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Freshly baked golden brown shiny pretzel dough spheres arranged on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Epic Homemade Cheeseburger Pretzel Bombs

These amazing cheeseburger pretzel bombs feature golden brown chewy pretzel dough stuffed with savory crumbled ground beef and gooey melted cheddar cheese. Perfectly topped with sea salt and sesame seeds!
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 bombs
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheeseburger Pretzel Bombs
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (360ml)
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (7g)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt (5g)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30g) melted
  • 6 cups water (1.4L)
  • 1/2 cup baking soda (120g)
  • 1 lb ground beef (450g)
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese (115g) shredded or cubed
  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (15g)
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (9g)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (120g)
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard (30g)
  • 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish (15g)

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer With a dough hook attachment.
  • 1 Large Skillet For browning the beef.
  • 1 Wide Pot For the baking soda bath.

Method
 

Make the Bombs
  1. In a stand mixer, combine warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, and melted butter. Knead for 5-7 minutes. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, break it apart, and cook until browned. Drain excess grease, season with salt and pepper, and let cool.
  3. Divide dough into 12 pieces and flatten into 3-inch discs. Place cooked beef and cheddar cheese in the center. Pinch the edges tightly to seal into a sphere.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and slowly whisk in baking soda. Drop dough spheres into the boiling water for 30 seconds, turning once. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Brush the boiled pretzel bombs with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and white sesame seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and shiny.
  6. Whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle relish in a small bowl. Serve alongside the warm pretzel bombs.

Notes

Always pinch the bottom seams tightly to prevent cheese from leaking.
Use freshly grated block cheese for the best melt.