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Fastenwähe
Caraway pretzel bread
Basel pretzel-shaped Lenten bread with caraway
SwissBasel bakeries sell Fastenwähe only from the start of the new year until Easter, and through Fasnacht people buy them warm by the bagful. The flat, chewy yeast bread is shaped like a squashed pretzel with four slits, glazed with egg and scattered with caraway seeds, and is eaten plain or with cheese and Mehlsuppe. The common mistake is cutting the slits too short, so they close up as the dough rises. Chef's tip: a little lard or butter in the dough gives the soft bite of the bakery ones.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm milk
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoft
- 1 eggbeaten
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Add the 1 ¼ cups lukewarm milk and 1 ¾ oz butter and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, soft dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave for about 1 hour until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Divide into 8. Roll each into an oval about 1 cm thick. Cut four 4 cm slits through the dough, two on each side of the middle, then pull the ends gently so the slits open into a pretzel-like shape.
15 minStep 4: Set on lined trays and leave for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan).
20 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg, scatter with 1 tbsp caraway seeds and bake for 14–16 minutes until glossy brown and hollow-sounding underneath. Eat warm.
16 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fastenwähe take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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