Help with Bretzels Please - Hilfe mit Bretzeln Bitte!!

Brian Lighthouse

Hello,
Urgent help required for large batch of Bretzels due Thursday June 4.

Lighthouse Beag and myself are trying to make Bretzels for her final school project. We have tried a few recipes with varying degrees of success, but, finally yesterday we used one that gave us the proper product from the oven in taste and appearance.
However, when the Bretzels cooled down they became soft and rubbery and the pieces of rock salt had dissolved into the bretzel itself. The Bretzels became damp.

Could any of you guys point out where we went wrong for the possible issues listed below? We'll have another try this afternoon.

Possible issues:
1, We didn't use warm milk with the yeast at the very beginning and the dough hadn't proved properly.

2, The recipe calls for the German type 550 flour and we used plain flour - which AFAIK is the closest type to each other.

3, The recipe calls for a cold oven and we put it into a hot oven - reason recipe said Gas 4 (220C) - Two majorly different temperatures there like - so we tried a batch in each - first batch at Gas 4 - not hot enough. Second batch at Gas 6/7 good result but not a cold oven. But would that account for the dampness and rubberyness that developed?

4, The recipe asks for the bretzels to be formed, stood for 15mins, then stood in the fridge for 1 hour. Then simmered in Baking soda and water for 30 secs, then placed on a greased baking tray, sprinkle with rock salt and bake in a cold oven at 220C - Could there be something wrong with this instruction? I think there's a huge amount of temperature changing going on there.

Here's the recipe:
500g flour Type 550 - Plain flour used
300ml Milk
1tsp - salt
1 tsp sugar
1 dice of yeast - 1pack of dried yeast used
40 g of schmalz/fat - Margarine used

Mix yeast sugar and some milk - let stand 15mins
Mix all to elastic dough
prove for 30mins
knead cut 16 or so pieces
roll and shape
stand for 15mins
stand in fridge for 1hr
boil 1ltr water with 3Tblsp baking soda
drop bretzel in until it swims
On greased tray - the liquid destroys backing paper
sprinkle
cold oven 220c

Okay, Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance
Brian

Dizzyblonde

I think your main issue is with the flour. Plain flour isn't suitable at all, it's used for cakes and biscuits and pie dough. What you need is strong white flour, that's the one used with yeast for bread-type doughs. You'll find it in any supermarket.

huskerdu

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I think your main issue is with the flour. Plain flour isn't suitable at all, it's used for cakes and biscuits and pie dough. What you need is strong white flour, that's the one used with yeast for bread-type doughs. You'll find it in any supermarket.

Definitely agree.

Also, I have never heard of yeast bread going into a cold oven.
You always heat the oven. I have made bagels which are a very similar technique. Try 200C.

Brian Lighthouse

Thanks for the replies.
Strong white Flour, we'll try it. 200C we'll try it.

Also on the oven - I never heard of something going into a cold oven either - Sort of defies logic when you think what ovens have developed from.
But there could be a reason, that's why I was asking: "4, The recipe asks for the bretzels to be formed, stood for 15mins, then stood in the fridge for 1 hour. Then simmered in Baking soda and water for 30 secs, then placed on a greased baking tray, sprinkle with rock salt and bake in a cold oven at 220C - Could there be something wrong with this instruction? I think there's a huge amount of temperature changing going on there."

We'll try it out and let you know.

Tree

I'd guess that chilling the dough before their dip in boiling alkali is to stop them getting heated all the way through and potentially upsetting the yeast. The yeast needs to have a final spurt in the oven to expand.

Brian Lighthouse

Thanks Tree,
Makes a lot of sense.

Update: Used strong flour and halfway between Gas 6 and 7.
Turned out a treat.
Now we must wait to see if they get damp and rubbery - Although the current indications are that they will remain crispy. They are a little bigger than I had expected. They are for all intents and purposes "fat" or "chubby" bretzels. Taste and appearance are excellent.
Brought two to some friends this evening and they disappeared in seconds.
So all's good

PS - I didn't knead them by hand this time, I used the bread machine dough selection. Which kneads it for a full half hour before heating slightly to prove. Had forgotten about it and pulled it out from under the stairs - in fact I'll be using that function when I bake with yeast again.

Thanks for all the advice
Brian

UPDATE: They were rubbery and damp-ish this morning. I've no idea why. Made one huge one as a display (from dough left over from last night) and bought the rest in Lidl. Disappointing, but had to be done. Our ones tasted better than the Lidl ones - Not joking!!.

UPDATE NO 2: Lidl's bretzels were rubbery and damp this morning. So we must have nailed the recipe. Anyone interested the above recipe works but product should be eaten fresh. Thanks for all the help.