A Luxembourg tradition on Pretzel Sunday

As spring approaches in Luxembourg, a sweet tradition is celebrated: Bretzelsonndeg, the third Sunday of Lent. On this day, men traditionally give a large sweet bretzel to their partner or to someone they like as a symbolic gesture of affection. At Easter, the gesture is returned with an egg. In a leap year, the tradition is reversed: women give a bretzel to the men instead.

Even today, Bretzelsonndeg remains an important part of Luxembourgish culture. Bakeries across the country fill their displays with sweet bretzels, often decorated with almonds and icing, and many families also bake them at home. With this recipe, you can easily prepare this beloved Luxembourgish specialty in your own kitchen.

Ingredients (about 1 large and 2–3 smaller bretzels)

For the yeast dough

• 400 g wheat flour type 550
• 100 g wheat flour type 405
• 10–12 g fresh yeast
• 60 g sugar
• 75 g soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt

For the nut filling

• 125 g ground hazelnuts
• 65 g sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2–3 tbsp cream or milk
• optional ½ tsp vanilla sugar

For brushing, decorating & icing

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp milk
• sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1–2 tbsp water or lemon juice

Preparation

Prepare the yeast dough

Dissolve the yeast in a small amount of the lukewarm milk. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Add the yeast mixture, the remaining milk, the egg and the soft butter.

Knead everything into a smooth dough, then continue kneading for about 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes soft, elastic and smooth.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover it 

and let it rise for 1½ to 2 hours, until it has roughly doubled in size.

Prepare the nut filling

Mix the ground hazelnuts with the sugar.

Add the egg white and gradually stir in a little cream or milk until a smooth, spreadable mixture forms.

Prepare the dough

Place the risen dough on a lightly floured work surface and gently press it down to release some of the air. Divide the dough into several pieces, depending on whether you want to make one large bretzel or several smaller ones.

Fill the bretzels

Roll one piece of dough into a long rectangle. Cut the rectangle lengthwise to create two long strips. Spread a thin layer of the nut filling over one strip, leaving a small border around the edges.

Place the second strip on top and gently press it down. Carefully roll the filled dough into a long rope.

Shape the bretzel

Roll the rope slightly longer with your hands. Make sure that:

• the middle remains slightly thicker
• the ends are rolled thinner

Form the rope into a U-shape.

Cross the ends once and place them on the lower curve to create the traditional bretzel shape. Leave the openings slightly larger, as they will shrink during baking.

Second rise

Place the shaped bretzels on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rest for 30–40 minutes.

Bake

Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush the bretzels with the mixture. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (top and bottom heat):

• small bretzels: about 14–16 minutes
• larger bretzels: about 18–22 minutes

The bretzels should be golden brown.

Finish

While still slightly warm, brush the bretzels with warmed apricot jam.

For the icing, mix the powdered sugar with water or lemon juice until thick and smooth. Drizzle the icing between the almonds on the bretzels.

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