Pretzel with cheese

Mix the flour and dried yeast in a large bowl. Make sure the yeast is of high quality, as the success of the dough depends on it. Add the sugar and salt to the warm water (not too hot, as this will kill the yeast), stir to combine, then pour into the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together.

This is where patience comes in: knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Don't panic, if it's sticky at first, it will come together in time. Cover the kneaded dough with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, form it into thin long sticks, then roll the sticks into pretzel shapes. This may take some practice, but children can be excellent helpers.

Place the shaped pretzels on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, sprinkle with grated cheese and a large pinch of coarse sea salt. It is essential that the oven is then preheated to 220 °C, and not before, as the pretzels need time to keep their shape before baking.

Bake the pretzels in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is nice and golden brown.

Immediately after removing the pretzels from the oven, let them cool a little, because hot cheese burns. Although sometimes it's hard not to eat them right away, patience pays off.