The Best Pretzel Recipe Ever is from 1111 AD | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History

Not gonna lye - we're pretty excited about this one! Sohla's celebrating Oktoberfest by recreating the original pretzel recipe from medieval Bavaria. Put on your lederhosen, grab a stein, and learn the strange religious history of our favorite salty snack.

THE RECIPE

For the pretzel dough:
2/3-1 cup of Beer Barm
3 cups of whole wheat flour
3/4 cups of water
1 1/2 tsps of salt
2-3 tbsps of softened butter

For the pretzel topping:
2 tsps pretzel salt

For serving:
Melted butter

1. Mix together the flour, salt, softened butter & beer barm until you form a shaggy mass.
2. Knead the dough until it is consistent & fail smooth. It should be a little sticky. If it seems dry, add a little more water.
3. Cover the dough & let it rise for 45 minutes.
4. Uncover the dough & cut it in half. Gently flatten the dough to disperse the gases.
5. Roll the dough into a long rope about 1” thick making sure to apply pressure outwards & not down.
6. Place the dough rope in a U-shape facing away from you on the table. Twist the ends & folds them back onto the thick part of the rope to form the pretzel.
7. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly & gently add the pretzels. Boil for 45 seconds before removing.
8. Make a slash about 1/4” deep on the bottom of the pretzel. Add the pretzel salt while it is still wet.
9. Preheat a seasoned baking stone in the oven to 450 degrees.
10. Add the pretzels to the baking stone & cook for about 15 minutes.
11. Take the pretzels out and brush with melted butter.

Ancient Recipes with Sohla takes the food you know and love and traces it back to its origins. In each episode, Sohla El-Waylly details the surprising history of some of our favorite dishes as she attempts to recreate the original version using historical cooking techniques and ingredients. Along the way, Sohla highlights the differences between the ancient recipe and how we would prepare the modern version today.
http://histv.co/ancientrecipes

Follow Adam Richman as he travels the country and tries the most iconic and forgotten foods of the 1980s. Watch new episodes of Adam Eats the 80s Sundays at 10/9c on The History Channel.

#HISTORY #AncientRecipes

Learn more about The HISTORY Channel and watch full episodes on our site:
https://history.com


CREDITS

Host
Sohla El-Waylly

Created By
Brian Huffman

Executive Producers
Sarah Walker
Brian Huffman
Jon Erwin

Executive Producer
Sohla El-Waylly

Co-Producer
John Schlirf

Writer
Jon Erwin

Historian - Scripts
Ken Albala

Post-Production Supervisors
Jon Erwin
John Schlirf

Editor
Craig Brasen

Colorist
John Schlirf

Mixer
Tim Wagner

Manager, Rights & Clearances
Chris Kim

Executive Creative Director, A+E Networks
Tim Nolan

VP, Marketing Production, A+E Networks
Kate Leonard

VP, Brand Creative, History
Matt Neary

Music Courtesy of
Extreme Music
A+E Signature Tracks

Additional Footage & Photos Courtesy of
Getty Images
Alamy
Pond5
Wikimedia

Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW:    / @history  

ABOUT THE HISTORY CHANNEL:
The HISTORY® Channel, a division of A+E Global Media, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events, to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, The HISTORY® Channel serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media.

FOLLOW HISTORY CHANNEL:
Watch Full Episodes: https://www.history.com/videos
Sign Up For History Emails: https://www.history.com/emails/sign-up
Browse Topical Videos: https://www.history.com/topics
Facebook:   / history  
Instagram:   / history  
TikTok:   / history  
X:   / history  
YouTube:    / @history  

Copyright Notice: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of The HISTORY® Channel. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube Channel is provided.

© 2025 The HISTORY® Channel

The Best Pretzel Recipe Ever is from 1111 AD | Ancient Recipes With Sohla | History
   / @history