Sourdough Soft Pretzels with Stout Beer Cheese Dip

Do you still need an appetizer for the 4th? Here’s one that will make a hit with your friends and family – Sourdough pretzels and dip!

I made the pretzels into sticks. They are a more manageable portion and so much easier to push into the thick, cheesy, beer and mustard dip!

What you need:

Pretzels

  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon baker’s yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup stout beer (porter will also work)
  • 2 ½ to 3 cups flour
  • 3 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 3 – 4 quarts of water
  • ½ baking soda
  • 1 egg, beaten slightly
  • Coarse salt (pretzel salt)

Dip

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup stout beer (or porter)
  • 1 Tablespoon coarse grained mustard
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ cup milk or cream
  • 2 cups grated cheddar

How to Do it:

To make the pretzels – 

Mix the starter, sugar, salt, yeast and beer. Cover and let sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Melt the butter. Stir 2 ½ flour into the starter mixture and slowly mix in the cooled, melted butter. Gently knead to mix all the ingredients together well. You should have a moist, but firm roll of dough. If it’s too wet, add the remaining flour.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Depending on the weather, this could take anywhere from 3 hours to overnight (sourdough rises slowly).

When it has doubled, turn out onto a floured surface and knead 9 – 10 times to make a smooth dough. Return to a clean bowl, cover and let rise another hour or two. It won’t rise a lot this time.

Turn out onto a floured board and roll to about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into strips – 1 inch wide and 4 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda. When there is a rolling boil, gently add the pretzel sticks, one at a time, and boil for about 1 minute. They will come up to the top when they are ready.

Remove from the water and drain on a clean dish towel. Place the strips on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg, then the salt.

Place in a preheated oven for about 10 – 15 minutes, until they are a rich, golden brown. Set on a cooling rack when done.

While the pretzels are baking, make the cheese dip.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir in the flour and cook until the flour is just slightly starting to brown. Using a whisk, stir in the beer, paprika, and mustard.

 

When it is blended, add the milk and continue to whisk until it is all mixed together and starting to thicken.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until it is all melted. You can add salt and pepper to taste if you like. Also, a touch of cayenne is also good.

Serve the warm pretzels and sauce together, or store airtight in the refrigerator and reheat.

Makes about 12 pretzels.

Note: the alcohol cooks out of both the pretzels and the dip, leaving behind the rich malty flavors of the beer.

© Copyright 2018 The Lazy Gastronome

 

Below are some of the items we used to create this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!


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7 Responses to Sourdough Soft Pretzels with Stout Beer Cheese Dip

  1. Teresa says:

    This sounds good, my husband will love it for sure. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.

  2. Jenny says:

    I shouldn’t be reading this when I’m hungry! Sourdough pretzels are my favorite! Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

  3. Antonia says:

    Awesome! Love the size and they look yummy. Thanks for sharing over at Fiesta Friday!

  4. Pingback: pretzel Super Easy Cheddar Pretzel Bites - The Lazy GastronomeThe Lazy Gastronome

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