Soft Beer Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dip
Homemade soft beer pretzels paired with a rich, creamy beer cheese dip—perfect for game day or a cozy snack.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups warm light beer (about 110°F/43°C)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2.25 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 4.5 cups bread flour plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 10 cups water for baking soda bath
- 0.667 cup baking soda
- coarse sea salt for topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for dip
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for dip
- 0.5 cup whole milk
- 0.5 cup light beer for dip
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine warm beer, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add bread flour, salt, and melted butter. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on medium 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Punch down dough, divide into 12 pieces, roll each into a 20-24 inch rope, and shape into pretzels.
- Bring 10 cups water to a boil, add baking soda carefully. Boil each pretzel 30 seconds per side. Remove with slotted spoon to baking sheets.
- Sprinkle pretzels with coarse sea salt and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- For the dip, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in milk and beer until smooth. Simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat, stir in shredded cheddar until melted. Add Dijon mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm beer cheese dip with fresh pretzels immediately.
Notes
Use warm beer (not hot) to avoid killing yeast. Brush pretzels with melted butter after baking for extra shine. Beer cheese dip will thicken as it cools; reheat gently with a splash of milk if needed.
