How To Make Mouthwatering Pretzels and Beer Cheese

Join us as we make one of our favorites - soft, chewy pretzels with rich, creamy beer cheese!
There aren't many appetizers we get more religiously than a pretzel and beer cheese combo. The salty, warm, chewy pretzel perfectly pairs up with rich, creamy beer cheese. We finally found a recipe that stacks up against the best we have tasted and are excited to share it with you. Below, we have the ingredients and process split, starting with the pretzel and ending with the beer cheese.
Pretzel
Dough Ingredients
• 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water
• 1 standard packet of instant or active yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon of fine kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of melted, unsalted butter
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• Coarse sea salt for taste
Baking Soda Bath Ingredients
• 9 cups water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
Process
1. Mix the active yeast well into the warm water and let the mixture sit for 90 seconds. Whisk in the salt, brown sugar, and melted butter until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add in the flour 1 cup at a time and mix with either a wooden spoon or a dough hook on a stand mixer.
2. Once the dough is made, transfer it to a floured surface and knead for 4 minutes. After kneading, mold the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl covered lightly with a towel for at least 10 minutes.
3. While the dough is resting, start to prepare the oven and baking soda wash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and mix in the 1/2 cup of baking soda into 9 cups of water. Bring the baking soda bath to a boil.
4. After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, begin to shape your dough. If you are going to shape it into the traditional shape, cut off about 1/3 of a cup of the dough and roll it into just under a 2-foot rope and shape as shown in the video. If you want to make pretzel balls, start the same way and make just under a 2-foot rope with 1/3 cup of the dough. Cut the rope into 2-inch sections to make your bites. Rolling the dough into this length of rope will keep the thickness consistent and ensure even cooking.
5. Once your pretzels are shaped or cut into bites, drop one to two pretzels into the boiling baking soda bath at a time. Boil the pretzels for a maximum of 30 seconds, and then remove them with a slotted spatula. Allow the excess liquid to drip off into the pot and then transfer the pretzels to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
6. Once all of the pretzels have had their baking soda bath and have been transferred to the baking sheet, sprinkle the pretzels with coarse sea salt. Once all of the pretzels have all the salt you desire, place them in the oven and bake for 12-16 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown
Beer Cheese
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5/8 cup milk
• 5/8 cup beer
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz pepper jack cheese
Process
1. Before doing anything else, I would shred your cheese. Use block cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese as the pre-shredded cheese has additives that will make melting difficult.
2. Once your cheese is shredded, melt the butter, and mix in the flour, onion powder, and garlic powder over medium heat in a saucepan.
3. Stir in the milk slowly until smooth. Once the milk is mixed in, stir in the beer slowly. Once the beer has been mixed in, add the mustard and continue cooking until the sauce is thick and bubbling.
4. At this point, reduce the heat to low and add all of your cheeses until it is smooth and melted. Do not overheat the cheese or it can become grainy.
5. Once the cheese is all mixed in and your sauce is smooth and creamy, it is ready to be enjoyed! Break off a piece of one of those pretzels and dig in.
For the full recipe, visit our website below.
thebeerjunkies...
For more beer-related content, make sure you subscribe! And please let us know what you would like to see next in the comments. Cheers!

[@sandgroper-ig9nk]

Magic looking snack cheers

[@nathaningram1779]

Thank you, looks amazing!

[@CooksCreationswithme]

Looks too yummy ❤

[@preuc3367]

Thanks! Been meaning to try making this!

[@gravlejs6]

Looks very delicious! will try this recipe ❤

[@thebeerjunkies1]

I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!

[@ScullyBrewing]

I like to dry out a few cups of spent grains from a brew to add to recipes like these. Adds a little extra something

[@thebeerjunkies1]

That is a great idea! I will have to try that next time.