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a basket filled with pretzel bagels
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5 from 3 votes

Pretzel Bagels (Brezelbagels)

Pretzel bagels is the combination of my popular German pretzel recipe and my authentic bagel recipe and oh, they're addictive (I love ANYTHING pretzel)! These bagels are the perfect way to make breakfast special with a German twist on an American classic breakfast item. Brezelbagels (how I would call them in German) would also be a great companion for an Oktoberfest-inspired brunch served with a heaping portion of my Obatzda cheese spread.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Proofing Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, German
Keyword: Authentic Bagel Recipe, Baking Pretzels in the USA, German Baking Recipe for Oktoberfest
Servings: 8 bagels
Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

Brezel Bagel Dough

Lye Solution (For Dipping)

  • 500 milliliter cold water
  • 50 grams lye

Toppings

  • 1 egg white
  • pretzel salt Mix it up and use seeds, cheese or anything else your mind can come up with! One of my favorite combinations is pretzels and sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Instructions

Make the Brezel Bagel Dough

  • Combine yeast, warm water and brown sugar in a small bowl and allow to sit and bubble up for 5 to 10 minutes.Add remaining ingredients and knead either by hand or using a dough hook attachment of your mixer for about 7 minutes. You should have a smooth and elastic dough. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled in size about an hour. If your oven has a proofing mode, set it to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which should reduce the proofing time to 30 minutes.
    500 grams all purpose flour, 7 grams active dry yeast, 15 grams brown sugar, 30 grams butter, 10 grams salt, 275 milliliter water

Shape the Bagels

  • Roll the dough into a log and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12 inch log, overlap the ends, and place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover air tight and allow to rest for either 30 minutes or ideally overnight in your fridge (the ladder helps develop better texture and deeper flavor of the dough).

Boil the Bagels

  • Bring a large pot of water to a simmering boil. Using a skimmer, lower the bagels into the boiling water and boil for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, using your skimmer to help you flip your bagels (the longer the bagel boils, the chewier the texture will be). Don’t boil more bagels than will fit the surface of your pot. You will work in batches. Remove the bagels using a skimmer and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, leaving an inch between the bagels, as they will rise some more during the baking process.

Dip the Bagels in Lye

  • Add the cold water for the lye solution to a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add the lye and whisk until completely dissolved. Carefully, using a skimmer, dip the bagels, one after the other, in the lye solution, for about 10 seconds each. Transfer back to the parchment paper.
    500 milliliter cold water, 50 grams lye

Egg Wash & Top Your Bagels

  • Beat together an egg white with some cold water and brush the surface of the boiled bagels with it. This will help the bagels appear shiny once baked and will double as a glue to hold your toppings. Sprinkle or roll your bagels in the pumpkin seeds (feel free to use any other topping of choice instead or in addition).
    1 egg white, pretzel salt

Bake Your Bagels

  • Turn your oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit on the convection setting and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Obatzda cheese for an Oktoberfest-style brunch.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg