Las Vegas woman brings Munich-style pretzels to local restaurants

Vegas Voices is a series highlighting notable Las Vegans.

Claudia Hillmeier’s life has been full of twists.

Growing up in Munich, Germany, the soft pretzel capital of the universe, she found herself seeking out the yeasty, salty breadstuffs on her travels around the world, but none seemed to measure up. She began a career in motorsports, and a trade show brought her to Las Vegas 15 years ago. After suffering through an inferior pretzel at a local convention center — and learning that a local outpost of her hometown’s storied Hofbrauhaus was to open here — she found a new calling.

Now, she says, “I’m a Vegas girl by choice.” She’s also the owner of Prop &Peller, a company she started in 2012 to make the pretzels. Current clients include the Hofbrauhauses in Las Vegas and across the country, plus Topgolf at the MGM Grand, Lagasse’s Stadium at Palazzo, Gilley’s BBQ at Treasure Island, Hexx and Beer Park at Paris Las Vegas, Cafe Berlin, Rounders Grilling &Gaming, GameWorks and PKWY Tavern.

“The list is long,” she said.

For the Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas, Hillmeier said the pretzels are made in Munich, blast-frozen and transported by container ship.

“In the beginning we flew them, but you can imagine the volume.” They’re finished at the Hofbrauhaus.

For the other clients, Hillmeier said, the pretzels are made here with authentic ingredients, in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, or German Purity Law, of 1516, which dictates the guidelines for authentic German beer. That means all ingredients are natural, with no artificial chemicals, preservatives, process enhancers such as artificial enzymes or yeast nutrients, or cheap starches such as rice and corn. Pretzels, pretzel buns and Bavarian mustard are available at propandpeller.com; pretzels, buns, pretzel bites, waffles and German desserts at qvc.com; and pretzel buns at supermarkets around the country, including Sprouts Farmers Market in Southern Nevada.

RJ: Why are you so focused on pretzels?

Hillmeier: I was born and raised in Munich. Our favorite snack in Munich is pretzels; it starts at baby age, everybody has a soft pretzel for breakfast. Every time I would travel with my dad around the globe, I would say, “Daddy, I want a pretzel.” He’d say, “Well, they don’t make them here like we make them.” I said, “When I grow up, I’ll make sure everybody can have the best pretzels, like we do.” And he’d say, “Yeah, sure, that’s what you’re gonna do.”

Was that your career path?

I ended up in motorsports, the motorcycle and car industry. Traveling the world, I wondered, “Why don’t people have great pretzels like we do everywhere?” Pretzels were a red line across my life.

How did you get into the pretzel business?

I came to the U.S. because of pretzels. I came to Las Vegas for the first time in 2003. I bought a pretzel at a trade show, at the convention center. Then I heard about the Hofbrauhaus opening. OK, this is it; this is going to be my first client or partner. I’m going to start a pretzel company and bring a great product to the U.S. This was about the time the really nice artisan bread came up; before that, it was Wonder Bread. Good bread was starting to be appreciated. But nobody’s doing pretzels.

How did you get started?

I walked into the Hofbrauhaus, which was still under construction. We hit it off right away. We’ve been partners and friends ever since. I started importing them from Munich for the Hofbrauhaus, and for a lot of other customers. People would go to the Hofbrauhaus and say, “Those are the best pretzels I ever ate.” One part of the business was doing all of the food imports for the Hofbrauhaus; they import the beer, but also most of the specialty foods. Meanwhile, we grew the market for the pretzels.

How are German pretzels different from American ones?

We’re way pickier, it seems, with the ingredients. It takes a special flour, and the bakery has their own combination of enzymes that make the dough natural, a special yeast that makes the dough very airy and very light. The pretzels here are much more dense. We proof it a lot, and get those nice air pockets. We go through a four-hour process where everything develops naturally. It doesn’t fill you up and make you feel bloated. (American pretzel-makers) don’t let the dough raise the old-fashioned way; it’s a 15-minute process versus four hours. There’s a lot of sugar and fat as well, which we don’t use.

Any secrets you can share?

We use a brine. They’re baked (not boiled and baked, like bagels), but with the baking, the brine turns into the specific pretzel taste. You need that process. Also, you can’t take just any dough and dip it in the brine and bake it and it turns into a pretzel. The moment you’re off with the proofing, too old or too young, you don’t get the pretzel taste. It’s very weird, a very sensitive thing.

Is there a big market in the United States for soft pretzels?

Absolutely, once people taste it. As long as you don’t know the difference, nobody cares. We really started a movement in the U.S. with the Bavarian-style pretzel; now, it’s almost like its own category. People really appreciate it. It has a different feel, just like when you bite into fresh bread. I think Americans have become more aware of what they eat.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.