How to make Lenten pretzels

Measure out one cup of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of granulated sugar, and 1/4 of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix these ingredients into the yeast and warm water mixture. As you stir, the dough will begin to amass into flaky pieces. Continue mixing until the dough sticks together in one mass.Measure out 3/8 of a cup of warm water. If you prefer not to wait for warm water from the faucet, cool water can be quickly heated in fifteen to twenty seconds in the microwave, depending on the power of your microwave oven. Whisk one teaspoon of yeast into the warm water. Continue whisking until the yeast dissolves.Begin by gathering the necessary ingredients to make your pretzels. You will need warm water, yeast, sugar, flour, grated Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, and an egg. You would not find yeast, cheese, or eggs in the earliest pretzels, but these ingredients will make a flavorful treat for a twenty-first century Christian.View the list »
Pretzels are a traditional Lenten snack.

General Religion newsletter

For early Christians, it was customary to abstain from meat, milk, butter, eggs, cream, and cheese during Lent. Fasting was common; Lenten worshipers typically consumed one meal during the day, with small snacks permitted as necessary. Due to these restrictions, observers of Lent needed a snack that contained none of the prohibited ingredients. And so came the pretzel.

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Legend has it that pretzels were invented by a European monk in the 7th century CE. As the story goes, the monk was preparing a special unleavened bread recipe for Lent, using only the simple ingredients of flour, water, and salt. He took the leftover scraps of dough and formed them into the shape of arms folded across one's chest, which was the posture of prayer at the time. Some believe that the monk gave these snacks, called "pretiolae" (meaning "little rewards" in Latin), to children as a treat for reciting their prayers. Others believe that the snacks were called "bracellae" (meaning "little arms" in Latin), named for the symbolism of arms folded in prayer. In this version of the etymology of the word "pretzel," the name "bracellae" became "bretzel" when translated into German, which became the English word "pretzel."

From their inception, pretzels have been connected with the Christian season of Lent. Enjoy a pretzel this Lent, a tasty reminder of prayer in a prayerful church season. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own Lenten pretzels.

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  • Begin by gathering the necessary ingredients to make your pretzels. You will need warm water, yeast, sugar, flour, grated Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, and an egg. You would not find yeast, cheese, or eggs in the earliest pretzels, but these ingredients will make a flavorful treat for a twenty-first century Christian.
  • Measure out 3/8 of a cup of warm water. If you prefer not to wait for warm water from the faucet, cool water can be quickly heated in fifteen to twenty seconds in the microwave, depending on the power of your microwave oven. Whisk one teaspoon of yeast into the warm water. Continue whisking until the yeast dissolves.
  • Measure out one cup of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of granulated sugar, and 1/4 of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix these ingredients into the yeast and warm water mixture. As you stir, the dough will begin to amass into flaky pieces. Continue mixing until the dough sticks together in one mass.
  • Remove the mass of pretzel dough from your mixing bowl and place it on a non-stick or floured pastry mat. Knead the pretzel dough with your hands into one smooth loaf. Place the dough in the center of your pastry mat and, using a table knife, cut the it into eight equal pieces.
  • Put aside seven of the pieces of dough and place the eighth in the center of your pastry mat. Roll this piece of dough out with your hands into a long, skinny rope. A ten to twelve inch strip of dough is a good size to work with. Repeat with the seven remaining strips of dough.
  • Carefully fold each rope of dough into a pretzel shape, imitating the form of arms folded across the chest in prayer. A simple way to do this is to fold the rope of dough in half. The midpoint of the rope will be the bottom center of the pretzel. Keeping the midpoint steady, fold each arm of the rope down, crossing them over each other. Place each folded pretzel onto a non-stick or greased baking sheet.
  • Beat an egg in a small dish. Using a basting brush or other suitable utensil, brush a thin layer of beaten egg over each pretzel. This egg glaze will give your pretzels their caramel color. You will likely have extra beaten egg remaining, which can be saved for future use if kept in an airtight refrigerated container for not more than a day or two. Following the egg glaze, grind fresh rock salt or sprinkle coarse salt over the pretzels.
  • Place your baking sheet of prepared pretzels into an oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the pretzels for fifteen minutes. When they are ready, the pretzels will have a golden brown color from the egg glaze, remaining paler in areas where the glaze was not applied. Using an oven mitt or potholder, remove your pretzels from the oven.
  • As you wait for your pretzels to cool enough to eat, let them remind you of the long history of Lenten observances, from monks baking special Lenten bread to your own practices today. Remember the importance of prayer in this, and in all, seasons. Say a prayer and enjoy your Lenten pretzels!
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, Virginia Beach Religious Holidays & Festivals Examiner

Alison Kowalski graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a bachelor of arts in religious studies. She is a lifelong resident of Virginia Beach. Send Alison a message.

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