Delicious Honey Mustard Pretzel Recipe | Skip To My Lou (2024)

FAQs

What kind of mustard is best for pretzels? ›

Dijon mustard or a spicy brown mustard are the typical go-tos, as they add an extra kick to your pretzel snack. However, you can also get the best of both worlds by choosing a cheesy mustard dip. All you need is spicy brown mustard, a cheese spread, and Worcestershire sauce.

Pretzel-making remained concentrated in Pennsylvania, even after emerging as a national snack in the 1960s. The practice of spreading mustard on soft pretzels is traced to the fact that pretzels were commonly sold by hot dog vendors, who were already offering mustard.

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.

Classic pretzels are simply flavored with salt, though you can easily liven them up with garlic, cinnamon sugar, nuts and seeds, chocolate, or other additions. Pretzels are often served with mustard, cheese, or yogurt dipping sauces.

Given Oktoberfest was in full swing at the time, the conversation naturally shifted to German foods and beer. To my surprise, I learned that Germans don't typically eat their pretzels with mustard like Americans. Instead, they largely reserve the condiment to meats, and in particular sausages.

The answer lies in a brief dip in an alkaline water bath before baking. This bath essentially gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel, preventing it from fully “springing” during baking (as bread does) and giving pretzels their signature chewy crust. It also gives them their unique and indelible “pretzel” flavor.

Salt is the most common seasoning, or topping, for pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional skin and flavor acquired through the Maillard reaction. Other toppings are mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, sweet glazing, seeds, and nuts.

In Bavaria's world-famous beer gardens, pretzels are also enjoyed with obatzda, a strong, cheesy dip made with butter, hot paprika, and Camembert. Frankfurt is home to a milder, creamier version known as schneegestöber, also enjoyed with pretzels and glasses of sour flat apple cider named apfelwein.

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.

What is the secret ingredient in pretzels? ›

According to King Arthur Baking, lye and caustic sodas are used in the process of baking pretzels because lye's reaction to the pretzels, much like baking soda, gives them that chewy texture, light interior, and brown crust.

The area roughly considered to constitute the Pretzel Belt, identified with Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Pennsylvania in general produces 80% of the pretzels consumed in the United States, with many of the top producers located in York County alone.

Bad Snack 4: Pretzels

“While this salty treat can be low in fat, they hold no redeeming nutritional value whatsoever,” Grotto says. “In a side-by-side comparison, 1 ounce of pretzels raised blood sugar higher than 1 ounce of potato chips.”

For already-made pretzels, top with a mixture of melted butter, diced garlic, parsley, and parmesan cheese. If you're making your own, you can stuff them with mozzarella cheese, cook, and then top them with the garlic butter! Some people create pretzel logs around string cheese, while others opt for shredded cheese.

This style sources seeds with a yellow hue, which boasts a distinct spiced flavor that makes American mustard relatively standard. Conversely, German mustards utilize varying mustard types, include a broad range of additional ingredients, and comprise indeterminate textures.

The level of heat in a given mustard is directly related to the specific type of seed used. Yellow mustard seeds (also called white) are the mildest, while brown and black seeds much hotter and more pungent. That said, the liquid used to moisten those seeds and bind the mustard also has a large impact on its pungency.