Bavarian Pretzels with Obatzda Spread

Préparation

These classic Bavarian-style soft pretzels are served with obatzda, an addictively good cheese dip made with camembert, caraway, and smoked paprika. This snack pairs phenomenally well with light beer or a white wine with good acidity like grüner veltliner. It’s also exactly the hearty base you’ll need for a spirited day of Oktoberfest celebrations!

*This recipe originally ran in Germany on HexClad.eu.

MAKE THE DOUGH

1. In a small bowl, crumble the yeast. Mix with the sugar and 2 tablespoons/30 ml of the milk until the yeast has dissolved.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour. Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Using your hands, slowly incorporate the flour until you have a porridge-like consistency. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, add the butter, fine sea salt, and the remaining milk to the bowl. Attach your bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes—the dough should be smooth and elastic. Cover with the kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your fist to lightly press down and deflate the dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a 1-foot/30 cm long rope. Cover the dough with your kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 4 pieces of parchment paper into 5-by-7-inch/ 13-by-18 cm rectangles. 
5. Working one at a time, use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a 2½-foot/25 cm-long rope by rolling it against the work surface with your palms, applying mild pressure and working from the center outward, tapering the rope at the ends.
6. Slide a parchment paper rectangle under the middle part of each rope. Shape your rope into a large U with the ends pointing up and away from you. Pull each end down, crossing them twice around each other. Bring the twisted ends down to the bottom of the U and press them gently into the pretzel to adhere. The pretzel should lie neatly on the parchment paper. Transfer the pretzel to a large plate or rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and parchment paper rectangles. Cover with the kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cover the pretzels with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight to firm up (this will make them easier to slide into the boiling water). 

MAKE THE CHEESE DIP

1. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all of the cheese dip ingredients, mashing with the back of a large spoon, until you have a chunky dip with bits of camembert. Season with salt and more paprika, if needed. Scrape the cheese dip into a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

BAKE THE PRETZELS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line a HexClad Pizza Steel with parchment paper. Bring a HexClad 8QT/8L Hybrid Stockpot of water to a boil and gradually add the baking soda, 1 tablespoon at a time. Careful—it will bubble up a lot.
2. Remove the pretzels from the refrigerator. Working one at a time, drop the pretzels with the parchment paper into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pretzel to the prepared pizza steel and discard the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining pretzels. 
3. Using a sharp paring knife, make a slit along the bottom of each pretzel like a smiley face and then sprinkle all over with coarse salt. Bake the pretzels for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Garnish the cheese dip with thinly sliced red onion and snipped chives. Serve the warm pretzels with the cheese dip and some fresh radishes on the side.

NOTE If your camembert is especially ripe and pungent, feel free to remove the rind before making your cheese dip.