Name: Sourdough Cheese-Stuffed Pretzel Bites (with creamy queso dip)
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: scant 1/2 cup (100g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration); 1 1/8 cup (280g) warm water; 2 Tbsp (24g) white granulated sugar; 2 tsp (10g) kosher salt; 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour; 2 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter (melted ); 30 (10g) pieces mozzarella string cheese ((about 1/2 inch each)); 4 quarts water; 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda; 1 tsp dried parsley; ½ tsp dried dill; ½ tsp dried chives; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp onion powder; ¼ tsp paprika (optional); ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 Tbspns coarse pretzel salt (for topping); 1 large egg; 1 Tbspn water; 2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter; 2 Tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups (360g) whole milk; ½ tsp Dijon mustard; ½ tsp garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ tsp smoked paprika or cayenne; 3 oz (85g) cream cheese; 1 ½ cups (150g) sharp cheddar cheese (shredded )

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Sourdough Cheese-Stuffed Pretzel Bites (with creamy queso dip)

I have a confession to make… I’m not the biggest sports fan. You won’t catch me keeping up with scores or yelling at the TV. But the snacks? Now that’s my game. Game day or not, these Sourdough Cheese-Stuffed Pretzel Bites (with creamy queso dip) will instantly make your day better. Soft, buttery, and stuffed with gooey cheese, they’ll be an instant crowd pleaser. Who needs touchdowns when you’ve got the perfect bite-sized snack?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

If you love savory and you love cheese- this is the recipe for you! Each of these pretzel bites are stuffed with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese for the ultimate cheese pull. With my fool-proof sourdough pretzel dough, you can proof this dough overnight and shape and bake the next day!

Top these pretzel bites with a spicy ranch seasoning and dip in my creamy queso dip for the ultimate appetizer. No graininess or clumps in this queso, just pure cheesy perfection.

Tools You’ll Need:

Kitchen scale- For accurate hydration and consistent results.
Stand mixer or large mixing bowl- To mix the dough thoroughly (a dough hook helps with kneading this dough but you can mix by hand).
Measuring cups and spoons- for measuring smaller ingredients.
Bench scraper or knife- For cleanly dividing and shaping the dough.
Parchment paper- To prevent sticking during proofing and to line pan for baking.
Large pot- For boiling the pretzels before baking.
Rolling pin- to roll out dough.
Slotted spoon or spider- To safely remove pretzel bites from boiling water. I love this spider strainer linked here https://amzn.to/4kJqvGT
Pastry brush (optional)- for egg wash.
Baking sheets- To bake the pretzel bites evenly.
Medium sized saucepan- to prepare queso dip.
Whisk- to mix queso dip.

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Gather Your Ingredients:

Bread flour (or all-purpose)- High protein for strength and chew. I like to do a 50/50 blend to ensure structure and softness for my dough. Used to thicken the queso dip!
Water- Hydrates the pretzel dough. Filtered or tap is fine! You’ll also need water for the soda bath.
Sourdough Starter- Natural leavening for flavor, structure, and health benefits. Make sure starter has been fed and is doubled in size.
White Granulated Sugar- Adds a slight sweetness to the pretzels. You can substitute this for honey.
Unsalted Butter- melted butter adds a soft texture to the pretzels and a buttery flavor. You’ll also use this in your queso.
Fine Sea Salt- Balances flavor and strengthens gluten structure. Used to balance the queso dip.
Low-moisture Mozzarella String Cheese- You’ll use pieces of string cheese to stuff your pretzel bites. I think string cheese is the easiest to use and has that nice cheese pull! You can substitute other varieties if you prefer, but I do recommend chunks of cheese over shredded.
Baking Soda- used in the water bath to give the pretzels that chewy exterior crust.
Egg- for the egg wash.
Coarse pretzel salt- for topping the pretzel bites. I like this pretzel salt linked here.
Ranch Seasoning Spices (optional)- I loved this blend of parsley, dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and paprika to bring a spicy ranchy flavor to these pretzel bites! I’ll include below the blend I used, but this is entirely optional and you can either leave this off or substitute for a pre-mixed ranch seasoning blend. Your call!
Whole milk- used for the base of the queso dip.
Dijon mustard- adds spice and flavor to queso.
Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper- spices used to bring flavor to the queso.
Cream cheese- adds rich creamy texture to the queso dip. Don’t use a cream cheese spread!
Sharp cheddar cheese- You’ll want to use shredded or pre-shred your cheese for the dip. Sharp cheddar adds the flavor we want in queso.
Monterey jack or Jalapeno cheddar- You can choose if you want a more mild queso with the Monterey jack, or spice it up with jalapeno cheddar. Just make sure your cheese is shredded first.

Now let’s bake pretzel bites!

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Pretzel Dough

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together active sourdough starter, water, and sugar.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt your butter.

Add the flour, salt, and melted butter to your wet ingredients. Knead your dough by hand or with a mixer set on low for 7-8 minutes. Your dough should be smooth and elastic after kneading. Because this is a low hydration dough, it can be fairly stiff.

