Garlic Pretzels are my mall food guilty pleasure. There I said it.
Soft, warm pretzels brushed in garlic butter is downright drool worthy. I can never pass it up and in the spirit of National Pretzel Day I had to make my own version of these mall pretzel stand bites.
I’ve made pretzel bites before but never formed the actual pretzel shape so this was an adventure. I tried to do it in one fluid movement like you see when pros are making pretzels. I am no pro.
I made a really simple cheddar cheese sauce to serve with these pretzels. You can use your own favorite cheese sauce recipe, but I had all the ingredients on hand so I couldn’t resist.
Garlic Pretzels
Soft pretzels brushed in garlic butter is my secret mall pretzel stand addiction so I had to make them at home. And in the spirit of National Pretzel Day I had to share them with you all. The white cheddar cheese sauce is super easy, you can use your own favorite cheese sauce recipe but I had all the ingredients on hand so I couldn't resist.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Warm Water
- 1/2 cup Warm Milk
- 1 package Rapid Dry Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 4 1/2 - 5 cups Flour
- 5 tablespoons Baking Soda
- 1 stick {1/2 cup} Butter, melted
- Coarse Sea Salt or Kosher Salt, for sprinkling
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped
- For White Cheddar Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup White Cheddar, shredded
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Directions
- Step 1 In a large stand mixing bowl, combine warm water, warm milk {I combine the two in a microwave safe bowl and heat 30 seconds at a time until lukewarm to the touch, usually only takes about 45 seconds, but every microwave is different.}, add yeast and honey and stir together. Let stand until yeast blooms and looks foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2 Add kosher salt and with dough hook start mixing in flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix until mixture is combined and springy to the touch. Knead in the mixer or by hand for 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover to rise for 30 minutes.
- Step 3 Punch dough down and turn out onto floured work surface. Roll dough out into a rectangle and cut dough into 10-12 equal slices. Take each piece and roll it into a long rope. Shape each rope into a pretzel shape and place them onto 2 greased sheet pans and let them rise again for about 15 minutes.
- Step 4 Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.
- Step 5 In a large pot add the baking soda and fill with water. Bring to a boil.
- Step 6 Use a large slotted spoon and dip each pretzel in the water and allow to float for 30 seconds, return the pretzels to the sheet pans. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. I had to rotate my sheet pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking.
- Step 7 While baking add minced garlic to the melted butter, heat over low heat to warm the garlic and add chopped parsley. Once pretzels are done baking remove from oven and brush with garlic butter immediately. Transfer to wire racks to cool while making the cheese sauce.
- Step 8 In a medium size sauce pan heat butter over medium heat, add flour and whisk together to create a roux. Add milk and whisk until thickened. Turn heat to low and add the cheddar, kosher salt, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Whisk together on low heat until cheddar is melted. Serve immediately with pretzels and enjoy.
Savor and Enjoy!
