Ingredients
(for 4 stoneware beer mugs of 500 ml each)

For the Obazdn:

• 150 g mature Brie or Camembert (room temperature), diced
• 150 g cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon cherry brandy
• 1 spring onion, sliced into rings
• 1-2 tsp paprika, sweet
• 1 pinch of caraway seeds, ground
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt

For the dumpling dough:

• 5 pretzels from the previous day
• 300 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
• 200 g bacon, diced
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs 
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg
• soft butter and breadcrumbs for the jugs

For the Obazdn:
Place the cheese, cream cheese and cherry brandy in a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Season with salt, caraway, paprika and cayenne pepper and mix in the spring onion rings.

Now place a piece of cling film (approx. 55 cm long) on the work surface. Spread the Obazdn lengthwise on it. (You should end up with a 45-50 cm long roll.) Roll into a long "sausage" in the cling film and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

For the dumpling dough:
Remove the coarse salt from the pretzels. Cut the pretzels into cubes and place in a large bowl. Lightly salt the pretzels and pour the warm milk over them. Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

During this time, heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onions, parsley and bacon. Allow to cool slightly and add to the pretzels with the eggs and breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and work into a dumpling mixture with your hands. (Do not "knead" too firmly, this will keep the dumplings nice and fluffy).

Heat the Merklinger to approx. 230-250°C.

Grease the beer mugs and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Place 2 baking mats on the work surface, overlapping slightly lengthways. (Alternatively, use cling film.) Spread the dumpling mixture out on top. It should form a narrow rectangle that is approx. 50 cm long. Now place the frozen cheese roll on top of the dumpling mixture. (Remove the foil first, of course.) Roll up the dumpling mixture tightly lengthways around the Obazdn so that the cheese filling is in the middle.
The diameter of the roll must be about 2 cm smaller than the diameter of the jug, otherwise you won't be able to get the pretzel dumplings out of the jugs.

Divide the roll into 4 equal pieces using a pastry card and place in the prepared jars.

Place the beer mugs on the spacer rack and bake in the hot Merklinger at 230-250 °C for approx. 40-45 minutes.

Remove from the Merklinger and leave to cool in the jugs on a wire rack. Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the pretzel dumplings out onto a board. Cut into slices and serve with radishes, onion rings and gherkins.

Tip:

The pretzel dumplings with Obazda filling also taste delicious with a sweet and sour mustard dressing.


Baked in the beer mugs, the pretzel dumplings stay nice and juicy. However, you can also bake them as individual dumplings or as a whole roll on a tray/casserole dish in the Merklinger.