We love a recipe that comes with a side of all-hands-on-deck. Oh, and we also love a side of beer cheese. That, too. Gather friends and fam for a pretzel-twisting sesh that will have you eyerolling that pretzel place in the mall – homemade pretzels are way better. These are fun, delicious – and you’ll perfect that twist in no time!
Time: 30 min + rising time
Makes 12 pretzelsRating
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Loading...| 2 ¼ tsp (one standard packet) instant or active dry yeast | |
| 1.5 cups warm water | |
| 1 tsp Sel Gris | |
| 1 Tbl brown sugar | |
| 1 Tbl unsalted butter, melted | |
| 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour, plus more for working with the dough | |
| 9 cups water + 1/2 cup baking soda for blanching | |
| 1 egg + 1 Tbl water for egg wash | |
| Pretzel Salt for finishing the pretzels | |
| For the Beer Cheese: | |
| 3 Tbl unsalted butter | |
| 3 Tbl all-purpose flour | |
| 1 tsp Smoked Porcini Shallot Mustard Blend | |
| One 12-oz bottle beer, room temp | |
| 8 oz mild white cheddar, grated | |
| ¼ cup heavy cream | |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 1. | In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the yeast with the water. Stop the mixer and allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk in the salt, brown sugar and melted butter. Stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook. |
| 2. | Start the mixer and begin adding in the flour, about ½ cup at a time, until the flour is incorporated. After all of the flour has been incorporated, if the dough is still sticky, add a little additional flour. The dough ball should become smooth and easy to handle. Knead with the stand mixer for 5 minutes. |
| 3. | Turn onto a flour-dusted counter and knead by hand for a few minutes. The dough should be nice and smooth and easy to handle. Cut the dough into 12 even portions and shape into balls. Allow to rest on the counter for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for use the next day. Be sure to allow the dough to come to room temp before shaping into pretzels. |
| 4. | Roll each dough ball into a long rope about 20 inches long. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them into a pretzel shape. Continue with the remaining dough. |
| 5. | To blanch the pretzels, Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray. |
| 6. | Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the water for 30 seconds. Lift out of the water using a slotted spoon or spider. Allow excess water to drip away. Place on prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough. |
| 7. | Brush each pretzel with egg wash. Sprinkle with Pretzel Salt.Bake for 12-15 mins or until golden brown. |
| 8. | For the Beer Cheese: Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and saute for 1 minute. It will be pasty. You’re creating a blonde roux. It should smell nutty and darken slightly to a tan color. |
| 9. | Stir in the Smoked Porcini Shallot Mustard Blend and saute for about a minute. Whisk in the beer and mustard. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until it thickens. Stir in the grated cheese a little at a time. Be patient as you melt the cheese over low heat. If the heat is too high, the mixture will become gritty. |
| 10. | Whisk in the heavy cream and cook for a few minutes. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. |
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