Photos by Stephan Reed
With varieties ranging from chipotle cheddar and peppercorn parmesan to mango habanero and pumpkin spice, it’s evident that creativity is a key ingredient in every pretzel baked by Brezel.
Brittany Baum, owner of the North Market-based pretzel patisserie, makes a point of expressing herself with her clever culinary skills every time she steps in the kitchen.
“We are all passionate about food here and we are all creatively driven,” Baum says. “We encourage our staff to create new things. If we are ever slow, which doesn’t happen much, we play around with different combinations and ingredients.”
Some of these experiments have become fan, and personal, favorites.
“I make one pretzel that tastes exactly like a cherry pie,” she says. “We start out by pitting Bing cherries and fill them with white chocolate. We then cover the whole thing with pretzel dough.”
The pretzel shop’s flavors run the gamut from salty to sweet to savory. One day, the specialty will be dark chocolate and peanut butter; the next, it will be roasted butternut squash.
“The butternut squash pretzel has a little bit of a kick to it,” Baum says. “We make it with cayenne pepper, red pepper and parsley. We’re not afraid to experiment with bolder, more complex flavors.”
The wide variety of unexpected flavor combinations helps make Brezel’s offerings intriguing for a customer in search of any meal. Coconut almond and cinnamon sugar work as desserts; Asiago herb and cracked pepper might be more appealing for lunch or a snack, as might Italian herb and six cheese. An extensive list of dips on the side is the icing on the metaphorical cake.
Of course, amid all the only-at-Brezel pretzels on the menu, the old standby is still available. Even with more than 30 different options, the top seller is the original salted pretzel.
“People love the classic,” Baum says. “It’s simple and people know it. Some customers may not be familiar
with us, so they want to play it safe.”
For those inclined to venture to uncharted treat territories, but who are more apt to dip a toe in the water than plunge in cannonball-style, there are always the pretzel twists. A twist is about one-fifth the size of the standard pretzel, giving a cautious but adventurous customer the chance to try many different flavors without filling up.
“Some people don’t want to commit to one huge pretzel; it can be quite the commitment,” Baum says with a laugh.
Beyond pretzels and twists, Brezel also makes pizza crusts, hot dog buns, hoagies and soup bowls with its dough.
“We’ve had people order the jalapeño pretzel bowl, hollow it out and pour dip into it,” Baum says. “This is so perfect for parties.”
If you’ve seen a Brezel pretzel before and wondered why it looks different from other pretzels, know that there are two key steps that give them their crunchy, shiny, buttery appearance: the treats are hand-rolled and then bathed in lye.
“What really makes us different is our Bavarian style,” Baum says. “It’s a lot more dense and bread-like, and we do not use preservatives.”
Baum picked up those techniques during a trip to – where else? – Germany.
“Coming back here … there was nothing like the German pretzels,” she says. “That’s the whole idea behind Brezel: bringing the German pretzel back here.”
Brezel made its debut in 2008, moving into the North Market in March 2011.
Prior to the business’ founding, Baum had no professional baking and cooking instruction – a fact that may have actually contributed to her creative success. She lets her experiences and creativity stand in place of formal learning.
“Sometimes I just have to wing it or go to Google to find out how to do something,” she says. “I just love what I do.”
Before stepping into the grub game, Baum worked for the state of Ohio in the jobs and services sector, but found herself wanting to explore other pursuits.
“I hated not being creative anymore,” she says. After leaving state employment, “I started making pretzels in my kitchen and selling them at farmers’ markets” with a partner.
The pretzels are sold at a number of local businesses and restaurants, including the Ohio Taproom, the Hills Market, Weiland’s Market, Huffman’s Market, the Crest Pub and Bodega. Baum is looking into the possibility of expanding Brezel’s space at the North Market, too.
More information, including ordering opportunities, can be found at www.brezelpower.com.
Stephan Reed is an editorial associate. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
