dinnertable Restaurant’s Garlic Pretzel recipe

dinnertable’s Garlic Pretzel & Housemade Cheese is a recipe that will “wow” for any occasion. It just takes a little extra prep and some patience.

This dish was inspired by a number of influences from the Big Apple: NYC pretzels, NYC bagels & schmears, the flavors of pizza, and classic Italian garlic bread.

When in NYC, and at dinnertable, guests will find that this pretzel and the cheese are both made in house completely from scratch, exactly from this recipe below.

The Makings:

PRETZEL:

Step One:

3T yeast
1C warm water
2t sugar
1 1/2c bread flour

Step Two:

3c bread flour
2T salt
2oz butter, tempered
¼ C whey (see homemade herb cheese recipe)

Step Three:

Sea salt
Sesame seeds
1 whole egg
2T water

GARLIC-TOMATO OIL:

2C sundried tomatoes, chopped
1C garlic oil (see homemade herb cheese recipe)
1C olive oil
2T dried oregano
4T fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
1T salt
Pinch cayenne
Freshly cracked black pepper

HOMEMADE HERB CHEESE:

Step One:

4 L goat milk
½ cup buttermilk
5 drops animal rennet

Step Two:

3 shallots, diced finely
½C olive oil
1 head garlic, peeled
1C soy oil
½ bunch parsley, washed and chopped finely
½ bunch chives, washed and chopped finely
1 T dry oregano
Pinch cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Let’s Cook it!

PRETZEL:

Combine all ingredients and cover. Place in warm, dry place for at least three hours until the mixture (“starter”) rises and falls.

Mix the remaining ingredients with the mixture from Step One using a mixer with dough hook attachment until the dough comes away from the bowl. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl and proof for 30 minutes. Portion the dough into nine pieces. Roll the pieces into a pretzel shape. Proof for another 20 minutes.

Beat the egg and water together until well-combined. Dip a clean pastry brush into the egg mixture and paint each pretzel with it. Sprinkle salt and sesame seeds on top. Bake for 15 minutes at 475°F until golden brown.

HOMEMADE HERB CHEESE:

Heat goat milk to 68 degrees. Add buttermilk and rennet. Mix well. Allow to sit overnight, covered. Strain cheese very well through cheesecloth, reserving the whey for making pretzels.

Gently cook diced shallots in the olive oil in a small, shallow pot over very low heat until completely soft (about one hour). At the same time, cook the peeled garlic in the soy oil in the same way. Take shallots off of the heat and allow to cool in the olive oil. Take garlic off of the heat and drain off the oil it was cooked in, reserving the garlic oil for use in the garlic-tomato oil recipe. Muddle the slow-cooked garlic cloves with a mortar and pestle until it resembles a paste.

Mix the muddled garlic, strained goat cheese, cooked shallots in oil and all other remaining ingredients in a bowl. Adjust seasoning with salt to taste.

GARLIC-TOMATO OIL:

Process all ingredients except for olive oil in a food processor. Then add olive oil and pulse briefly to combine.

TO SERVE:

Slice pretzels in half horizontally and slather the cut side with the tomato-garlic oil. Toast in a 400 degree oven for five minutes or until crispy. Serve with Homemade Herb Cheese.