Large Romanian salt pretzels in the Air Fryer
Large, airy salt pretzels with a glossy crust and a chewy crumb — Romanian covrigi, just like the ones sold from street stalls in Bucharest. The baking soda bath gives them their colour, and the air fryer does the rest in a quarter of an hour.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 400 g wheat flour Plus a little for the work surface
- 7 g dry yeast Equivalent to 1 sachet
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 ml lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Baking soda bath
- 2 l water
- 2 tbsp baking soda
Topping
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp coarse salt E.g. flaky sea salt
Instructions
Dough
- Mix 400 g wheat flour, 7 g dry yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt thoroughly in a mixing bowl.
- Add 250 ml lukewarm water and 2 tbsp olive oil, and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until it's smooth and pulls away from the bowl. It should be firmer than a regular bread dough, so the pretzels hold their shape.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough to rise somewhere warm for 60 minutes, until it's roughly doubled in size.
Shaping and baking soda bath
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a rope about 50 cm long. Fold the rope in half, twist the two halves around each other, and close the twist into a ring by pressing the ends firmly together. This closed ring is exactly what sets covrigi apart from a German pretzel.
- Bring 2 l water to the boil in a large pot and stir in 2 tbsp baking soda a little at a time — the water will foam up vigorously. Turn the heat down so the water just simmers.
- Dip one ring at a time in the baking soda water for 20-30 seconds, turning it as you go, and lift it out with a slotted spoon. Let it drain well.
- Sprinkle the rings with 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsp poppy seeds and 1 tbsp coarse salt while they're still damp — this way the topping sticks during baking.
Baking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 170 °C.
- Line the basket with baking paper and poke a few holes in it so the air can circulate. Bake 2-3 pretzels at a time in a single layer at 170 °C for 14 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Turn them after 8 minutes so they get colour all the way round.
- Let the pretzels cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes, so the crust sets. Bake the rest the same way.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
The baking soda bath gives the pretzels their dark, glossy crust and characteristic flavour. Dip them for just 20-30 seconds — any longer gives them a soapy aftertaste. Use a firm dough; a wet dough will lose its ring shape in the water. Variation:
Sprinkle with whole caraway seeds or roughly chopped walnuts instead of the seeds. For a sweet version, skip the coarse salt and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar instead. Serving:
Enjoy them warm, ideally with butter and a piece of firm cheese. They're also great with a hearty bean soup. About the shape:
Covrigi are shaped into closed rings — that's what sets them apart from the German pretzel, where the strands are crossed over each other. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake 2 pretzels at a time. The dough is fine waiting on the counter in the meantime.
The baking soda bath gives the pretzels their dark, glossy crust and characteristic flavour. Dip them for just 20-30 seconds — any longer gives them a soapy aftertaste. Use a firm dough; a wet dough will lose its ring shape in the water. Variation:
Sprinkle with whole caraway seeds or roughly chopped walnuts instead of the seeds. For a sweet version, skip the coarse salt and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar instead. Serving:
Enjoy them warm, ideally with butter and a piece of firm cheese. They're also great with a hearty bean soup. About the shape:
Covrigi are shaped into closed rings — that's what sets them apart from the German pretzel, where the strands are crossed over each other. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake 2 pretzels at a time. The dough is fine waiting on the counter in the meantime.
