For me, Laugenbrezeln are one of the best German inventions. So much better than any bread or roll. Soft, fluffy and crunchy on the outside. All you really need is a bit of butter, heaven!

Years ago, it was impossible to buy them in the UK, now luckily to the rise of some German supermarkets more and more shops are offering them. Still not the same as a proper authentic German one, but I guess better than nothing.

Making your own ones, I have to admit, is a more advanced baking challenge. Getting to grips with shaping them might take a few attempts, but that’s not the most tricky bit.

The real challenge is to get the brown, crusty topping right. The magic ingredient - lye! If you can’t get hold of it, use baking soda instead.

I like to mix strong white flour with some spelt flour. And you can also sprinkle them with salt or seeds.

Happy Baking!

Ingredients

For the dough

500g strong white flour (or 250g spelt & 250g white)

1 packet yeast

1 tsp sugar

375ml milk

50g butter

salt

For the lye bath

1l water

2 tbsp food-grade lye

Method

For the dough

1. Pour the warm milk into a bowl, add the sugar and let it dissolve. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let sit a few minutes, until foamy.

2. Add flour, melted butter and salt and knead for about 5-7 minutes until you get a soft and smooth dough.

3. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.

4. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface and give it another good knead to knock the air out.

5. Form the dough into a roll and divide into 16 evenly sized parts.

6. Form each of these parts into 30 cm long rolls. Make sure you thin out the roll towards the end bits so that you have a thicker middle part.

7. To get the classic Brezel shape - watch this short video (no audio needed, unless you want to practice your German…)

8. Transfer to a lined baking tray and proof for another 10 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan).

For the lye bath

1. Fill a large pot with 1l of cold water. Carefully add in the lye and stir to dissolve.

2. Place a Brezel on a large skimmer and gently transfer it to the lye bath. Let it float for 5 seconds.

3. Sprinkle with salt or seeds if wanted and score the belly of the Brezel with a sharp knife.

4. Bake for 8- 10 minutes until they get their distinct brown colour.

5. Leave to cool on a wire rack.