Sourdough Beer Pretzels with Beer Cheese & Hot Honey Mustard
These sourdough beer pretzels are the perfect game-day food, or really, they’re perfect on any day Monday through Sunday (ha!). They’re crisp and buttery on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside-- with the perfect sourness from the beer and sourdough. And of course you can’t have pretzels without cheese and mustard so I've updated the two classic sauces. Who wouldn’t want a creamy cheddar beer cheese and a side of honey mustard made with chili-infused honey! Talk about the perfect combination.
Servings: 6 pretzels
Calories: 390kcal
Ingredients
For the Pretzels
- 1 cup beer (something light like a pale ale or belgian wheat)
- ½ cup fed sourdough starter
- 1 packet active-dry yeast
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 + ½ cups bread flour divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup baking soda
- 1 egg
- Flake Salt and Sesame Seeds for topping
For the Beer Cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ cup beer the remainder of the bottle
- ¼ cup half-and-half
- 8 oz shredded cheddar
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of fresh nutmeg
For the Hot Honey Mustard
- 1 tbsp stone-ground mustard
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp chili-infused honey
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Pretzels
- Warm the beer in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour it into a large bowl. Add the sourdough starter and brown sugar. Stir. Pour the packet of yeast over the top and let it sit for five minutes.
- After five minutes, stir in the yeast. Next, add 2 cups of flour and stir until the dough forms a wet, shaggy ball. Set aside to autolyse for 20 minutes.
- Next, add the salt and remaining ½ cup of flour. Mix just until the dough seems dry, not all of the flour will be incorporated yet.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Use the flour in the bowl to dust your hands and work surface. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball-- it should take about five minutes. The dough will become increasingly sticky over the first 2-3 minutes. Use the flour in the bowl to dust your hands as needed.
- Once the dough is smooth and only slightly tacky, place it into a well oiled bowl and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Once the dough has doubled, turn it out of the bowl and divide it into six pieces. Roll the sections into long rods and then shape them as desired: rods, nuggets, etc. There's a great tutorial on how to shape pretzels here.
- After you’ve shaped the pretzels, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slowly sprinkle in the baking soda-- if you add the baking soda too fast it will bubble over so add it slowly.
- Boil the pretzels once at a time for 45 seconds on each side and then remove them to a parchment lined baking sheet (or two baking sheets if one isn’t big enough to hold all the pretzels).
- Brush the boiled pretzels with an egg wash (a beaten egg + a splash of water) and sprinkle them with sesame seeds and flake salt.
- Bake the pretzels at 425F for 20-22 minutes or until they are a deep amber brown color.
For the Beer Cheese
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the flour and whisk for one minute.
- Next, add the beer and half-and-half and whisk until it starts to bubble and thicken.
- Once the mixture has thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon and not run off), add the cheese, dry mustard, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Whisk until the cheese is melted. Serve warm.
For the Hot Honey Mustard
- Combine the mustards, honey, and olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal