Soft pretzels with cheese and mustard sauces

Ingredients:

Soft pretzels

• 1.5 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown muscovado sugar
• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2.5 tsp coarse salt
• 4.5 - 5 cups of premium flour
• 3 liters of water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp. cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Poblano Cheese Sauce

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. premium flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 340 g Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 2 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled, and chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Mustard sauce

• 0.5 cup Dijon mustard
• 0.5 cup grainy mustard
• Honey to taste

Preparation:

1. Poblano Cheese Sauce:
   
   In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, poblano chili, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
   Place the sauce in a bowl and sprinkle with finely chopped poblano pepper.
2. Mustard sauce:
   
   Mix mustard and honey to taste until smooth. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
   
3. Soft pretzels: Line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper and spray generously with cooking spray.
   
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter. Stir to combine, then let stand for 5 minutes.
   
4. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until smooth. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface and form it into a ball with your hands.
5. Grease a bowl with vegetable oil, place the dough in it, and turn it over to coat. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 220°C.
7. In a small skillet, bring water to a boil over high heat and add baking soda.
8. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, each weighing approximately 110-120 grams. Roll each portion into a 55 cm long rope and shape it into a pretzel. Drop the pretzels into the boiling water with baking soda, 2 at a time, and blanch for 30 seconds, spooning boiling water over them. Remove from the pan with a large slotted spoon.
9. Place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with dipping sauces.