The pretzel is an old European symbol that has become associated with bakeries. The origin of the pretzel goes back to 610 AD in an area near Aosta, Italy. The legend goes like this: A young monk was preparing unleavened bread for Lent, the Christian period of fasting and penitence before Easter.

Some say they were originally called “bracellae,” the Latin term for “little arms,” from which Germans later derived the word “bretzel.” According to others, the earliest pretzels were dubbed “pretiolas,” meaning “little rewards,” and handed out by the monks when their young pupils recited their prayers correctly.

1971 History. In 1971, Gerry Shreiber bought a struggling pretzel company in bankruptcy court for about $70,000. Shreiber's plan was to market soft pretzels to sports stadiums, which at the time had a limited menu.

Legend has it that the pretzel was invented by an Italian monk in the year 610 A.D. To reward young children for learning their prayers, he supposedly folded strips of bread dough to resemble the crossed arms of praying children. He called his creation pretiola, which meant “little rewards."

The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, founded in 1861, is the first commercial pretzel bakery in America; and the Sturgis Family is the oldest pretzel baking family in America. Learn how Sturgis' old fashioned recipes and methods were established and how they're still used today!

The origins of the pretzel There is a story told by the Catholic Church that the first pretzel was created by a monk in Northern Italy around 610 CE. The young monk was preparing bread for Lent and, using the dough left over, created the pretzel shape.

Soft pretzels have a shorter baking time Soft pretzels can usually be baked in 15 minutes; hard pretzels, meanwhile, must be baked for up to an hour. The longer baking time further dries out the pretzel. And, as we have discussed, the lack of moisture is what gives the hard pretzel its brittle texture.

soft Early pretzels were of the “soft” variety; hard pretzels are something of a relatively modern invention. However, contrary to popular belief, hard pretzels did not originate in 1600 when a baker fell asleep while he was tending his fire, burning pretzels to a crisp, as good of a story as that might have been.

The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery About. The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, founded in 1861, is the first commercial pretzel bakery in America; and the Sturgis Family is the oldest pretzel baking family in America.

Our founder, Gerald B. Shreiber, changed his life forever when he purchased the failing J&J Pretzel Co. for $72,100. Quickly he strategized on how to market the next big snack item and soon the SUPERPRETZEL® was born.

United States

• Auntie Anne's.
• Federal Pretzel Baking Company.
• Hot Sam Pretzels.
• J & J Snack Foods Corporation (SuperPretzel)
• Nabisco (Mister Salty)
• Pretzelmaker.
• Rold Gold.
• Snyder's of Hanover.

In Germany, pretzels are often eaten as a quick snack. You can get them at every bakery and even at many service stations. Germans also love to eat their pretzels cut in half with a thick layer of butter and chopped chives on top. You have to try this combination!

Pretzels were originally invented in Italy as far back as 610 AD, where the earliest reports state that Italian monks used the pretiolas, or “little rewards,” to encourage their pupils to study harder. Soon, the popularity of these treats spread to Austria and Germany, where they became known as bretzels.

And today, just 88 years later, Reading is the pretzel capital of the world. An article in the Lancaster “Volksfreund” of July 30, 1879, states that “the first pretzel in the United States is said to have been baked in the city of Lancaster by one Scherle in the year 1827.

Reading PA Reading PA: The Pretzel Capital of the U.S. If making and baking marvelous pretzels weren't enough, Reading can also lay claim to being home to the first automated pretzel twisting machine. Up until 1935, pretzel twisting was still being done by hand with expert pretzel makers twisting roughly 240 pretzels an hour.

In the 19th century, Pennsylvania Dutch, as the German immigrants became known, baked pretzels at home. It wasn't until 1861 that a commercial pretzel industry took root, when one enterprising baker named Julius Sturgis opened a pretzel bakery in Lititz, PA.