Homemade Pretzels and Beer Cheese
Soft, buttery homemade pretzels paired with a creamy, flavorful beer cheese sauce. This easy pretzel recipe is perfect for game days, parties, or a snack night in!
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the Pretzels
- 1 1/2 cups warm water about 110 degrees
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 5 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 cup baking soda for boiling
- egg wash 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water
- as needed sea salt for sprinkling
For the Beer Cheese
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cheese cheddar or your favorite melting cheese
- 1/4 cup beer of choice or replace with more milk
Instructions
For the Pretzels
- Start by mixing 1 ½ cups of warm water and 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast in a large bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast gets foamy and activated.
- Add the 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, and 5 tablespoons of melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Gradually add 4 ½ cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Keep stirring until the dough starts to come together. Once all the flour is incorporated, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it proof for 10 minutes.
- Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 18-20 inches long.
- In a large pot, bring 9 cups of water and ½ cup of baking soda to a boil. Carefully drop each pretzel into the boiling water and blanch them for 20 seconds.
- Remove the pretzels from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Once all the pretzels are boiled, brush them with an egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt to taste
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Bake the pretzels for 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
For the Beer Cheese
- While the pretzels are baking, let’s make the cheese sauce. Start by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in 1 cup of milk and continue to stir until the mixture thickens, about 3–5 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese until smooth and melted.
- If you are using beer in your recipe, add it now.