Did you know that the pretzel is a traditional food for lent? In fact, the pretzel was actually invented in order to be a simple Lenten snack! You can find all of my holy week food ideas for kids here. Today, I am going to share my favorite Lenten pretzel recipe with you, as well as a printable card with the pretzel prayer.
When early Christians would pray, they would cross their arms and touch each shoulder with the opposite hand. They also fasted very strictly during lent, making their bread with only water, flour, and salt. A monk shaped this in the form of praying arms for children, and the pretzel was born! To read more about the religious history of the pretzel and for the pretzel prayer, check out Catholic Culture’s pretzel page.
This recipe and more are in my new cookbook for families–! This cookbook includes 23 recipes that point to the true meaning of Easter. It also includes 29 pages of bonus printables! You do not want to miss this amazing resource.
Lenten Pretzel Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 package yeast (.25 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 egg
- extra salt for the tops- large salt works best!
Mix your yeast, water, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, and knead until the dough is smooth. Shape into the form of arms crossed in prayer and place it on a baking sheet.
Brush the dough with a beaten egg to give it a shiny finish. Sprinkle the top with salt, and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
There is a printable version of this recipe at the bottom of the post.
Here they are all baked!
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Monthly Liturgical Membership
Perfect for families! Each month you gain access to printable activity pages, crafts, home altar pieces, and more.
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The big salt definitely takes this Lenten pretzel recipe to the next level.
New And Improved Lente Pretzel Printable
I made a pack with a Lenten Pretzel Card that reads “A pretzel to remind us of arms crossed in prayer is a Lenten treat for us to share!”.
The pack also includes the story of the origin of the pretzel, a page that can go into your Weaving The Faith liturgical binder, and a super cute Lenten pretzel recipe card with the special poem on it. You can grab your Lenten pretzel recipe download here for just $2.
I also have a how to draw a pretzel video so your kids can create their own pretzel prayer cards! It’s totally free on YouTube so check that out now!
All printable pages are my own artwork and can be used for any not-for-profit use by individuals, families, or educational organizations. Copies may not be sold or reproduced for profit. If you’d like to post this project for others to find, I would ask that you link to my post rather than my individual downloads. When printing or running copies, please do not remove my website from the bottom of the page. Thanks!
You’ll find all of my Lenten resources for kids here
Print Recipe
Lenten Soft Pretzel Recipe
Did you know that the pretzel is a traditional food for lent? In fact, the pretzel was actually invented in order to be a simple Lenten snack!Enjoy this simple soft pretzel recipe during Lent.
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lenten recipes, pretzels
Author: Lacy
Ingredients
- 1 package yeast .25 oz
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 egg
- extra salt for the top of the pretzels large kosher salt works best!
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425°F
Mix yeast, water, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Stir in the flour, and knead until the dough is smooth.
Shape into the form of arms crossed in prayer and place it on a baking sheet.
Brush the dough with a beaten egg to give it a shiny finish. (This is optional. I skipped the egg on mine.) Sprinkle the top with salt.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
Notes
The yield on this recipe depends on how large or small you make your pretzels. However, I would suggest making 5 - 6 pretzels with this recipe.
