Soft Pretzels with Pretzel Dip
Chewy homemade Soft Pretzels are easy to make and hard to resist! Dip them into a creamy, mustard-spiked cheese sauce for the perfect afternoon snack.
Servings: 12
Calories: 389kcal
Ingredients
For the Soft Pretzels
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Baking Soda Bath
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup baking soda
For the Topping
- coarse kosher or sea salt for topping
For the Pretzel Dip
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup gouda Cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Instructions
Soft Pretzels
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk and water over low heat until it reaches around 110°F. Make sure it's not too hot, as it can kill the yeast. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active dry yeast and granulated sugar with all-purpose flour. Pour the warm milk and water mixture over it, add olive oil and stir until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, bring the gallon of water to a boil, then add the baking soda.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a long rope. Shape each rope into a pretzel.
- Carefully dip each pretzel into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Work in several batches.
- Sprinkle coarse kosher or sea salt on top of each pretzel.
- Bake the pretzels in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Pretzel Dip
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to make a roux.
- Gradually whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the Cheddar and Gouda cheeses until they are fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Add garlic powder and onion powder.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard and hot sauce.
- Serve the pretzel dip warm with the freshly baked soft pretzels.
Notes
- To shape the pretzels, roll each piece of dough into a rope. Then, form it into a “u” or horseshoe shape, twist the ends together, and press them into the bottom of the "u".
- Rise the dough - it should be double the size of when you started. If you need to find a warm spot for it, preheat your oven to 110°F, turn it off, and place the bowl of dough inside the oven to proof.
- Make the dough ahead of time and place it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance. You can shape the soft pretzels using dough straight from the fridge. Then, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to warm up before cooking it in the water bath.
- You can make these soft pretzels sweet rather than salty. Combine cinnamon and sugar as a topping, or drizzle honey over the tops of the pretzels before you bake them.
- If you’re short on time, you can skip the baking soda step and simply bake the pretzels. If you decide only to bake them, brush the tops of the pretzels with a little beaten egg before you place them in the oven.
- Store the pretzels in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1843mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 2mg