Scallion Cream Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Loaf
MAKES
one large braided loaf
TAKES
Prep time: 3 hours (includes rise times)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total: 3 hours 45 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Imagine bouncy soft pretzel dough, stuffed with flavorful scallion cream cheese, and formed into long ropes. Then, imagine braiding those ropes together to form a beautiful round loaf - and dousing it in everything bagel seasoning. It’s an incredible loaf to enjoy as a pull apart bread, or as slices.
INGREDIENTS
Soft Pretzel Dough
660 g / 5 ½ cups bread flour
25 g / 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 g / 1 tablespoon dry yeast
12 g / 2 teaspoons kosher salt
56 g / 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
340 g / 1 ½ cups warm water (around 110°F / 45°C)
Cream Cheese Filling
226 g / 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
100 g / 1 cup minced scallions
8 g / 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
8 g / 2 tablespoons dried garlic flakes
2 g / ½ teaspoon onion powder
2 g / ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Finishing
56 g / 1 large egg
21 g / 1 large egg yolk
15 g / 1 tablespoon water
everything bagel seasoning, as needed for finishing
More Savory Baking:
METHOD
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt to combine, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Add the butter and water and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, 3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough is very smooth, 4 minutes more.
3. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until noticeably puffy and nearly double in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
4. Make the filling: a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, scallions, dried onion, dried garlic, onion powder, and garlic powder to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag and cut a ½ inch / 1 cm opening from the tip.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and have ready a few pieces of plastic wrap to keep the dough covered as you work.
6. Shape the dough: Divide the dough into 6 even pieces (about 170 g each). Use your fingers to press the dough into a rectangle about 3 inch / 8 cm wide and 12 cm / 30 cm long.
7. Pipe a line of cream cheese down the center of the dough, then fold the dough over to encase the filling, and press firmly to seal. Roll the dough into a log 20 inch / 51 cm long.
8. Make a 6 strand braided round loaf. (CHECK OUT THIS TUTORIAL!)
9. Cover the loaf with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until visibly puffy, 1 hour - 1 hour 20 minutes. Towards the end of rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C with an oven rack in the center.
10. Finish the loaf: in a small bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and water to combine. Brush the egg wash all over the loaf, and then garnish generously with everything bagel seasoning.
11. Transfer the loaf to the oven, and bake until deeply golden brown and had an internal temperature in the thickest part of the loaf is 200°F / 93°C. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm as a pull apart bread, or cool completely to slice.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
