Pretzels with Market Harvest and Beer Cheese
Pretzels with Market Harvest and Beer Cheese
Pretzels with Market Harvest and Beer Cheese
By Hannah Tobin-Bloch
Yield: 12 pretzels
2 hours
20 minutes
It’s nearing Oaktoberfest here at Oaktown and we’re craving pretzels and beer cheese - can you blame us? These pretzels do require a little advanced planning and a quick dip in a pot of boiling water, but they’re still much easier than convincing your friend to go with you to the mall to hit up the nearest pretzel cart. And they smell just as intoxicating coming out of your oven. Danke!
Ingredients
Pretzels:
- 2 cups bread flour (240 grams)
- 1.5 cups dark rye flour (185 grams) *
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (13 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Pacific Flake Salt
- 1 teaspoon Market Harvest Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons active dry / instant yeast
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups warm water (227-284 grams) (use more if the dough feels excessively dry)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Baking soda solution:
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 5 cups water
For topping:
- Market Harvest Seasoning (or swap for flaky salt)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional, but highly recommended)
Beer cheese:
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup beer (fancy IPA and cheap lager are equally delicious - use what you have!)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or sub soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
- Dash of hot sauce (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
To make the pretzels:
- Stir together dry ingredients, then mix in warm water and melted butter until a shaggy dough forms. Knead dough 10-12 minutes on a floured work surface. It will start out very sticky, but become smoother with time. Add bread flour or water as necessary, but try to avoid adding too much. Trust the process: your patience (and elbow grease) will be rewarded!
Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel. Let dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Divide dough into 12 even balls. Roll into skinny logs about 12 inches long, then twist into a pretzel shape. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rest while preparing baking soda solution.
For boiling and baking:
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Bring baking soda and 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.
- With a slotted spoon, lower pretzels into boiling water. Depending on size of pot, drop about 2-3 at a time, taking care to not overcrowd.
- Boil pretzels for about 20-30 seconds. Do not overboil.
- Remove pretzels to a plate or sheet pan to allow excess water to drip off. Don’t let them touch or they will stick to each other.
- Transfer to parchment lined baking tray, sprinkle liberally with additional Market Harvest, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until dark golden brown.
- (Optional): Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with additional Market Harvest or salt if desired.
To make the beer cheese:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Cook about 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Slowly stream in milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Once incorporated, bring to a low simmer, whisking constantly, another 2 minutes.
- Whisk in all remaining ingredients except cheddar.
- Remove from heat. Wait until mixture stops bubbling entirely. Whisk in cheddar a handful at a time. Take care to not allow pot to bubble or the mixture will break.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
