You guys...this is a good one!!! It turned out much better than expected and I was soo happy with the results. Reminded me of a mall pretzel but even better! We've all had everything bagels so why not everything pretzels?!!
I am as rookie as they come when it comes to baking but this quarantine life has got me wanting to experiment and try new things. One thing I’ve been wanting to try for a while now is homemade bread. I mean is there anything better than a crusty loaf with a soft inside lathered in salted butter? *drooling...* I was talking to a friend about it and she had made a few loaves and some pretzels, she sent me pictures of her finished products and once I saw the pretzels, I decided that it would be my first experiment.
So this recipe was inspired from one I found on the King Arthur website. I used it as a base recipe and just added in jalapeños to the dough and topped with everything seasoning instead of pretzel salt. To be honest, I’m not really a fan of pretzel salt so it was a no brainer when I had to think of an alternative - Everything But The Bagel seasoning!! My usual go to is a jalapeño pretzel when I hit up Auntie Anne’s and I always have to get it with a cup of cheese dip. I know, I know..it’s fake cheese but I don’t care, it’s required to go with the pretzel! Therefore, I’ve also included a cheese dip recipe here too.
I didn’t really know where I was going with the cheese sauce but it ended up turning out really good and tastes almost exactly like the fake cheese you get at the mall, lol! Obviously better though and with real ingredients.
Also, I know these don’t realllllly look like pretzels, trust me when I say the test is all there. My hubby said they look like buns but that's ok because they taste phenomenal! I am not a pro and did the best I could, and ended up more than happy with the results! So if you’re discouraged by this recipe - don’t be! If I can do it, anyone can. The only dough I’ve successfully mastered thus far is rotli dough, I’ve failed miserably at all other attempts of any other kind. There are a lot of steps to the recipe but again, don't let it intimidate you, it comes together a lot quicker than you think, I promise!
These pretzels are perfectly soft and fluffy and buttery and tasty, you guys are gonna love them! You won’t look at a mall pretzel the same way again! Can’t wait for y’all to try this one! Enjoy :)
Jalapeño Everything Pretzels
Yields: 8 pretzels*
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 1/2 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp /one packet instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water (should be warm to touch, not hot or it will kill you yeast)
1/3 cup pickled jalapeños, diced & excess liquid removed and patted dry
*My picture only shows 6 pretzels because I used the remaining two pieces for pretzel dogs.
Topping:
1 cup boiling water
2 tbsp baking soda
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Cheese Dip:
1/2 cup milk
2 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese bar, shredded* (I used half a bar)
Pinch of salt
*Do not use pre-shredded, it doesn’t melt the same.
Directions:
1. To make the dough by hand or stand mixer: Place all the ingredients listed under dough into a bowl and mix until combined. Knead the dough, by hand or stand mixer using the dough hook, for 5 to 8 minutes, until it's soft, smooth, and elastic, then go on to step 3.
2. To make dough with a food processor: Place the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process for 5 seconds. Add the water and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds. Remove dough from food processor and mix in diced jalapeños by hand, then go on to step 3.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm area.
4. For the topping: Mix the boiling water and baking soda, stir until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
5. For the cheese dip: Make the sauce while the dough is rising. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add milk and heat until it’s warm. Then add cream cheese, whisk until it has melted smooth and no longer clumpy. Now add shredded cheddar, handful at a time, and stir until melted. Remove from heat, it will thicken as it cools.
6. Preheat oven to 475°F. Prepare a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray, or line it with parchment paper.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces.
8. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Pour the baking soda/water solution into a deep dish or pan
9. Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 30" long), and twist each strand into a pretzel shape. Then place them in the dish or pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over the tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. Soaking the dough in a baking soda bath will give the pretzels their beautiful golden-brown color.
10. Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them with Everything seasoning. Allow them to rest again, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
11. Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
12. Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them with the melted butter. Make sure to use up all the butter, it might seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their exquisite taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in the oven. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see your recreation! Please tag me @thecurriedcook or #thecurriedcook so I can see! Thanks for following!