Add flour, salt, and melted butter — Mix starter, water, and sugar

When you’re done kneading your dough, transfer to an oiled container or bowl to proof. Cover with plastic, and allow dough to proof at room temperature (73-75 F) until doubled in size. My kitchen was 75 F, and it took my dough close to ten hours (overnight) to double. This is just a rough guide, your dough may take more or less time to double depending on temperature and starter strength.

Optional Overnight Fermentation: When your dough has doubled in size, you can either seal with plastic wrap or a lid and transfer to the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, or you can skip this cold fermentation and go straight to shaping your bites.

Step 2: Shape the Pretzel Bites

Cut 6-7 mozzarella cheese sticks into 8-10 g pieces about 1/2 inch long. You’ll want 30 pieces total.

Turn your dough out onto a clean surface. You don’t need to use flour when shaping these pretzel bites, I actually recommend against it as it can affect the texture. If you need, you can spray your surface with a little non-stick cooking spray to avoid your dough sticking.

Divide your dough into 6 even sections.

Roll out each section of dough into rectangles about 2 inches wide, and 6 inches long.

Place 5 pieces of the string cheese in the center of the rectangle, with a 1/2 inch gap in between each of the pieces of cheese.

Place 5 pieces of cheese in a line with gaps — Roll out a section of dough

Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up the rectangle into a log. Make sure you pinch the seams shut all around the log. Use a knife or a bench knife to cut the log into 5 sections, cutting in between the pieces of cheese. You can use your fingers to feel where the spaces are between the cheese.

Pinch the seams of each pretzel bite and roll between your palms to create a ball. This step is really important to avoid cheese leaking out of the bites, so take your time making sure you have fully sealed each bite.

Cut between the pieces of cheese to create 5 bites

Pinch all of the edges and roll in your palms to create a smooth ball — Cut between the pieces of cheese to create 5 bites

Place the pretzel bites in 3 rows of 5 on 2 parchment lined baking sheets.

Allow the pretzels to proof for 30 minutes uncovered while you prepare your soda bath.

Step 3: Boil and Bake Pretzel Bites

In a large pot, pour 4 quarts of water. Add in the baking soda, and whisk to dissolve. Bring pot of water to a boil over high heat. Grab a slotted spoon or a spider to help you remove the pretzel bites after you boil them.

While your water is heating, preheat your oven to 450 F.

Prepare your egg wash by beating an egg with 1 Tablespoon of water. Set aside.

If you want to top the pretzel bites with the ranch seasoning, combine the ranch seasoning ingredients in a shallow bowl at this time and set aside for later.

Once the pretzel bites have proofed for 30 minutes and the water is boiling, transfer 5-6 pretzel bites into the water at a time. Allow the bites to boil about 30 seconds to 1 minute, letting them float to the surface before removing them from the water. Repeat this step with all of the pretzel bites.

Boil the pretzel bites for 30 seconds to a minute in soda bath

Brush the bites with egg wash, and sprinkle the tops with the ranch seasoning and pretzel salt.

Top with ranch seasoning and pretzel salt — Brush with egg wash

Transfer the bites to the preheated oven, and bake roughly 20 minutes until the tops are a deep golden brown color. Internal temperature of the bites should be between 200-205 F when they’re done.

Allow the bites to cool 5-10 minutes before serving immediately.

Make your queso dip while your pretzel bites are baking!

Step 4: Make the Creamy Queso Dip

In a medium-sized pot, melt your butter over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add the flour to the butter. Cook the flour for 1 minute until golden and browned.

Gently whisk while you pour in your milk. Continue to whisk your milk and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

Add in your salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard.

Stir in your cream cheese, whisking until sauce gets creamy and smooth and cream cheese fully melts.

Remove from heat immediately, and stir in the shredded sharp cheddar and the shredded Monterey cheddar one handful at a time (or jalapeno cheddar depending on your preference). Go slow when adding your cheese, or you might end up with a gloopy texture.

Texture tip: If dip thickens as it sits, whisk in a splash of warm milk to loosen.

Serve warm queso immediately with warm sourdough cheese-stuffed pretzel bites!

Yields 30 pretzel bites

How to Store Pretzel Bites:

Room Temperature- Pretzel bites are best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 day. Gently reheat to enjoy.

How to Store Creamy Queso Dip:

Refrigerator- Refrigerate up to 4 days, rewarm gently with a splash of milk to restore creaminess.

FAQ’S:

What if my cheese leaks out?

Seal the ends firmly and roll each bite seam-side down. Slight leaks may caramelize onto the parchment, but if sealed well most cheese stays inside. Using chilled string cheese cubes helps.

Can I use other cheeses?

Yes! Cheddar cubes, Pepper Jack for spice, or smoked gouda for depth. Avoid soft cheeses like brie or fresh mozzarella.

Can I prepare these ahead?

Yes, you can shape and refrigerate unbaked bites for up to 8 hours, or bulk-ferment the dough overnight and stuff/bake the next day.

Can I make these without the dip and ranch seasoning?

Absolutely. They’re fantastic with mustard, ranch, marinara, or just plain.