Soft pretzels can be stuffed with a variety of savory or sweet fillings.
Homemade soft pretzels can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. Popular combinations include spinach and feta cheese, apples and cinnamon, and cheddar with jalapeno, although most kinds of cheese can be used as a filling. Raw ingredients, like apples and spinach, should be cooked until soft before being used to stuff the pretzel. The hardest part of stuffing the pretzel is keeping the dough sealed around the filling until baking, so be sure to handle pretzels carefully after stuffing them.
Instructions
Making the Pretzel Dough
1. Add sugar and salt to warm water in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle yeast on top of the water and sugar mixture, and let it stand for five minutes until a foam forms on top.
3. Add flour and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are combined.
4. Knead the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl, at least four to .
5. Oil a large mixing bowl, and place the dough inside. Place the covered bowl in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about one hour.
Rolling the Dough
6. Oil the countertop or work surface, and move the dough from your bowl to the work surface.
7. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces.
8. Roll the dough into 24-inch ropes.
9. Press the ropes of dough flat.
10. Arrange filling ingredients in the middle of flattened ropes. Roll the dough lengthwise, pinching it tightly shut to prevent filling from leaking out while shaping and baking.
Shaping Pretzels
11. Form a U-shape with the stuffed rope of dough.
12. Hold the ends of rope, and cross them over each other.
13. Pull ends around and down to the bottom of the U, pressing dough together.
Preparing for Baking
14. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
15. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and brush it with oil.
16. Add baking soda to water, and bring it to a boil in a large saucepan.
17.Drop pretzels carefully into water one at a time for 30 seconds. Carefully remove each with a flat spatula or slotted spoon, and place it on a baking sheet.
Baking Pretzels
18. Beat egg yolk with 1 tbsp. water, and brush the mixture over the pretzels.
19. Sprinkle salt over pretzels. You can also dip the pretzels into salt.
20. Bake pretzels for approximately 12 to 14 minutes until dark golden brown.
21. Cool pretzels for at least five minutes.
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