Lititz Pretzels and the Pretzel Bakery Tour

Lititz pretzels are the hard, crisp, salted twists baked in a small Lancaster County town that is home to a well-known pretzel bakery. Visitors can tour the bakery, try twisting a pretzel by hand and buy bags to carry home. Check the bakery's own site for current tours.

What are Lititz pretzels?

The hard pretzels of Lititz are baked until dry and crisp, so they keep for weeks in a tin. They are a different food from the soft, doughy pretzel sold at a ballpark. Lancaster County and its neighbors in Pennsylvania are the center of the American hard pretzel industry, and Lititz is a good town to see how the pretzels are made.

A good hard pretzel snaps cleanly, tastes of toasted wheat and salt and has a slight sweetness from the dough. It is a simple snack made with care.

Is a pretzel bakery tour in Lititz worth it?

For anyone curious about the snack, yes. A tour is the easiest way to see the whole process, from rolling and twisting the dough to baking and drying, and you leave knowing why a good hard pretzel snaps. It suits families and groups of friends, and it pairs well with a stroll along the town's main street. Tours vary, so check the bakery's own site before you plan around one.

How does a hard pretzel differ from a soft pretzel?

Hard and soft pretzels share a shape and a salt, and not much else. A soft pretzel is a bread: a chewy, baked dough dipped in a lye or baking soda bath, eaten warm with mustard. A hard pretzel is a snack: the dough is baked, then dried in the oven so it becomes crisp and long-lasting. Pennsylvania makes both, and the Philadelphia soft pretzel has its own tradition.

The soft pretzels and water ice guide for Philadelphia tells the soft side of the story.

Why does Lancaster County make so many pretzels?

Because of who settled it. German-speaking immigrants brought pretzel baking to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the farm country around Lancaster and Berks Counties gave them wheat, salt and a market. By the late nineteenth century pretzel bakeries were common in the region's towns, and the state still produces a large share of the nation's pretzels. The hard pretzel suited farm life: it kept, it traveled and it cost little. A bag in a pantry meant a snack for weeks, which explains why the habit stuck.

What is it like to try pretzel twisting?

A guided visit lets you handle the dough. A baker shows how to roll a rope, cross the ends and loop them into the traditional shape, and then the group has a go. Children and adults both find it harder than it looks, and the results are cheerfully lopsided. The tour usually includes a look at the old ovens and a talk about the history. Check the bakery's site for tour times.

How do you buy and store Lititz pretzels?

Buy them at the bakery or from local shops, in bags or tins. Check the date, and choose a bag that is sealed. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and they will keep their snap for a few weeks. If they soften, a few minutes in a low oven brings them back. They make a good gift because they travel well.

Try several shapes: the traditional twist, rods, sourdough rounds and nuggets all taste a little different. Salt level varies, and so does the bake: a darker pretzel tastes toastier, a paler one tastes sweeter. Buy a small bag of two or three types and compare them at home with a drink. Rate each type by the dish in the Mosey app with a short note on the salt and the bake, so you remember which bag to buy again. Locals dip them in mustard, cheese spread or peanut butter, and a pretzel with a mug of soup is a classic cold-weather snack.

What else is there to eat in Lititz?

A small, pretty town with a main street of cafes, a chocolate shop, a bakery or two and a few restaurants. The Lancaster city restaurants guide covers the city a short drive away, and the Lancaster County roadside stands guide covers the farms around it. Wander the main street and let the smell of coffee choose.

How do tags and ratings help?

In the Mosey app, you can rate a place with stars and add a dish, such as a bag of sourdough pretzels, with its own rating. Tags such as Bakery and Family Friendly describe the place, and a diner can look for them in the Find sheet. A tag is a note from someone who was there. Rating several bakeries with a tag can earn a badge, starting at five different places.

Where next in Lancaster County?

The Lancaster whoopie pie guide covers the sweet side of the county, and the Pennsylvania Dutch regional foods guide explains the wider table. The US food guides hold the rest of the country.

Heading somewhere else in Pennsylvania? The Food in Pennsylvania page links the rest.

Before the bag is empty, open the Mosey app, rate your favorite pretzel by the dish and start a list called Pennsylvania snacks that your friends can add to.