Recipe: Pretzels two ways - Jalapeño & Cheese, and Sesame Seeds with Sea Salt
Who doesn't love pretzels! Jason is often in the kitchen making these as they're a great snack throughout the week and Dusty loves them. I showed Jason making these on Instagram months ago and have been meaning to share his recipe with you. He loves making bread and this recipe is one of my favourites because he uses two simple toppings - sesame seeds and salt flakes, and jalapeño and cheese. Because you have to wait an hour for the dough to prove, we prefer making this recipe on weekends when we have a bit more time. Jason gets the dough ready and rolls it out into thin ropes, while I create the famed pretzel shape. I take this part very seriously and add the toppings - jalapeno with cheese, and sesame seeds with sea salt. If you're not sure how to do this part, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials that will show you. Actually, maybe that's something we need to start doing...! Without a doubt, this is the perfect recipe coming into winter. And we love eating them straight out of the oven. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 Packet active dry yeast (you can get this from Coles/Woolworths)
1 ½ Cups warm water
1 Tbsp sea salt (we love Maldon)
1 Tbsp sugar
4 ½ Cups all purpose flour
⅔ Cup baking soda
3 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
2 Eggs lightly beaten
Jalapeño - fresh or bottled
Sesame seeds
Grated mozzarella cheese
Extra sea salt
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Plastic/cling wrap
Large pot for boiling water
Slotted spoon
Baking tray
Baking paper
Pastry brush
Smal bowl
Method
In a bowl, mix warm water, salt, and sugar until combined using a wooden spoon. Add the whole packet of yeast and let the ingredients rest 5 minutes until yeast starts to foam. I love this part, it's so fascinating to watch!
Add the flour and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix thoroughly with your hands until a dough forms.
Remove the dough, set aside and use the remaining oil to cover the inside of the bowl.
Put the dough back into the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Proving time may vary depending on the climate. Your dough should double, often triple in size so use your judgement here.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
When the dough is ready, cut it into 8 pieces and roll them out into thin ropes, twisting the two ends to form a pretzel shape.
Now this is the part which makes the pretzel look polished and gives it a chewy exterior. Add the baking soda to a large pot of water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon for this part. Don't over fill your pot of water, only put one to two pretzels in your water at a time. This also ensures the water remains boiling.
Transfer the boiled pretzels to a lined baking tray. Brush with egg wash, and then add your toppings. We love sesame seeds with sea salt, and jalapeños with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Devour!
