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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 –Â
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!
This sounds good, my husband will love it for sure. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
And they are easy! Thanks for stopping by.
I shouldn’t be reading this when I’m hungry! Sourdough pretzels are my favorite! Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
They were pretty tasty – especially with the sauce! Thanks for stopping by!
Awesome! Love the size and they look yummy. Thanks for sharing over at Fiesta Friday!
Thanks – they were pretty tasty! thanks for stopping by.
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