Salted Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip

These soft pretzels are so fun to make and taste irresistibly good! The salted chewy exterior and fluffy inside texture dipped in a spicy cheesy dip... so so good. They're the perfect appetizer, game day snack, or addition to a holiday charcuterie board. Be sure to snag this Spicy Chili Onion Crisp to take your three cheese dip to the next level!

For more savory recipes, try New York Style Bagels, Salted Honey Milk Bread Rolls, and New York Style Pepperoni Pizza.

Why you'll love these salted soft pretzels

• Chewy, Soft Texture: Just as all fresh baked pretzels should be, these are chewy on the outside & soft on the inside! 
• Coarse Salt Topping: These pretzels feature the classic coarse salt topping, which makes them even more addicting. If you're feeling adventurous, swap out the coarse salt with everything bagel seasoning!
• Three Cheese Dip: Made with a combination of sharp cheddar, gruyère, and cream cheese, this cheese chip is so delicious, especially when topped with Roland Spicy Chili Onion Crisp!

Ingredient Notes

• Flours: Pretzels need more gluten than other breads, so use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour.
• Butter: You'll need a couple tablespoons of butter for both the dough and the cheese dip.
• Sugar: The sugar is primarily for helping to activate the yeast.
• Salt: Use a high quality kosher salt to help bring out the flavors in this recipe.
• Yeast: I recommend using instant yeast, but you can also use active dry yeast. Just be sure to let it sit with the water and sugar for a few minutes in the first step and wait for it to become foamy.
• Water: Be sure to warm your water to 110 degrees so the yeast activates properly.
• Cheeses: I used a combination of white cheddar, gruyère, and cream cheese.
• Milk: Use whole milk for best flavor.
• Roland Spicy Chili Onion Crisp: Add a spicy, crunchy kick to the cheese sauce with this addicting Spicy Chili Onion Crisp!

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

This pretzel dough is much easier to make than you'd think! It's made with only 6 ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes. Put it in the fridge and forget about it until the next day when it's all puffed up ready to be baked!

The trickiest part of this recipe is shaping them into pretzels, but after a couple tries, you'll get the hang of it! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Add in the flours, melted butter, and salt. Mix on medium high speed for about 5 minutes until smooth and passes the windowpane test.

STEP 2: Proof the dough. Place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl, cover, and proof overnight in the fridge or in a warm environment for about one hour or until doubled in size.

STEP 3: Shape the pretzels. Divide the dough into 9 pieces, weighed about 85-90g. To shape the pretzels, roll into a long, skinny rope (about 24" long). Take the two ends and cross them over each other twice. 

STEP 4: Shape the pretzels. Then bring the bottom U part of the dough over and pull the twist through to the top, slightly pressing the ends into the dough.

STEP 5: Proof the shaped pretzels. Cover the pretzels and proof for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and bring a pot of water to a simmer. 

STEP 6: Dip in baking soda bath & bake. Once the pretzels have proofed, turn the water down to low heat and slowly add the baking soda. Bathe the pretzels (about 2 at a time) for 30 seconds on each side, then place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each with an egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until deeply golden. 

Expert Baking Tips

• Windowpane Test: The windowpane test is used to tell when the brioche has developed enough gluten. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
• Shaping the Pretzels: When shaping the pretzels, do not use flour on your surface. The dough needs to be slightly sticky in order to roll into a smooth rope. 
• To Make Ahead: If baking these pretzels a day ahead of time, hold off with the salt, as it makes the pretzels soggy. 

Storage Tips

These pretzels are best the day they are baked. The best way to prep this recipe is to make the dough the day before and let it proof overnight in the fridge. Then, the next day all you need to do is shape and bake them! If you'd like to bake them the day before they're served, leave off the salt, as it will make them soggy. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x