chewy cheddar ranch stuffed soft pretzels
DAS OKTOBERFEST.
I always find it humorous that Oktoberfest falls in September, and apparently the main reason this is so is because the weather is more agreeable in Germany. I guess in October – ahem, Oktober – the chilliness swirls in and fewer people want to hang outside for the carnivals and festivities.
My heritage on my dad’s side is German (hence my last name, Karbach) but I can’t say I have close cultural ties to the country. Nor am I here to pretend I do. However, I always enjoy the nods to the big Munich-based happening because a) Oktoberfest and festbiers tend to be stupendous, b) some fun races themed for Oktoberfest occur this time of year, and c) I have an excuse to whip out my genetic predisposition to bomb-ass soft pretzel-baking.
The festivities officially kicked off this past weekend, so we’re moseying into the week with these beautiful Chewy Cheddar Ranch Stuffed Soft Pretzels. I am so proud of these fuckers. They’re buttery and cheesy and spiced up with an easy homemade ranch seasoning that is also the basis for my homemade dressing. I’d recommend you get on whipping that up for the occasion. Even if Oktoberfest isn’t your pint of beer, football season certainly warrants a batch for your Sunday afternoon soirees.
Yes, soft pretzels are a bit of a labor of love, but they are not difficult, and the end product is definitely worth the patience and potential back pain from leaning over a table rolling out the ropes. You’ll have fun with these. I sure did.
Bitter Beer Dough
Well, ideally not bitter. Buy a fresh can or bottle of Oktoberfest to use in this recipe, for the sake of satisfying continuity.
Warm your beer a little in the microwave until you can poke a finger in it and feel a little heat, but not want to recoil. Stir in honey and yeast and let that yeast proof until very foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Yeast loves beer. Kindred spirits and all that.
Dump all that in a large mixing bowl and add flour and salt. Turn your bread hook to low and knead until the dough is soft, tacky, but relatively firm, about 10-15 minutes. This pretzel dough is lean, meaning it contains no added fat, so it will be harder than a brioche or a pizza dough.
Once your dough ball is formed to its proper texture, grease a clean bowl, turn the ball over twice to coat, and cover with plastic. Rest for 60-90 minutes or so in a warm area to let that baby riiiiiise.
Cheese Please
Instead of leaping straight into forming ropes from our dough, we’ll make some flat rectangles in order to stuff them. A little extra step, but one that’s SO WORTHY.
Divide your dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a roughly 12 x 3 inch rectangle. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese through the length, then a dash of ranch seasoning: parsley, dill, garlic, and onion, with a bit of salt and pepper to flavor.
Pinch the seams of each rectangle together to seal in the filling, and tuck the ends onto themselves as well. Gently roll out each rope into a slightly longer version of itself. Then, we do The Twist! And shout, maybe.
Twirl on end of the pretzel rope towards the center. Overlap the second. Then, twist them around one another once and pinch the ends on the bottom of the dough. Look at the photos and you’ll see what I mean.
Place your cute little pretzels on two big baking sheets lined with parchment – four to each – and cover with a clean towel. Let them rest and get a little poofy.
Fire Burn and Pretzel Bubble
Please, no fire.
Boil a big pot of water. Toss in some baking soda. The baking soda creates that pretzel-y crust on the surface that is so well loved by pretzel fiends like me. Sure, it will not be as stark as a “proper” pretzel since many recipes use food-grade lye to achieve the texture. But it’ll be close.
Gently place two pretzels at a time into their baking soda bath. Use a spoon to baste the tops with the water. They’ll hang out for only 30 seconds before you remove them with a slotted spoon back onto their baking sheet home. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Pat the pretzels dry with a paper towel – and the parchment surrounding, too much moisture will yield a soft and doughy pretzel when baked. Whisk an egg and brush the wash over the surface of the pretzels.
Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. The pretzels will turn golden and buttery and smell divine. Pull them out and serve them immediately with the aforementioned ranch and/or grainy mustard.
If you’re going full Oktoberfest, grill up some sausages or bratwurst, pull out a bag of sauerkraut, and maybe make an apfelstrudel for dessert. Oh, and don’t forget a pint of brew!
PS – pretzels freeze extremely well and reheat nicely if you don’t pull any shortcuts and actually use your oven to do so. Warm the dudes at 350 for 10-12 minutes. The texture will be largely preserved this way. Hoorah!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More for your gameday feeding frenzy:
Hot Honey Caprese Whipped Ricotta
Herb and Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Cheddar Ranch Jalapeno Poppers
Chipotle BBQ Sweet Potato Nachos
chewy cheddar ranch stuffed soft pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup beer (preferably an Oktoberfest/festbier!), warm
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 3 – 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- coarse kosher salt/pretzel salt, to sprinkle
Instructions
- Add the beer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the honey and yeast. Proof until the yeast is puffy and foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of the flour and salt. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and knead on low speed until a tacky but firm dough forms, about 10-15 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve the correct texture.
- Lightly grease a clean bowl with oil. Turn the dough over twice to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and rise 60-90 minutes until roughly doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 8 balls. Roll each ball into a roughly 12 x 3 inch rectangle. Fill each strip with 3-4 tablespoons cheese and 1 teaspoon of ranch seasoning. Fold in the seams the long way, tuck in the ends, and gently stretch the rope to lengthen to about 16 inches. Coil one end of the rope towards the center, then overlap the second, and twist once to create the pretzel shape. If you're confused, look at the photos. They explain much better than my ass does.
- Set the finished pretzels on the baking sheet, 4 to each. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm area for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda. Working 2 at a time, drop the pretzels into the water and splash the tops carefully with a spoon. Boil 30 seconds, then remove to the baking sheets with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drip back into the pot. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
- Blot the pretzels and the parchment surrounding with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Brush each pretzel liberally with the egg wash. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with salt and serve with mustard or homemade ranch dressing!
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