Laugenbrot, also known as pretzel buns in English, is a typical bread from South Tyrol, also found in Austria and Germany. They are soft buns with a dark, crunchy crust with a slightly salty taste obtained by boiling them in a mixture of water and baking soda before baking. Then in the oven, the magic happens. While they initially remain light, towards the end of baking, the part that was in contact with the water and baking soda mixture darkens, creating these delicious and scenic buns.
They come in various shapes, from the classic round to loaves, but also braids and snail-shaped buns. In short, let your imagination run wild! Always keep in mind that only the part in contact with the water and baking soda mixture will darken, so make any cuts only after boiling them, to create this scenic effect.
Laugenbrot is often found topped with salt, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, or poppy seeds.
They are great to eat as they are, or filled with cold cuts, but also try them spread with butter and sprinkled with chives… divine!
For the preparation of these Laugen buns, I used La Forte flour from Molino Merano, which is a semi-wholemeal spelt flour, as well as type 00 soft wheat flour n. 4, also from Molino Merano.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups semi-wholemeal spelt flour (Molino Merano)
- 1 1/2 cups type 00 soft wheat flour (Molino Merano)
- 1.06 oz ADAM sourdough (Molino Merano)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup water (warm)
- 3 1/2 tbsp milk (warm)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter (soft)
- 2 l water
- 3 1/2 oz baking soda
- to taste coarse salt
Steps
To prepare the Laugenbrot, place the spelt flour, soft wheat flour, ADAM sourdough, and sugar in a bowl and mix. Add warm water and milk and start kneading. After a while, add the salt. Knead until you get a homogeneous dough. At this point, add the soft butter in cubes, a little at a time. Knead again until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can knead by hand or with a stand mixer.
Form a ball with the dough and let it rise covered, in a warm place, until doubled. It will take about 2-2.5 hours.
When the dough has doubled in volume, divide it into 10 equal pieces and form a ball with each one, pulling gently towards the back of the dough to pinch it, so that the surface remains nice and smooth. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly with your hands.
You can also make loaves, in which case flatten the piece of dough a bit with your hands and roll it along the length. Then, with the help of your hands, roll it on the work surface to form a loaf about 8 inches long.
Let rise covered, in a warm place, for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (fan).
Bring the water to a boil along with the baking soda in a large pot. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum. Immerse the buns, a few at a time, and leave them submerged for 1 minute, turning them halfway through cooking.
Remove from the water with a skimmer and place on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
After boiling all the Laugenbrote, make a cross incision on the surface of the round buns and lengthwise incisions on the loaves, with a sharp knife.
Sprinkle the surface with coarse salt to taste. This step is optional.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes, until they have reached their characteristic color. This magic happens only towards the end of cooking, so don’t worry if they stay “pale” for a long time.
Remove from the oven and let cool or enjoy your Laugenbrote while still warm.
Tip
Laugenbrote can be easily frozen in food bags.
