Bread Alone

Christians in the Roman Empire made a special biscuit during Lent consisting of flour, salt, and water (since fat, eggs, and milk were forbidden during the fast). In honor of the season, they shaped it in the form of two arms crossed in prayer. They called the biscuit "little arms" (bracellae). In German, the word became "brezel" or "prezel," from which comes our word "pretzel." The oldest known picture of a pretzel may be seen in a manuscript from the fifth century in the Vatican. In cities and towns of Germany, Austria, and Poland, during Lent, you bought your pretzels on the street from a vendor called the (Brezelmann) and ate them for lunch, together with a stein of mild, home-brewed beer. In Poland they ate their pretzels in beer soup.

Pretzel Recipe

2 pkg yeast (2 1/2 tsp) 1 1/2 cups water 4 cups flour 1 tsp sugar
1 egg 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup coarse salt
Mix 2 packages of yeast with 1 1/2 cups of warm water and add 4 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar. Mix, turn out on a floured surface, punch down, then fold. Repeat punch/fold 10-20 times. Make 6-8 small balls. Roll and shape. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Put in preheated 425 degree F oven. Bake 12 minutes.