wash and place onto the greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, then let them rest for 10 minutes. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown. Rest for 15 minutes in the oven and then have them for tea.

Original Recipe from https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/hot-buttered-fluffy-pretzels-2-0-the-100-whole-wheat-version-and-a-giveaway/

A million thanks to everyone who so kindly share their recipes and videos on Google for people like me to learn this.