Comments on: This Chemical Makes German Pretzels Chewy and Golden Brown | America’s Test Kitchen

By: @DrAlwaysFirst

@DrAlwaysFirst — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

First

By: @joachimschranzhofer5566

@joachimschranzhofer5566 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

Oh, and do you know how the Brezel got its shape? The story goes like this: A swabian baker was in debt and asked the devil for help. The devil said: ok, I‘ll cover your debt when you bake me something that the sun can shine through three times. If you can’t, your soul is mine. And this is how the Brezel got its shape.

By: @chadburnside6333

@chadburnside6333 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

We've been making pretzels this way for years in our bakery. Some hints though
1. The lye will eat through aluminum so don't use aluminum pans or utensils that will come into direct contact with the lye or lye-dipped pretzels. Put some drops of the lye water on some tin foil to see what I mean.
2. Use either stainless steel or glass bowl for mixing and holding the lye water. We found that our plastic containers developed many cracks after using them.
3. Wear gloves like they did. Just wash your hands off if you get something on you though
4. The silicone mat is the key! We found they tend to stick to parchment paper but never to silicone. We take them directly from the lye water and straight to the sheet pan with the silicone liner. Then into the oven ASAP. Letting them sit too long before baking will alter the look and feel of the exterior
5. If you don't have pretzel salt, kosher salt will work in a pinch. Don't use table salt.
6. There will be some slightly noxious fumes that come off the water as you're mixing it. Don't lean over the bowl as you're mixing the lye into the water. The fumes are usually gone in about 30 seconds.

Great video! So many people don't know how to get that real pretzel flavor!

By: @troygregory2874

@troygregory2874 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

She said “like a NASTY teenager!”
😂😂😂

By: @caitlindunnington5711

@caitlindunnington5711 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

The thumbnail says Malliard reaction, it's the Maillard reaction. Hope you guys can fix it!

By: @emmasdilemma258

@emmasdilemma258 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

Trust me, they slammed every single drop of those beers.

By: @mdbbox5660

@mdbbox5660 — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

Lye is the truth! Best stuff for pretzels.

By: @jeffluci

@jeffluci — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

You should NEVER use a sodium hydroxide solution in a glass container. A strong base will dissolve the glass to form silicates. This is why your glass bowl feels slippery when you cleaned it out. Silicates are soluble, and will be deposited on your food. PLEASE advise your viewers to use plastic containers when working with sodium hydroxide. Even better, take down and reproduce this video using proper techniques. And for the love of all that is holy, please don't grab another person when you have caustic solution all over your gloves! (I'm a PhD chemist and professor. So, this isn't just Googling knowledge.)

By: @AraCarrano

@AraCarrano — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

Or stop by Lidl and wait for a fresh batch from the bakery.

By: @ByronScottJones

@ByronScottJones — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:50:56 +0000

ATK – please start adding metric to your measurements. It would make it useful to a wider audience. 😊