Pretzel bread a twist on old standard

Pretzel bread went national this summer — and mass-market — when Wendy’s introduced its Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger, following a trend that local bakers have seen building for years.

“Once fast food gets hold of it, it’s pretty much hitting its peak,” said Chris Decker, a partner in Lulu’s Bakery, 6720 Sky Pointe Drive.

Tony Madonia, vice president of Great Buns Bakery at 3270 E. Tropicana Ave., has seen a steady rise in the popularity of pretzel bread in the past five years.

“We do a ton of pretzels, everything from pretzel sticks to dinner-roll size to pretzel hamburger buns,” Madonia said. “We make steak rolls, hoagies.

“Pretzels have become so mainstream that all of the things you’re used to seeing are now popping up in pretzel dough.”

Kerry Simon of Simon Kitchen and Lounge at Palms Place said he’s been serving pretzel rolls for 11 or 12 years, dating back to his original Simon Kitchen that was at the Hard Rock Hotel.

“When they come to our restaurant, they expect it,” Simon said. “It’s the first thing that goes out of the basket. They ask for mustard on the side and that sort of thing.”

Simon, who gets his pretzel bread from Bon Bread, has recently introduced a pretzel-bread panini, with the roll split and filled with Black Forest ham, Provolone cheese and grainy mustard before being put in a panini press.

“It’s really popular,” he said.

Bon Bread owner Carlos Periera, who has a retail outlet at Town Square, said most of the hotels in the tourism corridor use pretzel bread in one or more of their restaurants.

So what’s the appeal? Pereira said he thinks it’s the color contrast, the dark, caramel-hued crust with the burst of snowy white peeking through the top.

Simon said he thinks it’s because it’s an iconic American food, and Madonia agrees.

“If you’re at any sort of event, people line up to grab a soft pretzel,” Madonia said. “Those have been popular forever. They’re soft and chewy, sort of dense but light. Couple that with a great burger, I think it’s a great flavor.”

“And the saltiness,” Simon said. “I imagine it’s the saltiness that goes with it.”

Decker said it’s something that’s just very familiar to most people.

“I think it’s because it’s so approachable and everybody’s aware of what it is,” he said. “A handful of people might know what brioche is. Everybody knows what pretzel bread is. I think that’s what makes it so popular.”

Whether it’s just a fad is open to question.

“It’s very popular these days,” Periera said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

“I think long-term, it’s just going to become an option,” Madonia said. “People are still going to like hamburger buns or kaiser rolls.

“Nowadays, everything’s about choice. I think just having that other option there, a lot of people are going to go with it and stay with it.”

PRETZEL BREAD

Dough:

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 envelope quick-rising yeast

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Boiling solution:

3 quarts water

¾ cup baking soda

Egg wash:

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

Heat milk and butter until warm (100 to 110 degrees); the butter will not completely melt. Combine with undissolved yeast and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl. Stir in salt and 2 cups flour; beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine boiling solution and bring to a boil. Punch dough down and divide into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a tight, smooth ball. Boil each loaf in the solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute. Remove loaves from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the loaves are evenly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Note: To make rolls, divide dough into eight pieces and roll each into a ball Using same procedure as above, boil, egg wash, score top and bake for the same amount of time.

Makes: 2 (7-inch) loaves or 8 rolls.

— Recipe from Fleischmann’s Breadworld.com

PRETZEL SANDWICH BUNS

Dough:

1¾ cups warm water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ teaspoon salt

4½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

2 teaspoons instant yeast

Water bath:

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

¼ cup baking soda

Topping:

Coarse sea salt

Mix and knead the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer or bread machine — to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour, until doubled.

Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the water bath: Bring the water, salt and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Drop five dough balls at a time into the water bath. Cook for 30 seconds, flip over and cook for 30 seconds longer. Using a slotted spoon, return the buns to the baking sheet.

Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut ½-inch-deep crosses into the center of each bun. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake the buns for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they’re a deep-dark brown. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes 10 buns.

— Recipe from King Arthur Flour

MAPLE-MUSTARD CHICKEN SALAD

4½ cups cooked, diced chicken meat

¾ cup chopped red onion

¾ cup diced celery (1 to 2 stalks)

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon maple syrup

10 pretzel buns

10 leaves Boston lettuce

To make filling, combine all ingredients except buns and lettuce in a large bowl and mix until evenly incorporated.

Slice each pretzel bun in half horizontally. Place a leaf of lettuce on the cut side of each bottom half, then top with a generous scoop (1/3 to ½ cup) of chicken salad. Top with the remaining bun half.

Makes 10 sandwiches.

— Recipe from King Arthur Flour

PRETZEL ROLLS

2¾ cups bread flour

1 envelope quick-rising yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about) hot water (125 to 130 degrees)

Cornmeal

8 cups water

¼ cup baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg white, beaten to blend (glaze)

Coarse salt

Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar and celery seeds in food processor and blend. With machine running, gradually pour hot water through feed tube, adding enough water to form smooth elastic dough. Process 1 minute to knead. Grease medium bowl. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel; let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.

Flour baking sheet. Punch dough down and knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into eight pieces. Form each dough piece into ball. Place dough balls on prepared sheet, flattening each slightly. Using serrated knife, cut “X” in top center of each dough ball. Cover with towel and let dough balls rise until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease another baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bring 8 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add baking soda and 2 tablespoons sugar (water will foam up). Add four rolls and cook 30 seconds per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer rolls to prepared sheet, arranging “X” side up. Repeat with remaining rolls.

Brush rolls with egg white glaze. Sprinkle rolls generously with coarse salt. Bake rolls until brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Serve rolls warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8.

— Recipe from Bon Appetit

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@review journal.com or 702-383-0474.