Sourdough Soft Jalapeno Pretzels and Cinnamon Brown Sugar Soft Pretzels

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.

This recipe is for 12 pretzels, so I made 6 Jalapenos pretzels and 6 cinnamon brown sugar soft pretzels. I made them both from the same dough.

Ingredients: 
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

Method : 

• 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.

You can buy ready made cheese sauce if  don't have time to make it, can add fresh jalapenos and cilantro to it.

For Cinnamon brown sugar pretzels:

• 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.

Pretzels Recipes adapted by Surekha from A recipe for sourdough pretzels at kingarthurflour.com
Cheese sauce recipe adapted by Surekha from a recipe at allrecipes.com


Photographs by Surekha.