Julius Sturgis: America's first commercial pretzel bakery

Julius Sturgis: America's first commercial pretzel bakery

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, in Lititz, Pa, began in 1861 and is America's first commercial pretzel bakery

How a Baking Accident in 1861 Launched America’s Pretzel Industry

The story of American pretzels traces back to a single building in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Julius Sturgis opened what is credited as the nation's first commercial pretzel bakery there in 1861, setting in motion a snack industry now deeply woven into the culture of the Northeast. The origin story involves a happy mistake. Working as a soft pretzel apprentice, Sturgis accidentally baked a batch twice during a summer heat spell, producing a dry, cris…