German vs American Pretzels

by Barry Lewis

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

German Pretzels

Bread flour – 500 g
Warm water – 250 ml
Instant yeast – 7 g
Unsalted butter (softened) – 40 g
Fine salt – 1 ½ tsp
Honey or dark brown sugar – 1 tbsp
Black treacle – ½–1 tsp
Instant coffee – ¼ tsp (optional)
Bicarbonate of soda – 130 g per litre of water (about 190 g for 1.5 litres)
Coarse salt – for sprinkling

American Soft Pretzels

Strong white flour – 500 g
Warm water – 240 ml
Whole milk – 60 ml
Instant yeast – 7 g
Soft brown sugar – 2 tbsp
Unsalted butter (melted) – 80 g + extra for brushing
Fine salt – 1 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda – 75 g
Coarse salt or cinnamon sugar – for topping

Obatzda

Camembert – 200 g
Unsalted butter – 100 g
Sweet paprika – ½ tsp
Salt – pinch
Black pepper – pinch
Mild beer – 1–2 tbsp

Nacho Cheese Sauce (Red Leicester)

Red Leicester – 200 g
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Plain flour – 1 tbsp
Milk – 250 ml
Mustard powder – ½ tsp
Cayenne – pinch
Salt – to taste

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German vs American Pretzels

If you’ve ever looked at a German pretzel and an American soft pretzel and thought they were twins separated at birth, trust me, they’re not. Making them side by side showed me just how wildly different they are despite sharing the same twisty shape. One is basically a proud Bavarian with a stein of beer and a firm handshake; the other is a buttery mall snack that wants to take you to a theme park. You can watch the full video above or click here to watch it on YouTube if you prefer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD5nTSGjlyA

What Makes Them Different

The whole thing comes down to how you treat the dough. Germans traditionally dip theirs in lye, sodium hydroxide, which has an extremely high pH that instantly darkens the crust and gives that iconic glossy, chewy skin. I’m not going anywhere near lye in my kitchen unless I suddenly fancy dissolving my fingerprints, so I used a strong bicarbonate of soda bath instead. It’s the safe, home-friendly version of the same idea: raise the pH on the dough’s surface so the crust browns faster and develops that slightly bitter pretzel tang.
American pretzels, meanwhile, go the other direction. They use a softer dough, enriched with milk and butter, and only get a light bicarb dip. They puff up sweet, soft and golden, and then the Americans go absolutely feral with melted butter. Brush it, dunk it, roll it in cinnamon sugar, dunk it again. Everything is softer, sweeter and far more indulgent.

German Pretzels: Method

Make your dough, knead it smooth and firm, and let it rest briefly. Roll each piece into long ropes with a fat centre and thin arms, twist them into pretzels and place them uncovered in the fridge overnight. This dries the surface and builds flavour. Next day, simmer your bicarbonate of soda solution, dip each chilled pretzel for about twenty to twenty-five seconds, let them drip and air-dry for a moment, then optionally brush them with a tiny bit of extra dissolved bicarb for maximum colour. Bake hot to start, then finish at a slightly lower heat until deep brown and shiny. Serve with butter spread inside, wholegrain mustard, Obatzda or your favourite Bavarian-style dips.

American Soft Pretzels: Method

Mix your dough with milk, butter and sugar, knead it until soft and elastic, then let it rise for an hour until doubled. Roll each piece into even-thickness ropes and twist into pretzels. Dip them for twenty seconds in a milder bicarbonate solution, bake until puffed and golden, then immediately brush with plenty of melted butter. For savoury, sprinkle coarse salt; for sweet, roll the buttered pretzels in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm with yellow mustard or nacho cheese sauce.

Obatzda: Method

Mash softened Camembert and butter until mostly smooth but still rustic. Mix in paprika, salt and pepper, then stir in a splash of beer to loosen. Chill slightly and serve with pretzels, mustard and whatever beer you’ve got lying about.

Nacho Cheese Sauce: Method

Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in milk until thick and smooth, then stir in grated Red Leicester until melted. Add mustard powder, cayenne and salt to taste and keep warm so it stays silky. Perfect for dunking soft pretzels.

Serving Them the Traditional Way

German pretzels are never dipped in melted butter. Instead, you slice them horizontally and spread butter inside for a Butterbrezel. Tearing chunks off and dipping them into wholegrain mustard or Obatzda is also completely standard. They’re built for beer halls and taste like they belong there. American pretzels are pure comfort. Brush them with butter, dunk them in cheese sauce, roll them in cinnamon sugar, go big or go home. Even when you salt them heavily, there’s still a natural sweetness from the milk and butter in the dough.

Final Thoughts

After tasting both back to back, the German pretzels were far more savoury with a slight bitterness and tang from the alkaline dip, plus that tough glossy skin that just works with beer, mustard and butter. The American ones stayed sweeter even with all the butter I threw at them, and the cinnamon sugar version was incredible. Same shape, completely different personalities. This was a fun one to test.
For more American comfort food experiments, here’s me trying US cornbread and chilli: https://barrylewis.net/recipe/british-guy-tries-classic-american-chili-and-cornbread/
And if you want to read more about the traditional lye method, here’s a useful external link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye_roll

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