Hey there, pretzel enthusiasts! Buckle up because I’ve got another mouthwatering pretzel stick variation that’ll knock your socks off—introducing my favorite twist: Pumpernickel Pretzel Sticks!
Let’s Talk Pumpernickel
Pumpernickel isn’t just any old grain—it’s hearty whole grain rye, freshly milled to perfection. You can go full-on rye for a robust flavor, or mix in some hard wheat for extra oomph.
But wait, the magic of pumpernickel isn’t just in the rye—it’s a symphony of flavors. Picture this: rich molasses, earthy caraway seeds, and a hint of cocoa powder. We’ve jazzed it up with a touch of onion and garlic powder (optional, of course). Feeling adventurous? Swap some water for pickle juice—it’s a game-changer!
Making Waves
These pretzels follow the same golden rules as my original crunchy sticks—mill your grains, mix in the dry goods, and measure out the wet stuff. Load up your trusty extruder, hit start, and slowly pour in the wet mix through the extruder’s lid. The rest? Standard procedure—baking soda bath, a sprinkle of pretzel or coarse sea salt, bake until golden, then dehydrate till they snap!
The Equipment
The Philips Avance Pasta Extruder is one of the best purchases I’ve made. It extrudes all the shapes I need, and the bronze dies from pastidea.com make the end result just perfect in every way. The pasta isn’t too thick, and turns out just right every time. Plus you can make biscuit cookies and pretzel sticks in the extruder, which is awesome!
Excalibur makes dehydrators that last forever. My 4-tray was bought used over 15 years ago and still runs great for my mom who uses it to dry peppermint for tea. I upgraded to a 9-tray and use it for MANY things – from drying wool clothes, to proofing bread dough in winter, to making crackers and pretzels stay crunchy!
Dip, Dip Hooray!
Now, last time I dished out a honey mustard dressing, but today calls for a different vibe—ranch dressing! Why? Because we’re all about mixing it up. Imagine these beauties paired with cool ranch or a creamy spinach artichoke dip—it’s a flavor explosion waiting to happen.
Here’s the scoop on how to whip up your own batch:
Pumpernickel Whole Grain Pretzel Sticks
Equipment
- Philips Avance Pasta Extruder can also use the Philips Compact (viva)
- Spray bottle or pastry brush
- baking tray
- dehydrator
Ingredients
- 60 g olive oil I use Kasandrino's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 80 g molasses honey will also work well
- 120 g water
- 200 g wheat berries, hard red any wheat, or even rye could work
- 200 g grain, rye
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 5 g caraway seeds mill them with the grains
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 12 g baking powder 1/2 tbsp
- 12 g sea salt, celtic grey
Baking Soda Wash
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 cup water
Ranch Dressing
- ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- ¼ cup sour cream or homemade mayo
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mill the grains into flour.
- Preheat oven to 450 F convection
- Add baking powder, salt, cocoa, garlic and onion powder to the flour
- Measure the remaining ingredients (olive oil, sweetener, and water) into a small measuring cup or jar, mixing to combine.
Extruding Pretzel Dough
- Remove the front face of the exturder, and place the Grissini die into the adapter for your pasta maker, attaching it to the extruder. Put the pasta machine back together.
- Add the dry mixture to the mixing container of your pasta extruder
- Turn on your pasta extruder and pick the larger batch size. Press the Play button.
- Add the wet mixture through the well on the top lid, which lets the ingredients slowly mix together.
- Optional: Once the extruder stops and changes direction, turn off the machine and then turn it back on again. Select the big batch size, and press the play button.
- As the dough extrudes, cut the dough to the length you prefer.
- Set the dough on a parchment lined tray, with space between the pretzel sticks. If they are curled at the ends, gently roll them on the pan and they will straighten out.
Baking Soda Wash
- Mix together the water and baking soda in a spray bottle.
- Heavily mist the pretzel dough until it is wet on top. Sprinkle the top with pretzel salt or coarse sea salt. Alternatively, you could use a pastry brush and heavily brush the tops with baking soda – but a sprayer will work best.
- Place the sheet into the oven, and bake for 8 minutes or until as dark as you like. If baking directly on a preheated baking stone, lower the cook time to 5 minutes.
- They will harden slightly as they cool (but will soften if you put them into a container or bag unless you dehydrate them to take out the excess water).
Stay Crunchy Pretzels
- Dehydrate the pretzel rods at 125 F for a few hours until crunchy when you snap it in half. I put mine in around 2:30 pm and when I got home around 7 pm they were crispy.
- Store in a plastic bag until ready to eat. These should keep for several weeks if you dehydrated them until fully dry – but they won't last!
Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Add ingredients to a bowl, and use whisk or emulsion blender to combine into dressing. Thin out with vinegar or water, if needed.
Video
Notes
- The molasses CAN be left out, but I’d recommend using at least 10 grams of it, and split the remaining grams between olive oil and water for a less sweet version of this pumpernickel pretzel.
- For rye pretzels, leave out the cocoa powder and use the directions above for lessening the molasses.
These are so delicious and satisfied my cravings. My friend made a cheese log, and they paired well together. I’ll definitely make them again. Thanks!
Ooooh, a cheese log sounds like an excellent pairing. Thanks for the idea! Glad to hear it.