In a large bowl, add in 1 ½ cups of warm water, 2 ¼ tsp of Active Dry Yeast, and 1 tsp of Sugar. Mix and let sit, about 5 minutes, until it starts to get foamy at the top.

Then add 1 tsp each of Garlic and Onion powder, 3 ¼ cup of Bread or All-Purpose Flour, and ½ Tbsp of Salt. Mix together with your hands or a spatula until it comes together. Shape into a ball (the dough will be very ‘shaggy’ looking), place into a greased bowl, then cover and let it rest for 12-18 hours. I like to do this the night before I need it- it only takes 10-15 minutes to do this step.

An hour before your dough is about to finish the first rise, preheat your oven to 350°. Line a small pan with parchment paper, and spread it with ¼ cup of Baking Soda. Bake for 1 hour. The baking soda will not change color, but it will give it that distinct soft pretzel taste when you do the baking soda wash later. This step is optional, but nice to give the dough that extra flavor of a pretzel. If you choose to skip this step, you can just use the baking soda unbaked.

When your dough is finished rising and you’ve baked the baking soda, preheat the oven to 450°. Then place your Dutch oven dish* into the oven with the lid on and let preheat for 1 hour.

Take your dough out and place onto a lightly floured countertop. Shape into a ball, then to create tension and ensure you get a nice round loaf, take the dough, slightly cup both hands, and push it against the underside your hand in a circular motion into your other hand. Repeat this motion for a couple minutes.

Place your loaf onto a sheet of parchment paper. It should be quite a but bigger than your loaf, since you’ll be using the excess to lift in and out of the pan. Set aside and let rest for an hour while your rush preheats.

After the hour is up, add your baking soda to some water in a small pot and boil. Once it’s boiled, brush generously over the loaf. Then cut a large ‘x’ in the dough to help the steam escape. You can also do one large slit down the middle or 2-3 smaller parallel slits- it’s up to you. The. Sprinkle with ½ Tbsp of coarse sea salt.

Carefully remove your pan from the oven, then pick up your loaf by each corner of the parchment paper and lower it into your Dutch oven. Cover with the lid, then bake for 35 minutes.

After 35 minutes, remove your Dutch oven, take off the lid, and sprinkle about ⅓ cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes uncovered.

When it’s done, it should be golden brown on too and the cheese should be melty and slightly crispy. Remove from the Dutch oven about 10 minutes after taking it out, then lift it out by the parchment paper and place on a cooking rack. Let it rest for 20 more minutes before slicing into it. Enjoy!