Comfort food is part of what makes autumn warm and cozy. I’m back into the kitchen with a buzz of cooler weather and a warm oven!
I have to confess though: this morning started with a mess. I’m obsessed with apples and wanted to make some soft pretzels stuffed with apples and cinnamon. My tried and true fashion of stuffing pretzels did not work. They exploded, they didn’t get dipped right into the baking soda mixture. I couldn’t even close some of them. So, I scrapped it and started over. I will eventually make those apple cinnamon stuffed pretzels but I’m back to the drawing board with those.
All was not lost though. Soft pretzel dough is so easy to make that I whipped up another batch and away we went with a key recipe of mine: jumbo soft pretzel cheddar cheese bombs! These are so delicious and a perfect party snack. They ooze with cheese and paired with a hot mustard, I couldn’t stop eating them.
So, add these to the menu for your next party or get together. They are pretty simple to make and will have you looking like a chef in no time!
Jumbo Soft Pretzel Cheddar Cheese Bombs
Makes: 18-20 bites
Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (approximately 110-115°F) water
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Olive Oil
8 oz Cheddar Cheese (block of cheese)
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water
Course Salt
Horseradish/Hot mustard
The How-To
In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the warm water, sugar, salt and mix together. Then, add the dry yeast to the top and slightly mix, enough to wet it. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof. Then, add four and a half cups of flour, one cup at a time to the mixture until the dough isn’t sticky and pulls from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Place it into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for approximately an hour in a warm place. It will be doubled in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a pot, pour the 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the baking soda. Spray one baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. Beat the egg yolk and water together and also set aside. Cut the cheese into bite size cubes and set aside as well.
While the water is coming to a boil, remove the dough and place on a flat surface. Work the dough into a ball and cut into four pieces. Roll out one piece of the dough with your hands into a long piece of dough. Then, cut it into five pieces. Stretch each piece out into a circular shape (doesn’t have to be perfect) and add a cube of cheese. Fold in each side of the dough over the cheese. Once the cheese is covered, shape the dough into a ball. Repeat until you have finished all of your balls.
Drop 3-4 pieces at a time into the boiling baking soda for approximately 30 seconds. Remove using a slotted spoon to drain off the water. Place on the baking sheet and baste on the yolk mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
After removing the pretzels from the oven, brush them with butter and salt them. Let the pretzels cool for a few minutes prior to serving so it isn’t scolding hot. My favorite mustard to eat with these pretzels is hot horseradish mustard but a good honey mustard would be tasty too
[…] or a cheese dip but in the last year I’ve really started to experiment with them like these Jumbo Cheddar Cheese Soft Pretzel Bombs. I also make some mean cinnamon sugar soft pretzels bites with a vanilla icing dip. I’ll share […]