A Knot and a Hole: What is a Pretzel & Why Are Bagels Boiled?

Pretzels and bagels are two of the most iconic bakes in the world, and they share a secret that most people never notice: both spend time in water before they ever see the heat of the oven. 

The pretzel is twisted, bronzed and built on centuries of German tradition. On the other hand, the bagel is a round, dense and chewy bread that originated from Eastern European Jewish bakeries that has found its way onto breakfast tables worldwide.

But what exactly makes each of these baked goods unique, and why do they continue to capture the hearts of many bakers and foodies around the world?

What is a Pretzel?

From its origins in Early Medieval Europe to the bustling beer halls of Bavaria and the snack stands of American sports stadiums, the pretzel has travelled further than almost any other baked good.

From Monastery to Guild

The pretzel is one of the oldest shaped breads, and its origins sit somewhere between history and legend. Most food historians trace it back to the 6th or 7th century, when monks were believed to have twisted leftover dough into the now-iconic knot, which represented arms crossed in prayer.

The monks also called them pretiola or ‘little rewards’, and gave them to children who had memorised their prayers.

By the 12th century, the pretzel had become a symbol of German baking culture, associated with bakers' guilds and woven into everyday life. Additionally, it’s common to find the pretzel in the bakers' guild seal in many German towns.

Regional Pride: Bavaria vs Swabia

Regional pride around the pretzel runs deep in Germany, with Bavarian and Swabian bakers each claiming their own style as the definitive version.

The Swabian Brezel, for instance, has a thicker, softer belly and thinner, crunchier ends. The Bavarian version is more uniform, slightly thinner overall and without the scored centre.

While they may vary in appearance and texture, they are both dipped in lye and are unmistakably pretzels.

From Bavaria to the World

German immigrants who arrived in the United States in the 19th century brought their pretzel-making traditions with them. Through the years, the soft pretzel became a stadium snack, a street food staple and eventually a globally recognised shape.

Today, pretzel-flavoured everything lines supermarket shelves worldwide, a long way from a monastery in 7th-century Europe.

What Makes a Traditional German Pretzel?

Ask an artisan baker what makes a pretzel worthy of the name, and the answer goes way beyond just "it tastes good." For the discerning person, a proper traditional pretzel is judged on colour, gloss and shape before it even hits your tongue.

A well-made German pretzel has these defining characteristics:

• A deep mahogany crust with a glossy sheen that catches the light
• The signature knot, with thick lower arms and thin upper crossed sections
• A soft, pillowy belly where the arms are thickest, contrasting with a slight crunch at the crossed ends
• Coarse salt on the surface, adding texture and a satisfying burst of flavour
• A slightly malty, complex flavour that no other bread quite replicates

Getting that balance between a soft centre and crunchy arms is the real test. Most beginners get hung up on the knot, but the real magic is mastering that textural "tug-of-war."

Why Do Pretzels Use Lye?

What gives an authentic pretzel its deep mahogany crust and complex flavour is lye, a strongly alkaline solution. Before baking, pretzels are dipped briefly into a lye bath.

The dip affects the dough in three distinct ways:

• Colour: Lye accelerates the Maillard reaction during baking, producing the dark, rich crust that a standard oven environment alone cannot achieve.
• Appearance: It creates the glossy exterior that is immediately recognisable as a proper pretzel.
• Flavour: It develops the pretzel's distinctly malty, slightly bitter taste, something baking soda solutions can approximate but never fully replicate.

In the hands of a properly prepared baker, lye is perfectly safe and has been used in German baking for centuries. However, it does require care, the right protective equipment and a proper introduction to the process.

Working through it with guidance makes a real difference for anyone serious about becoming a better baker and building real technique rather than just getting close.

Now, Meet the Bagel

The bagel is round, dense and chewy, with a glossy crust and a satisfying bite that has made it a breakfast staple across continents.

Like the pretzel, the bagel has strong cultural roots. It originated within Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Poland, likely sometime in the 16th or 17th century. Those communities later travelled to cities like New York, where the bagel became one of the defining foods of urban bakery culture.

The genius of different types of bagels lies in their simplicity: flour, water, yeast and salt. Yet the texture it produces is unlike any other bread made from the same four ingredients.

And the reason for that is the boil.

Why Are Bagels Boiled?

The boil is the defining step in bagel-making. Skipping it doesn't just change the process, but it produces a fundamentally different type of bread.

When raw bagel dough hits boiling water, the starches on the surface gelatinise rapidly, setting a firm "skin" around the dough.

This skin limits how much the bagel can expand in the oven, resulting in that signature dense crumb and satisfying chew, rather than the soft. Without the boil, a bagel would just be a round roll with a hole in it!

The boiling water also creates the glossy exterior that we expect from a proper bagel. Often, bakers add honey, malt syrup or baking soda to the water to influence the browning and flavour.

Science is one of the clearest places to find answers to common baking questions for bagels, and every decision in the timing of the boil shows up in the final bite:

• A shorter boil (around 30-45 seconds per side, as in the New York style) produces a chewier, lighter result.
• A longer boil (up to three minutes per side, as in the Montreal style) yields a denser, thicker crust and a slightly sweeter flavour when honey is added to the water.

Why Stuffed Bagels Are Having a Moment

While we all love the classics like sesame, poppy seed, or everything, bagels have taken on an entirely new dimension, and much of the credit goes to the creative energy from Asian bakeries.

Asian baking culture has long played with the idea of filling breads with bold, layered flavours, from red bean and custard to cheese and sesame. That same spirit of flavour-forward creativity has found its way into the bagel.

Rather than simply topping a bagel with seeds or seasoning, bakers are now hiding flavour combinations inside the dough itself.

Some of the most interesting stuffed bagel combinations to consider include:

Jalapeño Cheese: heat, creaminess and a chewy exterior in every bite

Matcha-Strawberry: earthy bitterness balanced against sweet fruit filling

Blueberry: a classic fruit-forward option that works particularly well with the bagel's mild base

This kind of creativity doesn't come from ignoring tradition. Instead, it comes from knowing it well enough to push against it confidently.

Remember, the bakers who experiment most freely tend to be those who have already put in the hours on the fundamentals. Knowing a recipe thoroughly to break it is itself a skill, and it tends to shape the baker as much as the bread.

Learn the Foundations of Baking at Bespoke Bread

The pretzel and the bagel are two baked goods with a rich history. One is shaped by a lye bath and centuries of German craft. The other is defined by its boil and a legacy of creative reinvention that continues to this day. However, both reward curiosity, patience and a genuine respect for process.

Ready to get your hands in the dough? At Bespoke Bread, our bagel and pretzel making classes give you hands-on training on baking these two breads. You’ll learn to craft pretzels and bagels from scratch, working through classic flavours like Original, Sesame and Salted, alongside modern creations like Matcha-Strawberry, Blueberry and Jalapeño Cheese.

If you're looking for a bread making class in Singapore that goes beyond the basics, contact Bespoke Bread. Unlock the art of the boil and the twist by joining us in the studio today!