chewy cheddar ranch stuffed soft pretzels
Viva Oktoberfest! Definitely not the same language but that's okay! Prost!
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!
Notes
*Homemade ranch: Check out my ranch recipe for dipping these pretzels. 10/10 recommend.
*To store: Pretzels keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and the freezer for a month. To reheat, bake the pretzels at 350 for 10-12 minutes until warmed through.