Time:  140min

Makes: 12 pretzels + 2 cups sauce

Allergens: dairy, gluten

Ingredients

Pretzels

-        2 packets active dry yeast (about 4.5 teaspoons)

-        1 teaspoon granulated sugar

-        1 ¼ cups warm water (110F)

-        5 cups AP Flour

-        1 ½ teaspoon salt

-        1 tablespoon vegetable oil

-        ½ cup Local Hive Colorado Honey (or any other Local Hive Honey)

-        ½ cup baking soda

-        4 cups hot water

-        2 tablespoons Local Hive Sriracha Honey Hot Sauce

-        2 tablespoons Rodelle Sriracha Seasoning

-        2 tablespoons flaky salt of choice (we used Kosher salt)

Cheese Sauce

-        ¼ cup salted butter

-        ¼ cup AP Flour

-        2 cups whole milk

-        2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)

-        2 tablespoons Local Hive Sriracha Honey Hot Sauce

-        2 teaspoons Rodelle Sriracha Seasoning

Directions

Pretzels

1.     In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in the 1 1/4 cups warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2.     In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt.

3.     In a separate bowl, combine honey and oil, adding the oil first to help make pouring the honey easier.

4.     Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and honey mixture. Mix and form into a dough.

5.     Knead the dough with a hook attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes, or by hand, about 7-8 minutes.

6.     Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn to coat the dough with the oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (about an hour)

7.     Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and grease with pan spray (or you can brush with vegetable oil)

8.     In a large bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 4 cups of hot water, set aside.

9.     Measure out the honey hot sauce and set aside. Measure out Sriracha and salt, mix until combined and set aside

10.  When dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface.

11.  Divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 12-14 inches and twist into a pretzel shape.

12.  Once all of the dough is shaped, add the honey hot sauce to the baking soda mixture and stir

13.  Dip each pretzel into the solution and place on the baking sheets.

14.  sprinkle each pretzel with a generous amount of the sriracha salt mixture

15.  Bake one pan at a time in the oven until browned, about 8 minutes.

16.  Let cool on baking sheet while you make the cheese sauce and serve

Cheese Sauce

1.     Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat

2.     Once butter is melted, add AP flour and whisk continuously until foamy, and whisk an additional 60 seconds

3.     Add whole milk to the sauce pan slowly at first to ensure the roux fully combines, and continue whisking on medium heat

4.     Once the mixture starts to thicken (~8 more minutes, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and not run), take off heat and add remaining ingredients, whisking until combined

5.     Serve hot with fresh baked pretzels

Note:

-        The cheese sauce follows a simple ratio, so it’s easy to scale everything up and down for your needs:

o   1:1 All-purpose flour + salted butter, 1:1 whole milk + cheddar, 1:8 butter to whole milk

o   4 tablespoons butter (1/4 cup) = 2 cups whole milk

o   2 tablespoons butter = 1 cup whole milk