NEWS:
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Hundreds of thousands celebrate “Democracy and Diversity†in Berlin and Stuttgart.Â
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Production increased by a quarter in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023Â
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The two world champions lead the German team at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris.Â
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For the first time in 30 years, the world’s largest meeting on HIV and AIDS is being held in Germany. Chancellor Scholz opens the conference.Â
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On 20th July, marked the 80th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on citizens to stand up for democracy.Â
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Immigrants applying for German citizenship told DW of their disillusionment with the country, thanks to its tortuous bureaucracy. The experience is only likely to get worse as more people apply.
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The Mendelssohn-Remise, which preserves the legacy of the family of Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, as well as Jewish history in the German capital, could soon close.
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- UNESCO names Germany’s Schwerin Castle a World Heritage Site (DW)
Schwerin Castle and parts of the historic city center survived World War II without bomb damage. It is now one of over 50 places in Germany listed as a World Heritage Site.
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- Paris Olympics: Lukas Märtens wins gold, Germany’s first (DW)
Lukas Märtens has won gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle in the pool at the Summer Games. This is Germany’s first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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THIS N’ THAT:Â
With the on-going monsoon, nothing is more welcome than a freshly-baked warm German Pretzel or ‘brezen’!
In Germany, these are served with mustard or cream cheese but feel free to customize them to fit into your evening tea!
Ingredients:
Pretzel Dough:
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 15 grams brown sugar
- 30 grams butter room temperature
- 10 grams sea salt
- 4 grams active dry yeast ½ pouch
- 275 milliliters water luke warm
Lye Solution:
- 12 grams food-grade lye (You could also use baking soda instead of lye)
- 300 milliliters water Cold water
Topping:
- pretzel salt or Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Stir together the luke warm water, brown sugar and yeast and allow to bubble up.
- Sift together the flour and salt, and add in the butter and the bubbly yeast mixture. Knead the dough on the low setting for 8 to 10 minutes using the dough hook.
- Cover the dough with a piece of wax paper (or a clean linen towel) and let it rest for 5 minutes. Start weighing out 80 gram pieces of dough. Roll each piece of dough into little hot dog bun shapes and cover them with wax paper (or a clean linen towel). No need to let them rest.
- Now it’s time to shape your pretzels. No flouring the surface is needed. In fact, if your hands ever get to dry, keep some olive oil close to oil your hands with. You will have both hands on hot dog bun shaped pretzel dough with the long side horizontal towards your body. You will start pulling dough with your thumbs towards the ends of the dough piece, making the ends tapered, while keeping a bigger “belly†in the middle of the dough piece, about 2.5 feet in length (75 cm). You will then cross over the ends at the middle and attach them to the belly. Make sure you stretch them out a little bit before you let them rest.Â
- Transfer the pretzels on sheets of wax paper or silicone baking mats and cover with a clean linen towel, and let them rest for about 30 minutes. Then stretch each pretzel out a little more after the dough has relaxed. Refrigerate or freeze them for 30 minutes.
- Prepare your lye solution in a well-ventilated area because of potential fumes. Add the premeasured lye (it comes in dry granules) into cold water, not the over way around. Then carefully combine with a whisk until the solution is clear. Now dip the par-frozen pretzels using a steel skimmer for 5 to 10 seconds each before transferring onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat with a steel skimmer.
- In case you are substituting the lye, with baking soda, click the link to check the notes!
- Sprinkle with the pretzel or kosher salt. You could also add shredded cheese or seeds onto the pretzels instead of the salt.
- Bake at 355° Fahrenheit or 180° Celsius for about 12 minutes or until golden brown (rotate them after 6 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes before enjoying on their own, with butter or a Bavarian cheese spread!
Recipe Credits: https://dirndlkitchen.com/german-pretzel-recipe/Â