Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water (between 110-115 deg F)
1/2 package Rapid Rise yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pretzel (or bagel or margarita) salt (any coarse food grade salt)
2 cups all purpose flour and a little more for dusting
3 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup baking soda
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz grated parmesan cheese
Egg wash consisting of 1 beaten egg and 1 Tbsp water
Warm marinara sauce for dipping
Optional topping:
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 oz grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp fresh rosemary
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
pinch of table salt
Directions
Combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until mixture begins to foam.
Add the flour, butter, yeasty water, and knead on medium-speed for 12 minutes.
Cover dough with a warm damp cloth and place in a warm area of your house to rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
Combine the shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan in a small bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer until needed.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Divide dough into 4 equal rounds.
Roll each round out into a 16" rope.
Roll each rope out so it's 4 inches wide.
Remove cheese from freezer. Add 2 Tbsp of cheese filling evenly along the rope. Don’t overstuff because it will just explode the pretzel during baking.
Tightly roll the dough back into rope, jelly roll style, pinching the edges together.
Make a U shape with each rope of dough, holding the ends.
Cross the ends over each other, pinching ends onto the bottom of the dough. Note: You do not have to make a pretzel shape. They will cook the same and taste the same if you make something like a knot. The idea is to give room for them to bake on the same pan and be easy to hold and eat.
Add 6 cups water and the baking soda to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Place pretzels one at a time into the boiling cooking liquid. Cook for just 30 seconds each, flipping after 15 seconds. Remove pretzels with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drip back into the pot before transferring to prepared baking sheet.
Once all pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops of each with egg wash.
Place pan in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. They should be brown.
Remove pan from oven, turn oven off, and allow pretzels to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before touching.
If using the topping:
In a small bowl combine the cheese, rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
Brush the top of each pretzel with melted butter, then sprinkle on topping.
Serve warm with warm marinara sauce for dipping. They can be refrigerated and warmed up in a microwave, even frozen and last a long time in the freezer if sealed up well.
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