Cheese Stuffed Pretzels
Cheese Stuffed Pretzels combine chewy bread flour dough, a smooth cream cheese center, and a crisp coarse-salt finish. They are a practical homemade snack for parties, game day boards, or weekend baking.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook or sturdy wooden spoon
- Wide pot
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour approximately 500g
- 1.5 cups warm water 110°F
- 2.25 tsp active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 8 oz cream cheese full fat, chilled and cut into 8 batons
- 0.5 cup baking soda for water bath
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt large crystals
Instructions
- Stir the warm water, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, fine sea salt, and most of the bread flour, then mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand or 5 to 6 minutes with a dough hook, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
- Cover the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise for about 60 minutes, until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, line two baking sheets with parchment, and cut the chilled cream cheese into eight batons.
- Divide the dough into eight pieces, flatten each into a long strip, place cream cheese in the center, and pinch the seam firmly closed.
- Roll each filled piece gently into a rope, form a pretzel shape, and press the ends firmly onto the curve.
- Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle boil and carefully add the baking soda in small portions.
- Boil each pretzel for 20 to 30 seconds, drain well, transfer to the baking sheets, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pans once, until deeply golden, then cool for at least 10 minutes.
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate cooled pretzels in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or air fry at 325°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
Best Tips: Keep the cream cheese chilled, leave the dough slightly tacky, and seal each filled rope firmly before boiling.
Variations: Try cheddar sticks, jalapeño cream cheese, everything seasoning, or a garlic butter finish.
Freezing: Wrap baked pretzels individually and freeze for up to 2 months.