Originally published Sep 17, 2022
Try to research pretzels and you will find a lot of unverified information on their origins. What appears to be the most strongly supported theory would lead one to believe that the humble beginnings of the pretzel can be traced back to a monastery in France, or Italy. It is believed that the monks created "pretiola", Latin for "little rewards", from leftover dough which was then given out to children. It was such a popular treat that it traveled beyond France and Italy to Germany and Austria, where it became known as a "bretzel". That is a tidy tale and a great way to use leftovers - historic cooks were nothing, if not ingenious in how they used leftover food. Yesterday's roast is today's soup.
This is a recipe for an early "pretzel" which is unlike regular pretzels because it is sweet and made with wine and anise. (Thank you Frank Andrew for catching the mistake--it has been corrected.)
I cannot claim this recipe as my own. The original is located at the Cunnan wiki for Precedella.
Original Recipe
55. Nimm ein schönes Mehl/ lauter Eierdotter/ und ein wenig Wein/ Zucker und Aniß/ mach ein Teig damit an/ walg jn fein länglicht und rundt mit saubern Händen/ und mach kleine Bretzel darauß/ scheubs in ein warmen Ofen/ und backs/ daß du es nit verbrennest/ sondern fein außtrucknet/ so werden sie auch mürb und gut. Du magst auch Zimmet darunter nemmen oder nicht. Und man nennet es Precedella.
Interpretation
55. Take a fair flour/ clean egg yolks/ and a little wine/ sugar and anise/ make a dough with it/ roll it nicely long and round with clean hands/ and make little pretzels from it/ shove in a warm oven and bake/ that you do not burn it/ but until nicely dry/ like this they will be also crispy and good. You might also take cinnamon with it or not. And one calls them Precedella.
From Max Rumpolt, Ein new Kuchbuch, 1581 Translation by Ranvaig (Sharon Palmer)
Ingredients
5 egg yolks
3/4c. sugar
1/4c. sweet white wine
1/2tsp. ground fennel seed or aniseed
1/2tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4tsp. salt
2c. flour
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale, and then beat in the wine.
3. Stir in all the dry ingredients. The dough will be fairly sticky.
4. Roll the dough into "snakes" a little less than a 1/2 " or 1 cm. wide and curl them into pretzel shapes.
5. Place on silicone paper or well-greased baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned.
Sources
Precedella - Cunnan". Cunnan.Lochac.Sca.Org, 2022, https://cunnan.lochac.sca.org/index.php/Precedella. Accessed 17 Sept 2022.
Rumpolt, New Kochbuch, Von Allerley Gebackens". Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 2022, https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb05/germanistik/absprache/sprachverwendung/gloning/tx/rump-gbk.htm. Accessed 17 Sept 2022.
The Virtual Medieval Abbey - Monastery Life In The Middle Ages". Newyorkcarver.Com, 2022, http://www.newyorkcarver.com/inventions5A.htm. Accessed 17 Sept 2022.
