Pretzels have been with us for centuries. Opinions differ about the pretzel’s origin, as well as the origin of the name. Some assume that the Catholic Church played a leading role in the early history of the pretzel because pretzels, made of a simple mixture of water, flour and salt, were an ideal food to consume during Lent, when all types of meat, dairy and eggs were prohibited.

Pretzels are usually parboiled in a mixture of water and baking soda that gives them their traditional skin and flavor. First time I made pretzels in the traditional way, but I found them too chewy. Since then I leave out this step and just simply bake the pretzels.

However, if you want to follow tradition, before baking add 50 grams / 1/4 cup of baking soda to a large pot of water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side, then place them on baking sheets.