If sourdough is essential for your pretzels at the Christmas market, baking them yourself with a suitable recipe and enough time allows you to choose the ingredients. If you’re buying them, sourdough must be listed in the ingredients for that specific product. A pretzel from a market stall is ready to eat without reheating, while frozen pretzels need an oven and time before serving. Without the relevant ingredient information, neither option can be confirmed as a sourdough pretzel.
You want to be sure sourdough is used in the pretzel recipe, and can plan ahead before your visit to the market. EDEKA says preparing a starter takes 96 hours in total, before you even begin shaping and baking the pretzels.
You want to warm several pretzels shortly before serving. The right approach depends on whether they’re already baked, how much time you have and the instructions for the specific product – there’s no single reheating time that works for everything.
You need information about the specific pretzel, such as whether it contains gluten-containing cereals or other allergenic ingredients. Ask at the point of sale about loose products, and check the label on packaged ones.
If sourdough is a must, start by checking the recipe. Then consider whether you have time to prepare and bake the pretzels, or need them ready to take to the market.
Best if: You want to use sourdough in a pretzel recipe and choose the ingredients yourself.
The trade-off: According to EDEKA, making a starter from scratch takes several days. You’ll then need to allow time to make the pretzels, too.
Best if: You don’t want to follow your own pretzel recipe. Buy them ready to eat from a counter, or choose bake-at-home pretzels to prepare before serving.
The trade-off: Fresh counter-bought pretzels and bake-at-home ones have different time and equipment requirements. For both, only the ingredients listed for that specific product can confirm whether it contains sourdough.
| Criteria | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough in the recipe | Is sourdough or a sourdough starter listed in the ingredients for that specific pretzel? Information about other baked goods sold by the retailer isn’t enough. | If sourdough is important to me, I don’t want to rely on the name ‘pretzel’ alone. Around 42% of consumers would put checking for sourdough first. |
| Serving and reheating | Is the product already baked, or is it an unbaked dough piece? Do the pack instructions, your oven and the time you have all match? | If I’m serving several pretzels shortly before the mulled wine, I need a preparation method I can manage on the day. This would be the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the label on packaged products and ask for allergen information about loose ones. If suppliers change, check the details at the point of sale. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, information about the pretzel actually being sold matters more than a general description of the range. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this check. |
Ditsch’s published ingredients for its ‘Swabian-style’ pretzel list yeast, but not sourdough. A retailer selling sourdough bread doesn’t tell you anything about the sourdough content of its pretzels.
If sourdough is essential, check the ingredients or recipe for the exact pretzel you want to buy.
A frozen, already-baked pretzel and a raw dough piece don’t need the same preparation. EDEKA gives around 15 minutes at 200 to 220 °C using conventional top and bottom heat as general guidance for frozen pretzels. This is no substitute for the instructions for your specific product.
Check the condition of the product and follow the instructions on its packaging.
Even an unpackaged pretzel can contain allergens that must be declared. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity and Lebensmittelklarheit explain that allergen information must also be available for unpackaged food.
If you need to avoid an allergen, ask at the stall for information about the specific product before buying.
ALDI SÜD describes its pretzels as vegan and freshly baked several times a day. These claims don’t confirm that sourdough is used. The product page also notes that different suppliers may be involved.
To check for sourdough, ingredients and allergens, ask about the pretzels at your local store.
Ditsch sells a range of pretzel products, including pretzels, sticks and rolls.
REWE lists a sourdough product as a baking ingredient and has published a pretzel recipe.
EDEKA provides instructions for making a sourdough starter, as well as for baking and reheating pretzels.
Lidl mentions natural sourdough in some speciality breads and uses bake-at-home pretzels in one of its recipes.
ALDI SÜD describes a pretzel sold from its in-store bakery counter, while ALDI Nord sells frozen pretzels and pretzel sticks.
No. The name ‘pretzel’ doesn’t confirm that sourdough is used in the recipe. Check the ingredients for the specific product. For example, Ditsch’s ‘Swabian-style’ pretzel lists yeast, but not sourdough.
EDEKA says a starter takes 96 hours in total. You’ll also need time to make and bake the pretzels, so plan those steps before the day you visit the market.
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve bought, as the product’s condition and preparation method can vary. EDEKA gives around 15 minutes at 200 to 220 °C using conventional top and bottom heat as general guidance for frozen pretzels. Don’t apply this timing to other products without checking.
Ask the stall for allergen information about the specific pretzel. In Germany, allergens that must be declared also need to be listed for unpackaged food, as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity and Lebensmittelklarheit explain.
Not necessarily. ALDI SÜD notes that different suppliers may provide its pretzels, and that the exact details are available in store. Check the ingredients and allergens at the point of sale rather than assuming every pretzel is made to the same recipe.