homemade soft pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce.
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yeast blooming in bowl.
flour and yeast and butter in bowl of stand mixer.

Once that happens, remove the dough from the bowl.  Oil the bowl, (just brush the inside of the bowl with olive oil) put the dough back in and cover with a towel.  Let it sit in a warm spot for about 55 minutes to let the dough rise and double in size.  I typically put the bowl in the microwave where there are no drafts, or on the back of the kitchen counter.

dough in bowl.
covered bowl of dough.

Once it has doubled, cut into 8 even pieces and you are ready for the next step.

cut dough into 8 pieces.
pretzel dough cut into bite sized pieces.
raw pretzel in boiling water.
bite sized pieces of dough on a baking sheet.
pretzel bites brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with salt.

Pretzel salt is important if you want your pretzels to be authentic. It has a completely different texture than everyday salt you may be using. In a pinch, go ahead and use kosher salt (I won’t tell) but you can easily buy pretzel salt online and it isn’t expensive.

Sprinkle the salt on your pretzels.  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until golden.

Homemade-Soft-Pretzels.
baked pretzel bites.
cheese sauce cooking in skillet.
Homemade-Soft-Pretzels.
homemade soft pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce.
homemade soft pretzel bites with beer cheese sauce.

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese Sauce

Make your own soft pretzels with a fabulous beer cheese sauce with these recipes.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Starter
Cuisine German
Servings 12 Served
Calories 222 cal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients
 
 

PRETZELS

  •  1 1/2 Cups Warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
  • 1 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 Package active dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 Cups All purpose flour
  • 2 Oz. Unsalted butter, melted
  • Olive oil, for pan
  • 2/3 Cup Baking soda
  • 1 Large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  • Pretzel salt

BEER CHEESE SAUCE

  • 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
  • 2 ½ Tbsp. All-purpose flour
  • ½ Cup Milk
  • ¾ Cup Beer
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Goldman’s Mustard powder
  • 1/2 Oz. Garlic powder
  • 8 Oz. Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Hot Sauce (optional)

Instructions
 

Pretzels

  •  Let’s make the pretzel dough first.  Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.(That’s how you’ll know the yeast is activated and live.)  Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl.  Wipe the bowl out and then oil it well with olive oil.  I use a pastry brush to get the job done.   Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and put it in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.  I leave mine on the back of the kitchen counter away from drafts.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the olive oil. (or spray with cooking spray) Set aside.
  • Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil a large pot.  You want as much surface area as possible to parboil your pretzels.  I normally do this in batches.
  • In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. I usually measure them with a measuring tape or ruler so they all come out the same size.  But don’t mind me, any size and any shape still tastes great!   Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope away from you, cross the ends over each other twice and then bring the ends down to the bottom of the U and press each end onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the prepared parchment-lined sheet pan. Alternatively, make pretzel bites. After you've rolled out your ropes, cut each into 1-2 inch pieces to create bite size pretzels. I love doing this for game day and serve them in a basket with the dip on the side.
  • You are now going to blanch the pretzels in the boiling water BEFORE baking them.  Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula or large spider strainer. Make sure you let the excess water drip off.  Put them back on the sheet pan.  Brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the pretzels to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Beer Cheese Sauce

  • Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until you’ve created a paste.
  • Add the milk, beer and Worcestershire sauce while continuously stirring. Stir until smooth, then add mustard powder and garlic powder. Continue to heat and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Turn heat to low and add shredded cheese, one ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously until cheese has completely melted and sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve immediately. To prevent congealing, serve in a small crock pot or fondue dish over heat.  If you like a little heat, add a couple of dashes of hot sauce to the cheese and stir in before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 222calCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 2809mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
Keyword sauce, snacks, starter
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