Servings 6 pretzels
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg, whisked with 1 Tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the cottage cheese to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer the cottage cheese to a large bowl then stir in the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Using a spatula, mix the dough just until combined.
- Flour your work surface then turn out the dough and knead it 5 or 6 times just until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick rope roughly 20 inches long then twist it into a pretzel, pressing the ends into the top of the pretzel to secure them. (Re-flour your work surface and the dough as it gets sticky or as it’s needed.)
- In a large stock pot set over medium-high heat, stir together 10 cups water with the baking soda. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, plunge each pretzel into the water for 30 seconds. Using a large slotted spoon or sieve, remove the pretzels from the water and arrange them on the baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Brush the pretzels with the egg wash then sprinkle them with salt (optional).
- Bake the pretzels until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Instead of the iconic pretzel shape, you can cut the dough into bite-sized pieces for soft pretzel nuggets or twist it into simple soft pretzel twists.
- To store: Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. For longer storage, pop them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To refresh that just-baked texture, reheat in a 300°F oven or air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes.
- To freeze: Let the baked pretzels cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap or foil and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw at room temp, then warm in an oven or air fryer until heated through and the outside is lightly crisped.
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