The Kitchen Project is an Amazon affiliate.
I receive a small commission from sales
from the Amazon Product Links on all the pages from The Kitchen Project

Full Affiliate Disclosure Policy

we keep your email and name private

Another great Kitchen Project Recipes from a German Grandma

Sodium Hydroxide
(food grade lye)

If you want pretzels with that beautiful, deep mahogany-brown crust and distinctive flavor, a traditional lye bath is the way to go. Food-grade sodium hydroxide is what gives authentic German Laugenbrezeln their characteristic color, shine, and flavor.

Check it out here

Pretzel Salt

Pretzel salt is a special coarse-grained salt used to finish traditional German pretzels (Laugenbrezeln). Its large, chunky crystals stand out against the dark, glossy crust, adding that familiar salty crunch in every bite.

Unlike ordinary table salt, pretzel salt is designed to hold its shape and remain visible on the pretzel rather than quickly dissolving into the crust. A little goes a long way!

Go here to look and order
Pretzel Salt

My Favorite style Pan!

Stainless Steel Half Pan
21/2 " deep

This is my first choice to dip pretzels in, over glass.
You can also use this pan for so many other things.
I use mine almost every day. You can put all the components for a meal in this as needed. Then cook the different foods that need a different time.

Perforated Stainless Half Pan

this fits inside a stainless half pan and you can steam with this
it is also great for dipping the pretzel without having to touch the sodium Hydroxide.

Sourdough Cooking Set

This little kit includes several tools I use regularly in my own kitchen: a Danish dough whisk, bench scraper, bowl scraper, and bread lame.

The bread lame is especially useful when making Swabian-style pretzels. It gives you a sharp blade for making the traditional belly cut (Schnitt), which opens up during baking to create the characteristic Swabian pretzel shape (Ausbund).

The other tools are equally handy for mixing, dividing, shaping, and handling dough. Although sold as a sourdough kit, these are useful tools for all kinds of home baking.

Check this nice inexpensive tool set out at Amazon

Digital Scale
by Amazon Basic

This is a very affordable scale.
I use it almost everyday. It is very affordable.

You can set the tare, chose between oz, lbs, grams, m-liters.
The base isn't removable but this stailess steel baby cleans easy.
Batteries included.

Check out the latest price from Amazon.

Pyrex 2 Cup
Glass Measuring Cup

This is my most used measuring device for liquids. It is nice to see the contents,
and the side measuring marks are handy even if you measure everything on a scale.

It is great to add ingredients and wisk them
like eggs.

Check out the recent pricing at
Amazon

Half Sheet Pan and Cooling Rack Set
by Checkered Chef

Half Sheet Pan
by Nordic Ware

Unbleached Parchment Sheets
12 x 16 for half sheet pans
100 pieces

Good Flour for German Bread

I have spoken to many Germans in America that say that King Arthur flour is the closest to what you can find in Germany. I use it all the time and really like it!
King Arthur Unbleached AP White Flour 5 lb Bag	King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour 5 lb Bag	Organic Dark Rye Flour Bob's Red Mill 2 pack of 1.6 oz. bags
King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour 5 lb Bag	King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat Flour 5 lb Bag	Rye Berries Central Milling Company 28 oz.

Flour from Germany I wish I could do better than this we are working on it. It is interesting that Germans and most of Europe has a number on their flour. This is the percentage of Ash content which means how much of the kernel is left in. Cake Flour would have the least and Whole Grain Flours have the most.
Weizenmehl White Flour 405 Flour that is a great household flour for baking cakes and cookies. You can use it for Broetchen, Flammenkuchen	Roggen Dinkelbrot this is a mix of different flours inluding rye and spelt, and makes one loaf
	Information about German Flours

Baking Tools

Bread Proofing Baskets and Pans ( Brotforms, Bannetons)
9 inch Banneton(Brotform) Proofing Basket Set By Bread Bosses for Professional & Home Bakers (Sourdough Recipe) w/ Bowl Scraper & Brotform Cloth Liner for Rising Round Crispy Crust Baked Bread Making Dough Shape Loaf Boules	Yali's Better Banneton(Brotform) Proofing Basket by Yali Round Bowl, Dough Proofer, Bundle with the Original Danish Whisk and Cloth Liner, Natural Cane for Sourdough Brotform Rising	12 inch Oval Shapped Banneton (Brotform) This is nice for oblong loafs.

Baker's Couche This is used for laying in a form while the bread is rising. This unbleached flax linen and it wicks out moisture as the bread is rising so the crust and form markings are better.

Baking Sheets
Half Sheet Pan and Cooling Rack Set by Checkered Chef	Half Sheet Pan by Nordic Ware	Unbleached Parchment Sheets 12 x 16 for half sheet pans 100 pieces





Useful Tools
	To get a good bottom crust on your bread you really need a baking stone. Once you start using them you will love the results.	Docking your bread allows steam to escape to get the maximum rise out of your bread. You can use a special tool called a Lame or make your own with double edged razor blades.
Bench Knife This all purpose tool is good for so many things, from dividing a dough to scraping the crusty flour that sticks to your counter.	Old Stone Baking Stone This is recommended tops by Cook's Illustrated. large 14 x 16 triangle, lead free clay.	Bread Lame by Breadtopia (Bread scoring tool)
		Double Edge razor blades for docking Double edged razor blades are much sharper than single edged.