Pretzels come in many shapes and sizes, from the giant to the tiny. They can be hard or soft, and sweet or savoury. A pretzel is basically a bread dough twisted into what is known as the 'pretzel loop', briefly boiled similar to bagels and glazed before baking for a shiny effect. They are popular in Europe, Germany in particular, and the USA. I'd actually never eaten a pretzel before I made them from scratch myself as they're not very common in the UK, but now I'm a huge fan! I love these Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip as they are salty, chewy and absolutely moreish. However I do also love a sweet pretzel dipped in Nutella and you can easily adapt this recipe to make sweet pretzels too!
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For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip
Start by mixing the strong white bread flour, salt and fast action yeast together in a large bowl. Add the milk, water and oil and mix it into a dough. Knead the dough in the mixer for 10 minutes, or by hand. Put the dough into an oiled bowl and leave it to rise for an hour in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
After the hour is up, knock the air out of the dough on a lightly floured surface, then divide it into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece out into a long, thin sausage about 18" long. To make the 'pretzel loop' cross over the two ends, then twist them around and bring them back on each other, and secure them by pressing gently. Then boil each pretzel for 20 seconds in the water and bicarbonate of soda.
Place them onto the baking tray, give them an egg wash and sprinkle over sesame seed and rock salt. Bake for 20 minutes until they are golden. To make the cheese sauce, make a rue with butter and flour, then add milk and heat the mixture until it thickens. Then add your favourite cheese and some smoked paprika.
These Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip are chewy, salty and delicious. Dipping the warm fresh pretzels into the hot cheese sauce was absolutely heavenly! Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip would be perfect as a party snack, or any gathering where you can sit around the bowl of cheese and dip until it's all gone!
How to make sweet pretzels!
Egg wash and bake the pretzels as detailed above, then when they're hot from the oven brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar - dip in warm Nutella or chocolate sauce!!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
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Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g Strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Vegetable or sunflower oil
- 7 g Sachet of fast action dried yeast
- 150 ml Semi skimmed milk
- 165 ml Tepid water
For boiling
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
For topping
- 1 Egg beaten, for glazing
- 1 tbsp Rock salt
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
For the cheese sauce
- 25 g Plain flour
- 45 g Butter
- 350 ml Semi skimmed milk
- 100 g Grated cheese of your choice, I recommend mature cheddar or blue cheese
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika optional
If you want to make sweet pretzels!
- 3 tbsp Caster sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 35 g Butter melted
- Nutella warmed
Instructions
For the pretzels
- In a large bowl mix together the strong white bread flour, salt and yeast
- Mix the milk, water and oil together in a jug, and add to the bowl of flour
- Mix the ingredients together until a dough forms, then knead by hand or in a mixer fitted with a dough hook for 10 minutes until it becomes a smooth and soft dough
- Put the dough into an oiled bowl covered with cling film and leave it somewhere warm for 1 hour until it has doubled in size
- Knock the dough back on a floured surface, then cut the dough into 12 equal pieces
- Roll each piece of dough out into long, thin sausage about 18" long
- Twist each piece into the 'pretzel loop' by crossing over the two ends, then twisting them around and bringing them back on each other. Secure the ends by pressing gently
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/200C/400F/Gas Mark 6, line two baking trays with baking paper and get a pot of water boiling on the stove. Add the Bicarbonate of soda to the boiling water
- Boil each pretzel for 20 seconds, then place onto the baking trays. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to lower them into the water and fish them out
- Brush the beaten egg over the pretzels, then sprinkle on the sesame seeds and rock salt
- Bake the pretzels for 20 minutes until golden brown
- For the sweet pretzels, once they have finish baking brush them with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over them generously and leave to cool
For the cheese sauce
- Melt the butter in a pan
- Add the flour, stir together and cook for a couple of minutes
- Add the milk slowly, whisking well between each addition to avoid creating lumps. Once all added, bring to a medium heat and keep stirring constantly until the mixture thickens
- Remove from the heat, add the cheese and stir in. Serve immediately
If you want to make sweet pretzels!
- Follow the instructions to make the pretzels. Brush with egg and bake, do not add the salt or sesame seeds
- Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together
- When you take the pretzels out of the oven, brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over them
- Dip in warm Nutella if desired
Sarah Barnes
These look great Kat. I dont think I've ever had pretzels before but I'm tempted now! Are you going to the Xmas markets soon btw?
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Thanks Sarah! There are so good, especially with chocolate spread! I went today actually but they were so busy I didn't even buy anything though.
Sarah Barnes
Chocolate spread... yum!! I'm back home briefly this weekend and hoping to try and get to the markets. Will let you know if I manage it!
Sally
I absolutely love this recipe! I was wanting to make pretzels for a while but the recipes I seen looked daunting. Super easy recipe to follow and the end result is SO yummy!
thebakingexplorer
Thank you Sally, I'm so glad to hear this!
Nikita Gordon
Made these pretzels. Recipe so easy to follow. Great results. Didn’t egg was but still really nice and tasty. Would defo make again
Daria
Just wondering what tepid water means i’m kinda daft 😂
thebakingexplorer
Hi, it means room temperature water 🙂