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Soft Pretzels and Beer Cheese

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

For the pretzels:

  • 1 ½ cups warm water around 125 degrees
  • 2 tbs. brown sugar
  • 1 pkg. active dry yeast
  • 6 tbs. melted butter
  • 2 ½ tsp. salt
  • 4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
  • 2 quarts water
  • ¼ cup baking soda
  • 1 egg beaten with a little water
  • Coarse salt for topping

For the beer cheese:

  • 2 tbs. butter
  • 2 tbs. flour
  • 2/3 cup light beer
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

For the pretzels:

  1. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. If not, a hand mixer will work. In a large bowl, mix together warm water, brown sugar, yeast, and melted butter. Let stand for about five minutes.
  2. In the meantime, mix together the salt, and 4 ½ cups flour
  3. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and combine until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky, but should still be fairly soft, so use more flour if needed.
  4. Knead the dough on a flat surface for about five minutes, and form into a ball. Grease a medium bowl with a small amount of oil. Toss the dough in the bowl, flipping to coat the top. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for 30 minutes to an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
  5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, bring two quarts (eight cups) of water to a boil. Add the baking soda to the boiling water quickly and be careful because it might splatter! Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Divide your dough into 6 even portions. Roll each portion out into a long rope and then carefully twist into a classic pretzel shape according to the photos above, pinching the ends together to seal.
  7. Carefully place each pretzel into the boiling baking soda water, and flip, cooking for a total of about 30-45 seconds. Then carefully remove the pretzels using a large spoon or spatula and place them onto your prepared baking sheets.
  8. Then, brush the pieces with your beaten egg mixture and immediately top with salt. Bake for about twelve to fifteen minutes, until golden brown!

For the beer cheese:

  1. While the pretzels bake, work on the beer cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the beer and milk until well combined, and continue heating until the mixture is very hot and beginning to slightly thicken.
  2. Add in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, and salt until well combined. Turn the heat off. Slowly whisk in the shredded cheese until everything is completely melted through and you have a thick sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with warm pretzels!