Lancaster County brings to mind images of the rolling countryside, horses and buggies traveling along the streets, and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Chances are, you have probably tried one of these classic snacks that the region is known for, the sourdough pretzel.
Hammond’s Pretzels began in 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression. Bill Lichty had lost his job. Lichty decided to launch his own pretzel business with the help of his grandfather and neighbor, William Hammond. Hammond had been a pretzel baker in the late 1800s and was able to provide Lichty with a recipe for his pretzels.
Lichty and Hammond lived in the houses that are in front of their current Lancaster location which, has remained the same for the eighty-four years that the company has been in business. Eventually, Lichty’s father Joe, who lived a few houses away, joined the business.
To make the pretzels, dough is kneaded, scored, and rolled by hand before being twisted into its iconic shape. The pretzels are then placed on a board, and the boards are placed on a rack where the pretzels rise naturally. After that, each pretzel is cooked in a hot soda ash solution and then drained once it rises to the top of the liquid. Next, salt is added by hand. The pretzels are baked, moved to a drying oven that slowly removes their moisture, and finally packaged in Hammond’s trademark green and orange bags.
In addition to their traditional hand-rolled sourdough pretzels, Hammond’s Pretzels offers chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered pretzel clusters. Milk, dark, and white chocolate, as well as peanut butter coating, are all options for a sweet and salty treat. In order to fulfill customer requests, they have added handmade pretzel rods (made at the Hammond’s Pretzel location with the same original sourdough recipe) and sourdough skinnies, which are thin, machine-produced sourdough pretzels made for Hammond’s Pretzels at a separate location.
Over the course of time, Hammond’s Pretzels has incorporated new generations of leaders, and they are now operating under the direction of the fifth generation, president Brian Nicklaus and vice-president Karen Achtermann. They also still use the original Hammond’s Pretzel recipe, vegetable oil substituted for shortening.
Hammond’s Pretzels are shipped to all fifty states and around the world thanks to their website, where customers can order the Pennsylvania Dutch snack. Hammond’s Pretzels prides itself in having a small business that still makes their products by hand. Future plans include maintaining their current Lancaster location and continuing to grow the company at a steady pace while adhering to the Hammond’s commitment of tradition and quality.
Virtual tour of the pretzel making process: www.hammondpretzels.com/pretmake.aspx Visit Hammond’s Pretzel Bakery: 716 S. West End Ave., Lancaster www.hammondpretzels.com / 717-392-7532
