Almost two weeks ago, I experienced every emotion from sad and stressed to overjoyed and hopeful. Yes, I’m talking about the Seahawks game—it was unreal! I am so excited that they are going to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row! In preparation for the upcoming viewing party, I tried out a new soft pretzel recipe. The stadium staple is transformed to gourmet game day grub with the addition of brie cheese, rosemary and sea salt.
This was the first recipe I’ve ever made that used yeast and the dough hook on my standing mixer. It was fun to experiment with it and watch the dough double in size as it sits after being mixed. I will definitely experiment with other bread recipes now because these homemade pretzels are 10 times better than the ones found at stadiums and movie theaters.
Brie and Rosemary Soft Pretzels
Yields 8 pretzels
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
- Brie cheese (about 1 small to medium wheel), cut in long, thin slices
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 8 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- sea salt for sprinkling
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine sea salt, sugar, warm water and yeast; let sit for five minutes, until frothy. Gradually add the flour and butter, mixing with the dough hook on low speed. Continue for about 5 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, then add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour in a warm area, until it has doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and place on lightly floured surface. Roll each piece into a rope that is 12 – 15 inches long. Flatten so that it is about 2 inches wide. Place slices of brie in the center, then roll back into a rope, completely encasing the cheese. Shape into pretzels.
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large pot, bring the baking soda and water to a boil. Using a slotted spatula, drop the pretzels in one at a time and boil for 30 seconds. This helps create the darker, crackling crust while the interior stays puffy. Remove and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Bake for 11 – 13 minutes, until golden-brown and puffy. Serve warm.
