The cheese goes in before the shaping. Each rope of dough is flattened down its length, a stick of mozzarella or cheddar is laid in and the seam is pinched shut, then the rope is knotted like any pretzel.
A short boil in baking-soda water is what gives the dark, burnished crust. Twenty seconds or so is plenty, then egg wash, pretzel salt and fifteen to eighteen minutes in a hot oven.
The Bath, Handled Safely
The alkaline bath is what makes it a pretzel, and it needs care rather than nerve.
- Dough risenKneaded, risen 45 minutes and divided into six ropes.
- Cheese sealed inEach rope wrapped around a cheese stick with the seam pinched shut.
Check before you continue
2/3 cup baking soda added slowly, 20 to 30 seconds per pretzel — A wide pot at a gentle boil
Add the soda a little at a time so the water does not foam over, then boil each pretzel briefly and lift it out to drain.
- Wash and saltBrush with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
- Bake and restBake 15 to 18 minutes at 425°F, then rest 5 minutes before serving.
How to Make It
Dough kneaded and risen
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and melted butter and knead until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Oven and sheet ready
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Cheese enclosed and knotted
Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each into a long rope, flatten the centre, enclose one cheese stick, pinch the seam closed and shape into a pretzel knot.
Baking-soda bath
Bring the 10 cups water to a gentle boil and carefully add the baking soda. Boil each pretzel 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer to the sheet.
Washed, salted and baked
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with pretzel salt and bake 15 to 18 minutes, until deeply browned and the cheese is melted.
Rested before serving
Rest 5 minutes before serving so the molten cheese does not burn.
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese sticks
- Six ounces of low-moisture mozzarella or mild cheddar cut into six sticks, one per pretzel.
- Baking soda
- Two-thirds of a cup added slowly to 10 cups of gently boiling water.
- Instant yeast
- Two and a quarter teaspoons, enough for a single 45-minute rise.
Success Tips
- Add the baking soda a spoonful at a time; the water foams up sharply if it all goes in at once.
- Pinch the seam along its whole length and then roll the rope gently to seal it further.
- Lift each boiled pretzel with a slotted spatula and let it drain a second before it hits the parchment.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pinching the seam completely closed is what keeps molten cheese inside instead of on the sheet.
- The alkaline bath raises the surface pH so the crust browns deeply and tastes like a pretzel.
- Egg wash adds shine and helps the coarse salt stick.
- A five-minute rest lets the cheese cool from scalding to molten.
Serving Ideas
Serve warm, torn open so the cheese pulls, with extra pretzel salt on the board.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Eat these the day they are baked. Reheat in a hot oven so the cheese softens again and the crust stays firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need lye?
No. A baking-soda bath is used here, which is the safer standard and browns well.
How do I keep the cheese inside?
Pinch the seam completely closed before knotting, and keep the boil to 20 to 30 seconds.
