OMG. Yes!

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Homemade Soft Pretzels, generously sprinkled with sea salt. And to top it off? Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce! Yes, I know. Wow!

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Can I just say that this might be the best Super Bowl snack there is? Well, actually I don’t know the Buffalo “Fried” Goat Cheese is pretty amazing too. But I mean pretzels, buffalo sauce and cheese! Maybe we’ll call it a tie?

It is the Super Bowl, so you do need lots of snacks!

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Originally, I was just going make soft pretzels. Just for a fun snack to have on a Sunday afternoon and then enjoy throughout the week.

But then while the dough was rising I set out for a hike. Oh, those hikes. Oh the yummy things I come up with while hiking.

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Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce! Creamy, spicy and the best cheese sauce to compliment a soft pretzel.

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The pretzels alone are just so good. Salty, soft, dough, dreamy. Just so good. Tear um, bite um, dip um.

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5 from 4 votes
The Recipe

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 0 8 pretzels

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
  • 4 1/2 cups to 5 all-purpose flour
  • 3 quarts water
  • 2/3 cups baking soda
  • 1 whole egg beaten
  • Coarse sea salt

Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup franks red hot sauce

Instructions

  1. To make the pretzels: combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups flour to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
  3. Coat a large bowl with canola oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. This will take about 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.

  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and flip up. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or a spider. Place 4 pretzels on each a parchment lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.

  6. Remove pretzels from oven and let cool on a wire baking rack.
  7. To make the Buffalo Cheddar Cheese sauce: While pretzels are baking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Pour into one medium size dip bowl or a few bowls to scatter for dipping.
  9. Serve hot with the pretzels!
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Soft, doughy, salty pretzels…..with cheesy, buffalo sauce! Snack time anyone?