I write to clear up what might be some confusion regarding the ingredient
Monika labeled as "sodium" for her Laugenbrezeln (salt pretzel) recipe. I
have tried using baking soda dissolved in water as the "dip" for these
pretzels, but it just doesn't taste right (like these pretzels do in Germany
-- they are my favorite!!). I went to great pains to find the right stuff
for the "dip". It is sodium hydroxide, or food-grade lye (yes, lye is the
stuff you use to clear your drainpipes, and it is also used in soap-making).
Don't be afraid! Lye is used in many food applications, most often for
cleaning produce before it is shipped to your grocer. Just be sure to get
food-grade lye. DO NOT use Red Devil drain cleaner!!! Since Sept. 11, you
may have some difficulty finding internet sites willing to sell you a
(relatively) small amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) rated NF/FCC (National
Formulary/Food Chemicals Codex). It is the FCC designation that makes it
food-grade.
When I purchased my NaOH a few months ago, I got it from the following
website: www.vgdllc.com. You might also try this telephone number (which is
on the side of my bottle): 1-816-471-9500. I purchased a 500g bottle, and
you only use about 3 tablespoons per litre of water. You can re-use the lye
dip, and a 500g bottle will last a long time. CAUTION: This stuff is
EXTREMELY CAUSTIC. You MUST handle it with extreme care, and you should not
allow children to be around when you use it. Use rubber or latex gloves, and
be sure to use only COLD water. You might also want to protect your baking
sheets, unless you have a baking stone, which is fine without any other
preparation. However, if you are using regular baking sheets, you definitely
want to use parchment paper to protect them.
Now, don't be afraid to try these pretzels. I guarantee you, you will never
taste anything like them unless you go to Germany. I have made them once,
and I can't wait to make them again. If you have any questions, email me at
Corinaesq@aol.com. Also, for step-by-step instructions, with PICTURES, you
should go to the following website: www.cs.du.edu/~dm/brezla. Thanks to
David Martin!