Laugenbrötchen    (Laugen Rolls)

For safety purposes, our pretzel recipes use Baking Soda in place of the "Natronlauge", which, if not used properly, can be very dangerous.

4 3/4 cups Bread Flour

1 package dry yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup luke warm water

4 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 tablespoons coarse salt

Caraway Seeds, optional

Create a "starter" by mixing water, yeast, and 3-4 tablespoons of flour. The consistency of the Starter should be like a watery pancake batter. Let sit for 15 minutes. Small bubbles should begin to form. This shows that the yeast is alive.

To the Starter, add the remaining flour and salt. Knead until dough is smooth and soft. If dough is too dry, add a little bit more liquid. Likewise, if dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.

Let dough rest, covered and in a warm place, until it is double in size.

Knead dough one more time to remove all air bubbles that formed during the rising period. Divide dough into equal 3 ounce pieces. Form each dough piece into mini rolls. Let rolls rest for 15 minutes, covered and in a warm place.

While the rolls are resting, prepare the soda water. Do this by combining the baking soda, water, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

Drop each roll in the hot soda water. As soon as it rises to the surface, remove it from the soda water and place it on a baking sheet. Repeat this step for each roll.

Sprinkle rolls with coarse salt and, optionally, caraway seeds. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes in a 425°F (220°C) oven.