Recipe: Soft Beer Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip

A beer-based snack to complement your beer

Serves: 8 | Prep Time: About 20 Minutes | Total Time: About 2 Hours

What goes better with beer than football? More beer! These soft beer pretzels are the perfect companion to this creamy beer cheese dip.

An ice-cold beer is ideal for washing down this gooey, cheesy dish. Serve this beer-tastic dip on game day and get your bar food fix without leaving the house. No matter what game is on, this appetizer is bound to be a home run, slam dunk or touchdown!

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THE PRETZELS

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of beer (preferably a lager)
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 package dry active yeast
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 10 cups water
• ²⁄₃ cup baking soda
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 TBSP water
• kosher salt for topping
• vegetable oil for bowl

Instructions

1. Warm the beer to 110-115 degrees. You should be able to hold your finger in it comfortably.
2. In a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add the warm beer, sugar, kosher salt and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for about 5 minutes to allow yeast to get slightly foamy.
3. Add butter and flour. Turn mixer on low and mix until dough comes together.
4. Increase mixer speed to medium for 4-5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and cling to the dough hook, not the sides of the bowl.
5. In a clean bowl, use about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to coat the insides of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Turn over once to coat entire ball with oil.
6. Cover bowl with plastic and a tea towel and let dough rise for 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.
7. After dough has rested for an hour, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat, such as Silpat®.
8. In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil.
9. Turn dough onto lightly oiled surface. Divide into eight separate pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch rope. Take each end of the rope and bring them toward the center. Overlap one end over the other and secure the ends to the bottom of the pretzel shape by pinching the dough together.
10. Once pretzels are formed, drop two at a time into the boiling water. Boil the pretzels for 30 seconds. Remove and place on lined baking sheets.
11. Brush pretzels with egg and water mixture. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
12. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned.
13. Serve with beer cheese dip.

THE DIP

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup beer (preferably a lager)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• a few dashes of hot sauce
• chopped parsley for garnishing (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, stir cream cheese until softened.
3. Add shredded cheeses and mix together.
4. Add beer, garlic powder and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
5. Pour mixture into a small oven-safe baking dish.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese has melted and is bubbling.
7. Add a few more dashes of hot sauce and chopped parsley for color.
8. Serve hot with soft beer pretzels.