Calling all pretzel lovers.
My sister is obsessed with soft pretzels. I took her to the mall on her tenth birthday to get her ears pierced. When I offered her a treat from the food court, she chose a soft pretzel bigger than her face and devoured it, gripping it in both hands like a cinnamon sugar-coated kid’s size steering wheel.
She also loves cheese. When she was in preschool, she would steal chunks of cheddar from the refrigerator, shoving them into her cheeks two and three at a time and running away giggling. My brothers called her “The Mouse.”
I should’ve called these “Sophie’s Favorite Things.” Instead, I call them “Beer Cheddar Pretzel Bites.”
Soft, warm, and overflowing with melty cheesy goodness, these beer cheddar pretzel bites are the ultimate autumn snack. Malty amber ale enhances the pretzel’s natural yeastiness, while also perfectly complementing the sharp cheddar filling. Eaten fresh from the oven or toasted the next morning for breakfast, on their own or dipped in a side of spicy mustard dipping sauce, there’s truly nothing better.
Sophie lives 800 miles away, so I haven’t been able to make these Beer Cheddar Pretzel Bites for her yet. But when I do, she’ll probably devour half of them in a single sitting. When (not if, but when!) you make them, I hope you enjoy them just as much.
Enjoy!
Beer Cheddar Pretzel Bites
(Makes 20)
For the beer cheese filling:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. amber beer or ale
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon paprika
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For the pretzel bites:
¾ cup warm water (110-120 degrees F)
2 ¼ tsp. (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
4 ½ cups (562 g) all-purpose flour, plus additional for surface
2 tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup amber beer or ale, room temperature
4 tbsp. (57 g, ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
4-6 cups water
1/3 cup baking soda
Pretzel salt
Special equipment: large pot, parchment paper, baking sheet
Method
For the beer cheese filling:
In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until a thick, bubbling paste forms, then whisk in beer, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and paprika. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese until melted (you may have to return to low heat to help the cheese melt completely).
Spread into a flat shallow container and let sit at room temperature until cool and firm.
For the pretzel bites:
In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, until bubbling and frothy.
In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook), combine 4 ½ cups flour, kosher salt, and remaining brown sugar. Add beer, melted butter, and the yeast mixture and stir on low speed until a dough forms, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed and mix on high for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, glossy, and bounces back when poked. Transfer to a greased bowl; cover and let rise until doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large pot, combine 4-6 cups water and 1/3 cup baking soda.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle about ¼” thick. Cut into 20 even pieces. Place about 2 teaspoons of cooled beer cheese in the center of one of the squares and fold the corners over the filling to meet in the middle. Pinch corners together to seal; turn each dough ball over and roll inside a curved hand into a round ball. Repeat with the remaining dough squares.
Bring the baking soda water to a boil. Working in batches, dunk pretzel bites into the boiling water for 15-20 seconds; arrange on lined baking sheets.
Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon cold water; brush over pretzel bites and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.
Serve warm with mustard dipping sauce.
Originally posted October 23, 2022.
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