I adore soft pretzels. Making them is fun, eating them is fun, and they are shockingly easy to prepare. The other day, I was making my pretzels and had a thought: what if I made a pretzel bun and stuffed it with pizza toppings? This has been a life changing idea! The crunchy pretzel outside and the soft, gooey, cheesy inside is an unreal combination.

We begin my making the dough. Many people out there think that making bread is difficult, well I have good news for you! Making bread is super easy, and not only that, it's fun! Mix your warm water with a packet of active dry yeast and sugar and wait 5-10 minutes until it's foamy like the picture above. Next, add the salt, coconut oil, and flour. Now you'll want to add th3e flour 1/2 cup at a time because the amount you use will depend on your elevation and the amount of moisture in the air. I usually end up using around 2 cups, but you could end up using around 3

.Once the dough is mixed and not sticky any more, we knead it for about 3 minutes, until it is in a cohesive ball. Pop the dough back in the bowl that you were using to mix it in, cover it with a cloth and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare your baking soda liquid. This is what will turn a regular pizza bun into a pizza pretzel. Bring a pot filled with 3 cups of water to a boil and add 6 tbsp of baking soda. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the baking soda has dissolved. Transfer the baking soda liquid to a 9x9 baking dish and let it cool to luke warm temperature. By now, the dough should be done resting.

Once the dough is done resting, it should look like the photo above. As you can see it has risen quite a bit and if you poke it, it will be very pliable and should bounce back. Flour a clean surface and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

I prepped my fillings neatly into little bowl so the filling process would go smoothly. I put mushrooms in a couple of them, but the fillings are up to you. You can put whatever you want inside, but make sure it's not too full, or it will leak and you may have a difficult time sealing the bun.

The pictures above show step-by-step how to put the fillings in the dough and how to seal it. Pinch the edges together , creating a little sack of pizza fillings. Keep pinching and smoothing the dough until it is contained.

After you've finished 4 of your 8 buns, put them in the baking soda liquid for 1 minute & 30 seconds per side. Place them on the baking sheet and sprinkle oregano and salt on top. If you have vegan parmesan go ahead and sprinkle some of that on as well.

They are baked at 475 C for 6-8 minutes, until they are golden brown like the pictures above. The cheese inside should be nice and melty. To reheat them, I usually put them in my toaster oven for 5 minutes, or you can microwave them for 30-45 seconds, but they are the best fresh out of the oven.

Serve your vegan pizza pretzel bombs with marinara sauce, or just eat them on their own, either way you'll surely be wanting more!

If you would like to save my recipes you can find me on Pinterest as The Blissful Blueberry. You can also find me on Instagram as @the.blissful.blueberry - look for the green icon or this picture!

*makes 8

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2-3 cups all purpose flour

Pretzel:

6 tbsp baking soda

3 cups water

Filling:

1/2 cup pizza sauce

8 basil leaves

100g vegan soy cheese, cubed or grated

*you can add other fillings such as mushrooms, peppers, or whatever

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl of your standard mixer fixed with the hook attachment. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.

Add the salt and coconut oil, and add the flour in 1/2 cup increments while mixing. When the dough is no longer sticky, take it out of the bowl and knead for 2-3 minutes. Place back in the bowl and cover for 10-15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, boil your 3 cups of water and 6 tbsp of baking soda until the baking soda has dissolved. Once dissolved, transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and let cool to luke warm temperature.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

By now the dough has probably been resting for at least 10 minutes. Flour a clean surface and cut the dough ball into 8 equal pieces.

Take a piece and roll it into a ball in your hand, and flatten on the floured surface. It should be about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Spoon 1 tbsp of pizza sauce in the centre of the dough circle. Place the basil leaf on the sauce, and the cheese on the leaf.

Pinch the edges of the dough circle together, encasing the pizza inside. Be sure to pinch hard, sealing off any holes.

Once you have finished four buns, place them in the baking soda bath. Leave the buns for 1.5 minutes on one side, flip, and leave for another 1.5 minutes on the other side.

Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle oregano on top.

Repeat with the remaining four buns and once all eight are positioned on the baking sheet, bake for 6-8 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Allow to cool for 3 or 4 minutes until they aren't scalding hot.

Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy!

*Reheat in a toaster oven or the microwave for 30 seconds