Pretzels of Lititz

Pretzels have an ancient history, but the origin of the pretzel remains a mystery. There are many stories as to how the first pretzel was created, the most common being that in 610 A.D. Italian monks used scraps of dough to form the shape of children’s arms in prayer, with three holes to represent the Christian Trinity. They were called “pretiola” in Latin or “little reward” and were given to children who learned their bible verses and prayers.

In 1861, after eleven years as a baker, Julius Sturgis stopped making bread and established the first commercial pretzel bakery in America.

Their pretzel tour not only gives a complete history and demonstration of how the pretzels are made.

They also teach a hands on training course of how to properly twist a pretzel complete with certification. I am now a pretzel twisting fool with papers to prove it.