Za’atar Soft Pretzels with Creamy Tahini Dip

Chewy, soft bites and bold Mediterranean flavors are what you can expect from our Za’atar Soft Pretzels. Enjoy them with a Creamy Tahini Dip for a rich yet tart kick.

Ingredients

USMetric

For the Pretzels:

½ cup whole milk, room temperature
½ cup water, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
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1 teaspoon honey
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons za’atar spice, plus more for sprinkling
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
3 cups water, for dipping pretzels
¼ cup baking soda, for dipping pretzels

For the Creamy Tahini Dip:

½ cup cream cheese, goat cheese or ricotta, room temperature
½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon tahini paste
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic, optionaloptional
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Pretzels

In a large bowl, combine milk and water. Add yeast and dissolve by whisking vigorously. Add vanilla extract, honey, flour, butter, sea salt and za’atar to the yeast mixture. Mix using a plastic bowl scraper or your hands until dough is cohesive and shaggy, but not smooth.

Turn dough out onto an unfloured work surface and begin kneading using the “Stretch and Fold” method. Start by gently pressing the dough down and away from you with the heel of your hand. Lift the edge of the dough that’s farthest away from you and fold the dough in half toward you. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat process. Continue kneading for about 8-10 minutes. The dough will begin to smooth out and become very stiff, making it more difficult to knead. The dough is ready when it’s smooth and elastic.

Form dough into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Roll dough around in bowl to cover with oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dipping solution by bringing water to a boil. Measure 2 cups boiling water into a large, shallow 8×8-inch dish and add baking soda. Stir until all baking soda is dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

After the dough has doubled in size, lightly flatten into a disk on an unfloured work surface. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into eight equal wedges. Roll each wedge into a rough ball by slightly cupping your hand over the dough ball and pressing down while making a circular motion. Cover dough balls and let rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, roll each ball into a long rope about 20-24 inches long. If you’re having a hard time getting the rope to the proper length, the gluten may need another 5 minutes to relax. Take one end of the rope in each hand and bring them together toward you like you’re going to make a circle out of the rope. Twist the ends together twice about an inch below the ends. Fold the twisted ends over toward the middle of the rope to complete the pretzel.

Place pretzels on two baking sheets lined with greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Let pretzels rest 20 minutes uncovered. Leaving them uncovered helps them form a desirable skin on top.

After 20 minutes, place two to three pretzels at a time into the shallow dish with the dipping solution. Let each pretzel sit for one minute, flip the pretzels over and let sit an additional minute. Using a large slotted spoon or spatula, lift each pretzel out of the solution and let excess drip off for a few seconds. Place pretzels on prepared sheet trays and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and additional za’atar spice. Repeat process until all pretzels are dipped and sprinkled. Let pretzels rest while oven is heating.

Preheat oven to 420°F. Bake pretzels for about 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy immediately. Pretzels can be stored in an airtight container for a day, reheating in an oven at 375°F for a few minutes or until warm.

Creamy Tahini Dip

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Keep sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use. Dip can be made up to three days in advance. The longer the dip sits, the milder the garlic will become.

For the Pretzels:

118 ml whole milk, room temperature
118 ml water, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
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1 teaspoon honey
360 grams bread flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons za’atar spice, plus more for sprinkling
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
705 ml water, for dipping pretzels
50 grams baking soda, for dipping pretzels

For the Creamy Tahini Dip:

113 grams cream cheese, goat cheese or ricotta, room temperature
113 grams Greek yogurt or sour cream
16 grams tahini paste
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic, optional
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Pretzels

Meanwhile, make the dipping solution by bringing water to a boil. Measure 454 grams boiling water into a large, shallow 20×20-centimeter dish and add baking soda. Stir until all baking soda is dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

After 10 minutes, roll each ball into a long rope about 51-61 centimeters long. If you’re having a hard time getting the rope to the proper length, the gluten may need another 5 minutes to relax. Take one end of the rope in each hand and bring them together toward you like you’re going to make a circle out of the rope. Twist the ends together twice about 3 centimeters below the ends. Fold the twisted ends over toward the middle of the rope to complete the pretzel.

Preheat oven to 216°C. Bake pretzels for about 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy immediately. Pretzels can be stored in an airtight container for a day, reheating in an oven at 190°C for a few minutes or until warm.