The Butterbrezel, the German pretzel that is eaten with butter instead of cheese or mustard
In southern Germany, pretzels are usually eaten with butter, an ingredient that rarely appears in American breweries.
The giant pretzels in German beer halls are usually served with mustard or cheese, a combination that might seem typical in the United States. In southern Germany, including Bavaria, they also make Butterbrezel, or Butterbrezn: a fresh pretzel cut in half, spread with butter, and closed like a sandwich. Some versions include chopped fresh chives.
According to a post on the r/germany subreddit, there are two styles. One is cut along the thicker end and spread with butter; the other is filled from the inside. The latter is primarily associated with Bavaria, where a machine called a Butterbrezelfüllmaschine (butter-filling machine) inserts the butter into the pretzel. While the machine-filled version is less cumbersome, the cut-and-butter method is the easiest to replicate at home.
While room temperature butter might seem like the best option, tradition dictates that pretzels are eaten with cold butter. What does matter is the type of butter: European butter has a higher fat content than American butter, resulting in a richer, creamier texture, and is ideal when butter is the star ingredient, such as when spreading it on a soft pretzel.
Choosing between salted and unsalted butter is a matter of preference and depends on how salty the pretzel already is. Those who don't want much salt will look for a creamy, unsalted butter with a high fat content. Those who enjoy salt will pair the salted pretzel with a salted European butter.
