Description
These Jalapeño Cheddar Soft Pretzels are a spicy and cheesy twist on the classic soft pretzel. Made with a simple 7-ingredient dough featuring Platinum Yeast, garlic powder, fresh jalapeños, and sharp cheddar cheese, these pretzels are irresistibly flavorful and perfect as a snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (around 100°F/38°C)
- 1 teaspoon (6g) table salt
- 1 teaspoon (1.5g) garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (12.5g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 3/4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour (plus more for work surface and hands)
Baking Soda Bath
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 9 cups (2.13L) water
Topping
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 to 5 jalapeños, sliced
- Coarse salt, for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups (188-250g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water and cover it to rest for 1 minute. Then whisk in salt, garlic powder, sugar, and melted butter. Add 3 cups of flour gradually, mixing until combined, then add 3/4 cup more flour and mix for 1 minute. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour as needed until the dough is slightly sticky but workable.
- Knead the dough: Using a dough hook on low speed for 3-4 minutes or by hand on a floured surface, knead the dough until it slowly bounces back when poked. This ensures proper gluten development.
- First rise: Shape the dough into a ball and cover lightly with a clean towel. Let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day. (Freezing instructions in notes.)
- Preheat oven: Set oven to 400°F (204°C). Prepare two baking sheets lined with greased parchment paper or preferably silicone baking mats.
- Shape pretzels: Divide dough into 12 pieces (about 3 oz/75g each). Roll each piece into a 20–22 inch rope, form a circle, twist the ends together, and fold the twisted ends down to create the pretzel shape.
- Prepare baking soda bath: Bring the baking soda and 9 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
- Boil pretzels: Boil 1 or 2 pretzels at a time for 20–30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spatula and drain excess water. Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Brush each with melted butter, add jalapeño slices pressing lightly to adhere, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat for all pretzels. Optionally, cover and refrigerate boiled pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Bake: Bake pretzels for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle each with 2–3 tablespoons of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake 8–12 more minutes until pretzels are golden and cheese is melted.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm for best taste and texture. Store leftovers at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated up to 1 week. Reheat by microwaving briefly or baking at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Fully baked and cooled pretzels freeze well for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pretzels at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes or microwave until warmed. Raw pretzel dough can be frozen airtight for 2-3 months; thaw in fridge overnight before shaping. If shaping refrigerated dough, allow shaped pretzels about 1 hour to puff before boiling.
- Jalapeño substitution: Omit jalapeños if desired; just butter and salt the boiled pretzels as usual before baking and adding cheese.
- Cheese options: Sharp cheddar is recommended, but flavorful semi-hard cheeses like pepper jack, gouda, or Colby also work well. For best results, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which is drier and contains anti-caking agents.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
