The difference between pretzels and bagels

Pretzels and bagels share many similarities, and one of them is their delicious and satisfying taste. They have very similar ingredients and both have a firm outer crust that protects a soft, bread-like interior.

So what is the difference between pretzels and bagels?

Soft pretzels tend to be a bit more doughy, while bagels are denser, and both baked goods have distinctly different shapes. The biggest difference, however, occurs during the cooking process. 

pretzels

Pretzels have long been a popular bread option in Germany and are closely tied to the Christian religion, once being considered the “official food of Lent.” With German immigration to North America, the humble pretzel found a new home. The Pennsylvania Dutch really popularized this baked good, and to this day about 80% of the pretzels made in America are still made in Pennsylvania.

Hard pretzels are crunchy little bite-sized snacks that became popular long after the soft variety became a household name, but for the purposes of this article, we’re going to continue to focus on soft pretzels.

The mass of the pretzels

All pretzel batters have the same ratio of flour to water, which is 1 cup of liquid for every 3 cups of flour. Once this is taken care of, there may be slight variations in the sugar and some recipes call for beer instead of or in addition to the barley malt syrup. A standard recipe will have these basic ingredients

• 1 cup of hot water
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 spoon of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Coarse sea salt, Kosher salt, or pretzel salt

What makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel?

Pretzels get their unique flavor and texture from two unique characteristics:

1. Malt syrup, which is the same used to make beer and
2. The baking soda bath used to prepare the pretzel before baking it.

Baking soda, or alkaline solution, is simply a boiling mixture of water and baking soda that the pretzel is dipped in for about 30 seconds before baking.

This process essentially gelatinizes the outside of the dough, giving it a golden brown color and preventing the inner dough from rising like bread does. Instead, the pretzel develops a chewy, slightly crunchy outer crust with the characteristic pretzel flavor and the center remains soft and doughy.

How to cook a pretzel

To make the pretzel batter, start by mixing the yeast with the warm water. Let it rest for 1 to 3 minutes, according to the instructions on the yeast package, and then start adding and mixing the flour, sugar, and salt. Knead well for 5 - 10 minutes or until most of its stickiness is lost. Let the dough rise in a clean, covered bowl for an hour.

When it has doubled in size, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll the dough into a long, thin rope about 30cm long.

To make the pretzel shape, start with a horseshoe shape, then cross the ends over one another.  Make a complete turn, then fold the ends toward the top of the circle, sealing by pressing the ends into the top of the dough.

Shape all the pretzels and let them rise once more on a parchment lined cookie sheet for another half hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 F and prepare the baking soda bath. You will need a deep pot with about 8 cups of water that is brought to a boil. Add the baking soda and barley malt, but note that this will cause the water to foam a lot, so you need a deep pot for this project.

Stir well to make sure the baking soda and syrup are fully dissolved, then reduce the heat to keep it simmering. 

Lower each of your pretzels into the pot, without crowding them, and allow them to simmer for about 30 seconds. They should float, so you’ll need to flip them over to brown on the other side for another 30 seconds before removing and placing them on a cooling rack.

Spread the pretzels with the egg and sprinkle with the coarse salt . Bake them for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are a nice, shiny golden color.

bagels

Bagels are also originally from Germany, although they are linked to the Jewish religion. Bagel means “bracelet” in German, which makes sense given its circular shape. A circle symbolizes the cycle of eternal life, without beginning or end, and bagels were believed to protect against demons and the evil eye, and instead bring good luck.

When Jews immigrated to North America, they brought their bagels with them and they became a popular street food. To this day, bagels are iconic in New York, which has a large Jewish population. Bagels come in many flavors today, but purists maintain that plain, original water bagels are the only acceptable bagel to eat.

the bagel dough

Bagel dough is essentially a dense bread dough. For a regular loaf you would need 60-70% water, but bagels only need 50% because they don’t need to rise like a regular loaf. It is also important that you use a flour that is high in protein or gluten, such as a robust bread flour, to achieve the dense, chewy quality of a great bagel.

A standard recipe would have the following ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of hot water
• 2 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 cups of bread flour
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 quarts of water (to boil)
• 1/4 cup honey (optional)

How to cook the rolls

To make the dough, whisk the yeast with the warm water and let it rest for 1 to 3 minutes according to the instructions on the yeast package. Mix the flour, sugar and salt and add it to the liquid. The dough should be quite dry and heavy, and you will need to knead it by hand for about 5 minutes. 

Transfer the dough to a large bowl and let it rise, covered and at room temperature, for an hour. When it has doubled in size, it is ready to be shaped.

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls, then press a finger into the center of each ball to make a hole.  Work that opening until it is about 5 cm wide. Cover your bagels with a kitchen towel and let them rest while you prepare the next steps.

Preheat your oven to 425F and fill a large pot with the water you have prepared to boil. If you are adding honey to add mild sweetness and rich color to your bagels, add it to the boiling water and stir to dissolve completely.

This process is very similar to pretzels above, but for bagels baking soda is not added to the boiling water . Reduce the heat to medium and begin adding the bagels, being careful not to crowd them in the pot. Let them cook for 1 minute before flipping and cooking for another minute on the other side.

Once all the rolls are cooked, brush them with the egg and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure there is space between each bagel, so it has room to sink and expand.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until bagels are the ideal golden color.

pretzel buns

After you’ve used this entire article to convince yourself that pretzels and bagels are totally different baked goods, it’s possible to merge the two and create a pretzel bagel. To do this, use pretzel dough, twisted into a rope, and then twisted into a circle. 

Give your pretzel bagels a baking soda bath before cooking. Use a water to baking soda ratio of 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda to 3 cups of water. If you use more than that, your bagel will taste bitter. After the bath, continue baking according to the instructions in your pretzel recipe.

Related questions

What can you do with pretzel buns?

Pretzel buns can be used in the same way as any other type of bun or roll. They’re great for sandwiches or small burgers and hold up very well to sloppy joes and pulled pork without getting soggy. They also work very well with sweet creams for breakfast or snacks. If they are fresh out of the oven, there is nothing better than the butter of a lifetime.

Are the bagels kosher?

Bagels are often associated with Jewish customs, so it would make sense for them to be Kosher, but it really depends on how and where they’re made. Kosher foods go through an entire handling process, from picking to plating, which means every single ingredient used must be Kosher, and the facility that makes the bagels must be Kosher. Most Kosher products will be labeled as such.

What is the best flour for pretzels?

Most pretzels are made from a fairly standard universal flour, with a protein content of around 9.5%. If the protein is less than that, your pretzel will be flakier, more like a paste. If it’s much higher than that, your pretzel will be harder and denser.