Easy, delicious pretzels made at home. Mall quality but served with a scrumptious beer dip takes these pretzels to the next level! One bite is never enough!
Whisk the yeast together with the warm water. Allow to rest while moving to the next step. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the salt, brown sugar and melted butter. Add in your yeast mixture, taking special care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as it likes to settle. Add in the 4 cups of flour, one at a time and stir well between each addition. Test the dough by pressing a finger into the surface of the dough. It should not be overly sticky or leave a trace on your finger and it should have some elasticity where it will bounce back once your finger is removed. If needed, add more flour about ¼ c. at a time until this consistency is achieved.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand to ensure it has formed a cohesive ball. Place the dough back in your bowl of the stand mixer, cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes.
Prepare the baking soda bath by filling a 6 qt. stock pan with the 6 c. of water and the ½ c. baking soda. Heat over high heat to bring to a rolling boil and dissolve the baking soda.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your baking sheets by lining with silicone mats or the parchment paper.
Remove the dough from your bowl. Divide into equal sections, about tennis ball sized or so. The dough will try to bounce back, so it does require some force to stretch and shape into a log. But the best you can, roll and squeeze the ball into a log and then a long rope about 20 inches in length. The first one will be a practice one as you figure out the technique and amount of pressure to really get the dough to stay and stretch. But once you’ve got as long as you’d like, place the rope on the work surface perpendicular to where you’re standing. To make the traditional pretzel shape, take both ends and place them up towards the top of your work surface and farther away from you, making a “U” shape. Then take those ends and cross them over each other. Then cross them over each other again. Take the two ends that are now twisted and bring them straight back, towards you, and press into the dough at the bottom of your original “U” shape. Press gently to ensure the dough stays together during baking.
Gently place this pretzel in the slotted spoon and lower into the now boiling water. Allow to boil for 15 seconds and no longer. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Place your pretzels on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in the oven for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Instructions for the Beer Cheese dip:
In a 6 qt stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat and then stir in the flour using a whisk. Cook for about one minute, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic powder and cayenne pepper and stir well. Stir in the milk and the beer in small increments and stir well after each addition. Add in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Continue to cook and stir often until the mixture begins to boil. The mixture will begin to thicken as it heats as well so stir frequently to avoid scorching.
Reduce the heat to low once boiling and add in your shredded cheeses. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and serve warm with pretzels (or vegetables, chips, etc). Can be placed in a crockpot on a “warm” setting or fondue pot to keep warm during serving.