Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a small skillet cook onion in butter til tender but not brown, 7 minutes. Cool.
• Mix together warm water yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, set aside to proof, about 10 minutes.
• In a food processer mix together flour, cooled onion, egg, cheese italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Add yeast and water mixture. Mix until forms a soft dough.
• Turn dough onto floured surface, knead 6-8 minutes.
• Shape into ball place in lightly greased bowl turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 1/4 hours.
• Punch down Turn out onto lightly floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes. This step is important. It makes the rope easier to work with.
• Lightly grease Baking sheet. Roll dough into a 48 inch long rope.
• On the baking sheet form the rope into a large pretzel shape by crossing one end over the other to form a circle, overlapping about 12 inches from each end.
• Take one end in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps.
• Lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite.
• Moisten the ends and tuck underneath. press to seal.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes.
• Stir together egg white and 1 tbsp water, brush onto bread sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake in 375 oven for 20 minutes, then loosely cover with foil and continue baking another 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from oven cool on wire rack.
• I serve this bread with a packaged cheese sauce, for dipping or spreading.

Steps:

• Make Pretzel Dough:
• Stir together warm water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until a creamy beige foam develops on the surface, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
• Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, stir together flour, salt, and light brown sugar.
• Add flour mixture and butter to yeast mixture, and stir together first with a wooden spoon and then with your hands, until it forms a dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, dusting with more flour as needed if dough sticks to work surface.
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn over to coat with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at room temperature until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
• Alternatively, after kneading, let dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to oiled bowl as above, and let rise in the refrigerator overnight (12 hours or up to 2 days).
• Punch down dough and divide into quarters. Form each quarter into 4 balls. Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long rope. Cut each rope into six (2-inch) pieces, and transfer to wax paper-lined rimmed baking sheets.
• Bake Pretzels:
• Heat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower third. Well oil 2 large baking sheets (about 17- by 12- inches).
• In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil (mixture will be foamy at first, but foam will dissipate). Add 12 pretzel bites and cook 30 seconds (they will rise to the surface almost immediately), then transfer with a slotted spoon to baking sheets. Quickly sprinkle pretzel bites lightly on both sides with pretzel salt before they dry (so salt sticks). Repeat with remaining pretzel bites, returning water to a boil between batches.
• Bake pretzel bites in oven, switching sheets between racks and rotating sheets halfway through baking, until deep chestnut brown, 8 to 10 minutes (watch closely toward end of baking; bites brown quickly in last few minutes). Immediately transfer pretzel bites to wire racks to cool.
• Make Cheddar Dip:
• Purée cheese with 6 tablespoons wine or water in a food processor fitted with knife blade, stopping and scraping down sides with a spatula occasionally, until mixture is creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Thin to desired consistency with additional wine or water, adding it 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, and return to room temperature before serving.