Cheese Garlic Soft Pretzels
Soft and chewy homemade pretzels with orange cheddar and garlic
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 12 pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 and 1/4 tsps active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp brown or white sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tbsps melted butter
- 1 and 1/2 tsps salt
- 3 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 cups grated orange cheddar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Baking soda bath: 8 cups water + 1/3 cup baking soda (see notes)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir and cover with clingfilm and set aside for 5 minutes until frothy.
- In the meantime, combine the butter, salt, flour, 1 cup cheddar (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup) and garlic powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or use a large mixing bowl if doing this by hand).
- Give this all a quick stir to disperse the cheese, then pour in the yeast mixture. Let the mixer run on medium speed until the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky. When you poke it, it should slowly bounce back. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes (by hand as well).
- Take the dough out of the bowl, knead it lightly by hand to make it completely smooth, then form into a ball, place it back in the bowl and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, covered.
- In the meantime, bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a sturdy pot. Line two baking sheets with non stick baking paper or line them with silicone baking mats. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- Take the dough out of the bowl (I like to place it on the piece of clingfilm I cover the bowl with), pat it into a rough rectangle and cut into 12 equal pieces (see notes).
- Work with one piece at a time. Roll it out into a long rope about 20 inches long. It will seem a little difficult but use your palms and fingers to get it as long and thin as possible so that you end up with the neatest pretzel. Bring the ends of the rope together and twist (see photo below), then lift and bring them down to the base of the pretzel, pressing lightly to help them stick.
- Gently lift and drop the shaped pretzel into the boiling baking soda bath. It will float towards the surface in a few seconds. Let it soak for 10 to 20 seconds at the most, then lift out using a slotted spoon, draining as much water as you can. Place onto the prepared baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. You can also shape all the pretzels first and then dip them one by one in the bath, whichever is easier. Keep in mind that you'll need to work quickly either way, because because as the dough sits, it does get puffier so the chances of the pretzels losing their shape is higher. Once you're done with the baking soda bath, use your fingertips to reshape any puffy or uneven bits. Remember to leave at least two inches between each pretzel. I could fit four at a time on my baking trays.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each pretzel. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top. They will puff up further as they bake.
- Best eaten fresh and warm, but if you're eating them later, cool completely on a wire rack, then store in an airtight tin for 2 to 3 days, and in the fridge or freezer for longer. Happy baking and a very happy new year!
Notes
*I think you could also make 16 pretzels out of this dough. The reason I say this is it's easier to work with smaller pretzels since I found they lose their shape a bit while transferring them in and out of the baking soda bath.
*I used 1/3 cup baking soda because I ran out though the original recipe uses 1/2 cup. I didn't feel there was any issue with getting a nice deep colour on the top with the smaller amount of baking soda, but feel free to use more if you like.
*I used Go orange cheddar here, but you can use a regular white cheddar too.
*Cook time is per batch of pretzels. I could bake four at a time so if you're concerned this process takes a while, you can even halve the recipe.
*Original recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction