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?
Equipment
- Kitchen scale - For accurate hydration and consistent results.
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl - To mix the dough.
- 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.
- 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.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 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
Cheese Filling:
- 30 (10g) pieces mozzarella string cheese (about 1/2 inch each)
Soda Bath:
- 4 quarts water
- 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
Ranch Seasoning:
- 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
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbspn water
Creamy Queso Dip:
- 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
- ½ cup (50g) Monterey Jack or Jalapeno cheddar shredded
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.scant 1/2 cup (100g) active sourdough starter, 1 1/8 cup (280g) warm water, 2 Tbsp (24g) white granulated sugar
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your butter.2 Tbsp (25g) unsalted butter
- Add the flour, salt, and melted butter to your wet ingredients.2 tsp (10g) kosher salt, 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 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.
- 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.30 (10g) pieces mozzarella string cheese
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.4 quarts water, 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
- 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.1 Tbspn water, 1 large egg
- 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.1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried dill, ½ tsp dried chives, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 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.
- Brush the bites with egg wash.
- Sprinkle the tops with the ranch seasoning and pretzel salt.2 Tbspns coarse pretzel salt
- 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.2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
- When the butter has melted, add the flour to the butter. Cook the flour for 1 minute until golden and browned.2 Tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour
- 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.1 ½ cups (360g) whole milk
- Add in your salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard.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
- Stir in your cream cheese, whisking until sauce gets creamy and smooth and cream cheese fully melts.3 oz (85g) cream cheese
- 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.1 ½ cups (150g) sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup (50g) Monterey Jack or Jalapeno cheddar
- 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!