German bakers crack cardamom pods by hand because pre-ground loses 80% of its oils within 6 months.
New Year's Pretzels with Vanilla Sugar
Kickstart your New Year's morning with these irresistibly fluffy pretzels, bursting with sweet vanilla sugar! Freshly baked to golden perfection, each bite is lovingly brushed with melted butter and rolled in a sugary coating that tempts your taste buds. Make this delightful tradition a highlight of your breakfast table!
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
15
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
These twisted beauties trace back to 7th century Alpine monasteries where German monks shaped dough into arms crossed in prayer—but Bavaria's bakers went rogue in the 1800s, ditching the religious solemnity for New Year's celebrations and stuffing them with vanilla sugar like edible party favors that would make those pious monks absolutely spin in their graves.
Regional Twist
In Bavaria's Franconia region, they replace the vanilla pod with locally-grown Bamberg cardamom and brush the finished pretzels with Franconian apple brandy instead of plain melted butter for proper New Year's fire.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 piece egg
- 250 ml milk
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- cardamom seeds (to taste)
- 100 g cold butter
- fresh yeast (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- sugar (to taste)
- vanilla pod (to taste)
- 475 g wheat flour
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix flour, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, crumble in the yeast, and add 45 g of sugar. Mix with some milk to create a pre-dough and let it rest covered for about 15 minutes until small bubbles form.
- 2
Add the egg and remaining milk. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth, then add the butter in small pieces and knead for another 8-10 minutes. If the dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- 3
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and mix with 60 g of sugar. Melt 60 g of butter.
- 4
Knead the dough again. Roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle of 30x60 cm. Brush one half (30x30 cm) with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar. Fold the other half over and roll out slightly with a rolling pin if necessary.
- 5
Cut into 2 cm wide strips, twist into cords, and shape into 15 pretzels. Place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- 6
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Bake the pretzels for 12-15 minutes (one sheet at a time). Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, brush with the remaining melted butter, and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Activate your yeast at exactly 37-40°C milk temperature because enzymes work optimally here, but test by dropping milk on your wrist - it should feel neutral, not warm or cool.technique37-40°C
- ✓Knead the enriched dough for exactly 16-18 minutes total (8+8-10) to develop gluten networks that can support the high fat content from 100g butter without breaking.timing16-18 minutes total
- ✓Add cold butter in 20g pieces during the second kneading phase because gradual incorporation prevents the fat from coating flour proteins and inhibiting gluten development.technique20g pieces
- ✓Roll your dough to exactly 30x60cm dimensions because this 1:2 ratio ensures even vanilla sugar distribution when folded and creates uniform 2cm strips for consistent pretzel sizing.technique30x60cm, 1:2 ratio
- ✓Bake at 220°C for 12-15 minutes one sheet at a time because overcrowding reduces oven spring by 15-20% due to steam competition and uneven heat circulation.timing220°C, 12-15 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
15
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
German bakers crack cardamom pods by hand because pre-ground loses 80% of its oils within 6 months.
New Year's Pretzels with Vanilla Sugar
Kickstart your New Year's morning with these irresistibly fluffy pretzels, bursting with sweet vanilla sugar! Freshly baked to golden perfection, each bite is lovingly brushed with melted butter and rolled in a sugary coating that tempts your taste buds. Make this delightful tradition a highlight of your breakfast table!
The Story
These twisted beauties trace back to 7th century Alpine monasteries where German monks shaped dough into arms crossed in prayer—but Bavaria's bakers went rogue in the 1800s, ditching the religious solemnity for New Year's celebrations and stuffing them with vanilla sugar like edible party favors that would make those pious monks absolutely spin in their graves.
Regional Twist
In Bavaria's Franconia region, they replace the vanilla pod with locally-grown Bamberg cardamom and brush the finished pretzels with Franconian apple brandy instead of plain melted butter for proper New Year's fire.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 piece egg
- 250 ml milk
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- cardamom seeds (to taste)
- 100 g cold butter
- fresh yeast (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- sugar (to taste)
- vanilla pod (to taste)
- 475 g wheat flour
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix flour, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, crumble in the yeast, and add 45 g of sugar. Mix with some milk to create a pre-dough and let it rest covered for about 15 minutes until small bubbles form.
- 2
Add the egg and remaining milk. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth, then add the butter in small pieces and knead for another 8-10 minutes. If the dough is still too sticky, add a little more flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- 3
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and mix with 60 g of sugar. Melt 60 g of butter.
- 4
Knead the dough again. Roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle of 30x60 cm. Brush one half (30x30 cm) with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar. Fold the other half over and roll out slightly with a rolling pin if necessary.
- 5
Cut into 2 cm wide strips, twist into cords, and shape into 15 pretzels. Place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- 6
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Bake the pretzels for 12-15 minutes (one sheet at a time). Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, brush with the remaining melted butter, and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Activate your yeast at exactly 37-40°C milk temperature because enzymes work optimally here, but test by dropping milk on your wrist - it should feel neutral, not warm or cool.technique37-40°C
- ✓Knead the enriched dough for exactly 16-18 minutes total (8+8-10) to develop gluten networks that can support the high fat content from 100g butter without breaking.timing16-18 minutes total
- ✓Add cold butter in 20g pieces during the second kneading phase because gradual incorporation prevents the fat from coating flour proteins and inhibiting gluten development.technique20g pieces
- ✓Roll your dough to exactly 30x60cm dimensions because this 1:2 ratio ensures even vanilla sugar distribution when folded and creates uniform 2cm strips for consistent pretzel sizing.technique30x60cm, 1:2 ratio
- ✓Bake at 220°C for 12-15 minutes one sheet at a time because overcrowding reduces oven spring by 15-20% due to steam competition and uneven heat circulation.timing220°C, 12-15 minutes