Parmesan Garlic Herb Soft Pretzels
Pretzels! Get your pretzels! These Parmesan Garlic Herb Soft Pretzels are a dream. Super soft and buttery dough completely enveloped in a parmesan herb mixture. For this recipe, I used Kerrygold Irish Butter, which I’ve been dying to bake with, and the results were unbelievable. Irish butter has quickly become my family’s favorite butter to smear on french bread. But enough about french bread, let’s talk pretzels! Specifically, these pretzels. Can these please replace every dinner roll, ever??? If you‘re new to bread making, this recipe is a pretty forgiving (and fun!) place to start. This recipe makes homemade pretzels completely attainable, so don’t be intimidated. The dough comes together so fast and there’s no need to let the dough rest for long periods of time. The whole process will only take about an hour and the recipe can easily be doubled to make 12 large soft pretzels. These pretzels are also so tasty alone, I didn’t even pair them with a dipping sauce. Just bake, eat, and be happy!
Recipe
Bake time: 12-14 mins
Total time: About 1 hour
Servings: 6 soft pretzels
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour + additional for kneading
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk, or 2%
3 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish Butter, or salted butter, melted, separated
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
Baking Soda Bath:
8 cups of water
½ cup baking soda
Make the Dough:
Instructions:
Warm the milk in a microwave for about 20 seconds until warm to the touch. No need to use a thermometer.
Whisk together the warm milk, yeast, and brown sugar in a large bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer. Let it sit for about 2 minutes until it’s frothy. Attach your dough hook.
Add 2 tablespoons (not the whole 5 tbsp!) of the melted butter. I melted all 5 tablespoons in a small bowl, then just scooped out 2 tablespoons. Mix until combined.
On low speed, add in the flour about a ½ cup at a time. Mix until the dough starts to stick to the sides of the bowl. It will still be a bit sticky. If needed, add about ⅛ cup more until the dough completely comes away from the bowl.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface (you won’t need much flour) and knead for about 3 minutes. Press and stretch the dough with the heel of your hand, fold it over, then repeat. Make sure to rotate the dough as you knead. It should be nice and smooth.
Form the dough into a ball and let it rest in a greased bowl for about 15 minutes. Set aside, while you make the parmesan mixture and get the baking soda bath ready.
Stir together the freshly grated parmesan, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set aside.
Place the water and baking soda into a medium pot and bring to boil. Stir to dissolve the baking soda. This bath aids in the texture and flavor of your pretzels, so don’t skip this step!
Line a pan with parchment paper, and preheat your oven to 400°F.
After your dough has rested, dump it out onto your counter again. Knead in a heaping ¼ cup of your parmesan mixture (this is about half of it). I did this in two additions. Save the rest for sprinkling over the baked pretzels.
Form the dough into a ball again then cut it in half with a sharp knife. Cut each half into three equal portions. You will have 6 rounds of dough. Next, learn how to form the pretzels-my favorite part!
Form The Pretzels & Give Them A Baking Soda Bath:
Instructions:
Roll your portions of dough one at a time into a long rope. Mine were about 20-22 inches long, but no need to measure! They will shrink back a little as you form them anyway, so just make a nice long rope. I used the palms of my hands to roll the rope towards me and outward (pressing down gently). Then move the rope back and repeat as needed.
Form the pretzel. I made an upside-down “U,” twisted the ends, then pulled the “U” over the ends. I flipped it around, and wa la! It’s a pretzel! Repeat for the remaining dough.
Once your baking soda bath is boiling, drop the pretzels in one at a time. Don’t worry if the pretzel sinks, it will rise up! Leave them in the bath for about 20 seconds then remove them with a big slotted spoon. Try to shake off most of the water then transfer them to your parchment-lined pan. The pretzels will look a bit “gummy.” Repeat for the remaining pretzels.
Bake the pretzels for 12-14 minutes turning the pan around halfway through the bake time. They will be a nice golden brown.
Grab your remaining butter (3 tablespoons from earlier) and the remaining parmesan mixture (about a ¼ cup). Brush the pretzels generously with the melted butter, then generously sprinkle them with the rest of the parmesan mixture.
Let them cool completely, or steal a nice warm bite. Enjoy!
Make this recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below, and let me know how it went. Or take a pic and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @lilpastrychef. Happy Baking!