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Alsace
A twist of glossy dough, sprinkled with coarse salt, with a mahogany-brown crust and a soft crumb — the crunchy ambassador of Alsatian baking the world over.
Pastry or bakery speciality from Alsace.
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The bretzel is one of the oldest and most symbolic baked goods in Alsace. Its origins remain shrouded in legend: the most widespread places its invention in the year 610 in a monastery — Italian according to certain versions, that of Saint-Gall in Switzerland according to others — where a monk is said to have fashioned this distinctive shape upon observing his fellow brothers praying with their arms crossed.
In the Middle Ages, the bretzel became the emblem of the Alsatian bakers' guild, displayed as a sign — carved or painted — on shopfronts. A second legend, dating from 1477, recounts the story of a baker imprisoned in Bad Urach (Bade-Wurtemberg) for ruining his batch: the lord allegedly promised to spare his life if he managed to bake a bread through which the sun would shine three times — the bretzel, with its three openings, was said to be his answer to this challenge.
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The bretzel belongs to a baking tradition shared with Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and as far as the north-eastern coast of the United States. In Alsace, it developed its own characteristics, notably a particularly soft crumb texture and the food-grade lye bath that gives the mahogany-brown crust its glazed colour and characteristic slightly alkaline flavour.
The Plaine d'Alsace, a major grain-growing region, has supplied high-quality flour for centuries. Alsatian baking has preserved this savoir-faire in its most artisanal forms.
The bretzel is to Strasbourg what the baguette is to Paris — omnipresent, defining, and essential. It can be found in every Alsatian bakery, at the Christmas markets (Christkindelsmärik) of Strasbourg and Colmar, in winstubs and brasseries, and even at Strasbourg airport. The golden bretzel-shaped sign still adorns many bakers' shopfronts in the villages of the Bas-Rhin. At Christmas, giant decorated gingerbread bretzels are hung on Alsatian Christmas trees.
Appearance
Symmetrical twisted shape with two side loops and a thick base. Glossy, lacquered mahogany-brown crust, sprinkled with coarse salt crystals on the arms only. Plump, swollen belly, slender and crisp arms.
Aroma
Slightly alkaline (due to the lye bath), with notes of fresh bread.
Taste
Fresh bread with a subtle toasted note; a bretzel without a distinct flavour profile is not a successful bretzel.
Texture
Slender, crisp arms, almost dry; thick, soft belly on the inside — this contrast of textures is the hallmark of the artisanal bretzel.
the classic, timeless version
spread with unsalted butter after baking, a traditional indulgent version
topped with grated cheese (Comté, Emmental) or melted Munster
festive version dusted with granulated sugar or cinnamon, served at Christmas markets
dry, crisp version, akin to savoury cocktail biscuits
spectacular 40 to 50 cm version, sold in certain bakeries and markets
1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
a slit in the belly, which opens naturally during baking.
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in the oven at 220–230°C, 12 to 15 minutes.
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The bretzel is enjoyed at breakfast with semi-salted butter, as an aperitif with an Alsace beer or a glass of young Riesling, in a mauricette-style sandwich with cervelas and mustard, or as an accompaniment to a platter of charcuterie and cheeses — notably Munster. When it comes to wine pairings, two choices stand out: Riesling, for its palate-cleansing minerality, and Crémant d'Alsace, whose bubbles counterbalance the saltiness of the coarse salt; Alsatian blonde beer remains the most common pairing in traditional winstubs.
The Alsatian bretzel does not benefit from any official geographical protection. An application for UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status has been under consideration since 2022 — originally spearheaded by German bakers, with official support from the German federal government, within a transnational framework that would not exclude Alsace.
Artisanal industry
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The site presents itself as a specialist in Alsatian bretzels and savoury aperitif biscuits since 1935. Since 2017, it has been home to La Fabrique à Bretzels, a visitor space spanning more than 500 m² born of the Boehli brand's desire to open its production to the public in full transparency—the first site dedicated to the bretzel in Alsace. Visitors discover the history of the bretzel as well as the behind-the-scenes workings of its manufacture; at weekends, the factory does not operate and the tour continues on screens.
| Address | 14 Rue des Genêts, 67110 Gundershoffen, France |
| +33 3 88 07 16 75 | |
| info@lafabriqueabretzels.fr | |
| lafabriqueabretzels.fr | |
| Facebook page | |
| @lafabriqueabretzels | |
| Visits | Yes |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2000. |