Do you ever have a craving for salty buttery soft pretzels with a perfectly chewy exterior? Want a fun afternoon activity for you and the kids? Try this homemade soft pretzel recipe with sriracha cheese dip, we bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen pantry already. We are going to show you what makes a pretzel a “pretzel” and how to easily shape these into their familiar form. Try this simple butter and coarse salt flavor or adapt with different seasonings for other fun flavors both savory and sweet !
For the base of this recipe we used Yammie’s Noshery Auntie Anne’s Pretzels: Copycat Recipe. You can find it here.
Ingredients for Homemade Soft Pretzels
Making homemade soft pretzels
This is a great recipe to get those soft-baked pretzels we all love so much right in the comfort of your own home. We will be showing you how a baking soda water bath gives these pretzels their traditional flavor and helps keep the interior fluffy and soft.
Shape the pretzels the traditional way or experiment with any shape you like. Roll and cut them into 3 cm pieces for pretzel bites or roll them into small balls for pretzel rolls. We will be showing you one of the more traditional ways to shape them.
Want to make Cinnamon Sugar pretzels. Omit the sprinkling of course salt then dip the pretzels into some melted butter then a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Or try a savory twist with some garlic parmesan pretzels. Toast some garlic in your dipping butter. Then just sprinkling on some parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. The choice is yours.
For the Pretzel Dough
This can be kneaded with your electric mixer with the dough attachment or by hand. For hand kneading follow the same instructions and knead your dough for 10 min.
Warm the milk just enough to activate the yeast. The temperature should be around 40 – 43C° (104-110 F°). Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the warm milk sugar and yeast. Whisk to combine then let it sit for a few minutes to proof (not more than 10 minutes). Turn the mixer on low and add in your melted butter.
Gradually start adding the flour about 1 cup at a time along with the fine salt. When the dough has formed increase the mixer speed to medium-high and let it knead the dough for 10 minutes.
Grease a large bowl with some vegetable oil and place dough inside. Cover with greased cling wrap and let it sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Once the pretzel dough has risen we will need to work quickly as the dough will want to continue to proof.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and grease a baking sheet, set aside until we are done shaping the pretzels.
Punch the dough down and divide equally into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Using the palm of your hand start to roll the dough into a long 54-56 cm tube. To make the pretzel shape, lift the two ends up to make a letter “U” then pick up both ends and twist them together twice. Take the to ends bring them down and pinch them into the bottom portion of your U shape.
Water Baking Soda Bath
When you are halfway through shaping your pretzels you can bring the water to a gentle boil. Once you are done making all your pretzels add the baking soda to the water. Then Dip the pretzels one by one into the boiling water baking soda solution for about 20-30 seconds. Use a spoon to splash the top of the pretzel with the solution. Use a metal spatula to remove the pretzel then tap onto a dish towel to remove excess water (do not place the pretzel directly onto the towel or it will stick allow the metal spatula to act as a barrier). Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake in a preheated oven for 7-11 minutes or until the pretzels are a deep golden brown. After 5 minutes rotate the pan in the oven to ensure even coloring and baking
Once the pretzels are out of the oven dip in the melted butter. These are best eaten fresh out of the oven, try it with our Sriracha Cheese Sauce.
Sriracha Cheese Sauce
This cheese sauce is everything; creamy cheesy with the perfect amount of heat. Best of all its super easy to make.
Into a small saucepan add milk and cream with the onion and black peppercorns. Heat on medium just until it boils. Remove from heat cover with cling film and allow the mixture to steep for 30min. After 30 min strain the onions and black pepper out of your milk and cream mixture.
Mix the grated cheddar cheese with the flour.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in cream cheese and your steeped milk/cream mix until the cream cheese has completely melted. In batches add in the cheddar cheese. Whisking thoroughly until the sauce is smooth. Add in the sriracha (or tobacco) to your preferred spice level, start with 1 tsp.
If you make these Homemade Soft Pretzels with Sriracha Cheese Dip! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thetablediaries on Instagram. We love seeing all the recipes you and your family enjoy.
Homemade Soft Pretzels with Sriracha Cheese Dip
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Dough
- 450 grams all purpose flour 4½ cups
- 2 cups milk
- 1½ tbsp active dry yeast
- 89 grams brown sugar 6 tbsp
- 57 grams melted butter (cooled) 4 tbsp
- 1 tsp fine salt
- coarse salt
For the Baking Soda Wash
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 3 cups water
For Dipping Pretzels After Baking
- 113 grams melted butter 8 tbsp
Instructions
For the Pretzel Dough
- Warm the milk just to 40 – 43C° (104-110 F°). If you don't have a thermometer test the temperature with you finger it should be a little warmer then your body temperature.
- This can be kneaded with your electric mixer with the dough attachment or by hand.
- For stand mixer: Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Whisk to combine then let it sit for a few minutes to proof (not more than 10 minutes).
- Turn the mixer on low and add in your butter.
- Start adding the flour about 1 cup at a time along with the fine salt. When the dough has formed increase the mixer speed to medium-high and let it knead the dough for 10 minutes.
- For kneading by hand: in a bowl pour the warm milk, sugar, and yeast, let it sit for no more than 10 minutes. Add the butter and the flour and stir by hand until a dough forms. Flour a surface and knead on the surface for 10 minutes until elastic.
- Grease a large bowl with some vegetable oil and place dough inside. Cover with greased cling wrap and let it sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Shaping and Baking
- After the dough has proofed, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F).
- Grease a baking sheet and set it aside.
- You will need to work quickly for this next part as we do not want the pretzels to proof too much before baking. Punch the dough down and divide equally into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
- Using the palm of your hand start to roll the dough into a long 54-56 cm tube.
- To make the pretzel shape, lift the two ends up to make a letter "U" then pick up both ends and twist them together twice. Take the two ends bring them down and pinch them into the bottom portion of your U shape. (Refer to images in the blog)
- Bring 3 cups of water to a gentle boil, when the water is boiling add the baking soda.
- Dip the pretzels one by one into the water baking soda solution for about 20-30 seconds. Use a spoon to splash the top of the pretzel with the solution. Using a metal spatula remove the pretzel then tap onto a dish towel to remove excess water (do not place the pretzel directly onto the towel or it will stick allow the metal spatula to act as a barrier). Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 7-11 minutes or until the pretzels are deep golden brown. After 5 minutes rotate the pan in the oven to ensure even coloring and baking
- While the pretzels are baking melt the butter.
- Once the pretzels are out of the oven and still hot, dip each pretzel into the melted butter.
- These are best eaten fresh. Once cooled store in an airtight container.
Sriracha Cheese Sauce
- Into a small saucepan add milk and cream with the onion and black peppercorns. Heat on medium heat just until it boils. Remove from heat cover with cling film and allow the mixture to steep for 30min. After the 30 min strain the onions and black peppercorns out of your milk and cream mixture.
- Mix the grated cheddar cheese with the flour.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add in cream cheese and strained milk/cream, mix until the cream cheese has completely melted.
- In batches add in the cheddar cheese whisking thoroughly until the sauce is smooth.
- Add in the sriracha to your preferred spice level, start with 1 tsp.
- Serve warm alongside the pretzels for dipping.
