Soft Beer Pretzels With Oktoberfest Cheese Dip

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup beer

  Oktoberfest and amber ales work well
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 package active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter

  melted, divided
• Oil
• 10 cups water
• ⅔ cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel or coarse kosher salt
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 12 ounces Oktoberfest beer
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of nutmeg

  freshly grated
• Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces mascarpone

  softened
• 8 ounces Gruyere

  shredded
• 8 ounces Gouda

  shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• 1 Mix the beer and ½ cup water together and heat to 100-110 degrees or the
  temperature listed on the yeast package. In a mixing bowl, pour in the warm beer
  and water mixture with sugar and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit
  until it turns foamy, about five to 10 minutes.
• 2 If using a stand mixer, add the flour and ¼ cup melted butter to the beer and
  yeast mixture and use the paddle attachment on low speed to combine into a
  shaggy dough. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Turn the speed
  up one notch to speed two and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take
  about four minutes. If kneading by hand, stir in the flour and butter with the
  beer and yeast mixture in the mixing bowl until it becomes a dough. Turn onto a
  lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 
• 3 Remove the dough from the bowl, lightly oil the bowl, place the dough back in
  the bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm place for
  about an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
• 4 Heat the oven to 450 degrees and boil 10 cups water with baking soda.
• 5 Meanwhile, divide the dough into eight equal pieces and lightly oil the
  countertop. Roll the dough under the palm of your hand until it resembles a
  snake, about 18 inches long. Shape the dough into a U and then cross each end to
  the opposite side just off center. 
• 6 One at a time, drop the shaped pretzel into the boiling water and baking soda
  for 30 seconds. Move to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Beat an egg yolk
  with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the boiled pretzels. Sprinkle with
  salt. 
• 7 Bake until the pretzels turn golden, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven
  and lightly brush with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter if desired. If
  the butter brushes off any salt, you can always add more if you'd like.
• 8 Melt the butter and whisk in flour. Constantly whisk for about four to six
  minutes.
• 9 Whisk in beer and milk. Continue to whisk to ensure lumps don't form. Whisk in
  Dijon mustard, nutmeg and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer. Do not boil. 
• 10 Stir in the softened mascarpone. If needed, you can soften the mascarpone in the
  microwave. It's OK if it gets a little melty. That will help it mix better. When
  it's mostly incorporated, stir in the Gruyere and Gouda until it melts. If you'd
  like a thinner consistency, you can always add more milk. Season with salt and
  pepper and serve with warm pretzels. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info