We were at a local mall and after going to movies. We were looking for something to eat in the food court. I had this sudden intense craving for Jalapeno pretzels. Went to Aunt Annie's and I was informed that they don't make the Jalapeno soft pretzels. I was quite disappointed. I thought about my sour dough starter in my fridge and thought about making the sourdough soft pretzels at home. I came across a recipe on King Arthur Flour website and adapted this recipe to make my own Sourdough soft Jalapeno pretzels.
1 cup unfed sourdough starter from fridge
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour ( I use 2 cups AP flour and 1 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup luke warm water
1 pack of instant yeast (2 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tbl spoon of melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil.
Filling for Jalapeno pretzels:
4 oz of cream cheese softened at room temp
1/4 cup of pickled jalapenos chopped.
Toppings for pretzels:
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon water
Coarse salt (not for cinnamon pretzels)
4 tablespoon melted butter
For cinnamon brown sugar pretzel use following
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoon of granualted sugar
- In a bowl combine flour, sourdough starter, water, dry milk, yeast, sugar and melted butter or vegetable oil.
- Mix on low speed in electric mixer with dough hook for about 8 min until dough comes together.
- Cover the dough in the bowl and let it rest in warm place for 45 min.
- While resting the dough, you can make the filling for the jalapeno pretzel and prepare toppings for both kinds of pretzels.
- Finely chopped the jalapenos and mix with softened cream cheese and set aside.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water,
- Melt the butter and set aside
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees at end of dough rising time.
- Divide the dough in 12 equal balls.
- Roll each ball in to 18" rope, for jalapeno pretzel flatten the rope and fill with Cream cheese and Jalapeno filling.
- Roll it and, fold it in horse shoe U shape and bring the ends together, can give it one twist if desired and shape each rope in to pretzel.
- Brush each pretzel with water and sugar solution and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake the pretzels for 30 min in preheated oven, until they are light golden brown.
- Remove the pretzels from oven and brush with melted butter.
- Serve jalapeno pretzels with cheese sauce or honey mustard sauce.
Recipe for Garlic and Jalapeno Pepper Cheddar Cheese Sauce:
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablepoon corn starch
- 11/2 cup regular milk or 1 can of evaporated milk
- 12 oz white or yellow sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chopped fresh jalapenos or to taste if desired
- 2 green onions chopped finely with greens
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Method:
- Heat butter in small sauce pan.
- Once melted add garlic, green onions and chopped jalapenos, saute in butter for 1 min.
- Whisk in the flour and corn starch and cook for 30 sec until golden brown.
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking until mixture thickens without lumps.
- Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 min while stirring.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in cheddar cheese, cream cheese and mustard until melted.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add chopped cilantro
- Serve warm.
- Can reheat in microwave.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and granulated sugar in a bowl.
- Make the pretzels shape from same dough, same way without filling and brush with sugar water. However instead of topping with salt, top it with sugar and cinnamon mix.
- Bake at 350 for 30 min or until golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter and then roll the pretzel in cinnamon sugar mix and sprinkle excess on the pretzels.
Cheese sauce recipe adapted by Surekha from a recipe at allrecipes.com
Photographs by Surekha.
