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These pub stye soft pretzels are easy and the best soft pretzels you’ll EVER make!! Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday- these incredible pub style pretzels are served with a stout beer cheese sauce that is extra cheesy and absolutely perfect.

Happy Monday!!

I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was extra relaxing and cozy. The winter weather is in full swing, which is a great excuse to have some movie marathons and just cozy up with the family. Some of the best weekends are relaxing.

Now that the weekend is over, I have the BEST scratch made recipe for you to try this week..

I mean, what better way to start your week than with an amazing homemade pretzel recipe?! Seriously guys…. these pretzels are DANGEROUSLY delicious and SO fun to make!

Why we love these Pub Style Soft Pretzels with Stout Beer Cheese Sauce:

With the super bowl right around the corner, these pretzels are PERFECT to serve up as a fun appetizer. Trust me. This is a recipe you need in your life. I mean, sometimes you just need bread and a cheese sauce to go with it… Right!? YES. All the carbs and all these cheese, please! If there is one food I wish I could eat all the time without gaining weight, it would be bread. And cheese. So together? Quite possibly the best combo EVER.

Will you be watching the super bowl? Honestly, I don’t follow football much. I do enjoy a live football game, and of course all the pub style food to go along with the game watching.

Football was huge in my home growing up, so I do have a lot of fond memories. Each fall the sound of a football game would usually always be on in the background, which now always feels homey and nostalgic. My dad also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers pre season, which is always something I like to brag about on his behalf. My dad is super cool.

So with the super bowl right around the corner, these pub style soft pretzels are the best carb induced appetizer to serve up! And of course, the stout beer sauce is a must as well. Because cheese makes everything better. Yup. Its a scientific fact.

If you’re a fan of soft pretzels, then you are going to LOVE this recipe! And did I mentioned they’re easy? For some reason pretzels always intimidated me. Maybe it was the twisting? Or that distinctive pretzel taste? Whatever the reason was, now I wonder what took me so long! If I can make them I know you can, too!

So lets get to some of the basics..

How to make Pub Style Soft Pretzels:

You will start with a simple yeast mixture of warm water, active dry yeast and honey in a small bowl. Allow the yeast mixture to proof, about 10 minutes.

Next, in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, ½ cup sugar and salt and mix the ingredients. Then you will add the melted butter. Gently add the yeast mixture and mix on medium low speed for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

During the winter months, I like to turn my oven on warm and place the bowl on top of the stove. Generally I have noticed when making bread, my rise time is closer to the 2 hour mark. If you live in a cold, dry climate as well, it will most likely take longer than an hour to double in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release any air. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and empty out the dough onto the clean work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal size balls. Roll each ball out into a 18-24 inch long rope and twist into a traditional pretzel shape.

I used a ruler to make sure I was rolling out the ropes long enough. If they’re not rolled out around 18-24 inches, the pretzels will be harder to twist.

Make sure all the pretzels are made and shaped before moving onto the boiling water step.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper so that they are ready.

In a medium heat proof bowl, add 4 cups of boiling water and ⅓ cups baking soda. I used my electric kettle to boil the water, but you can boil the water over the stove if you don’t have a kettle. Mix until the baking soda is fully dissolved.

Fun fact: Dipping the dough into the boiling water/baking soda mixture is what gives pretzels their distinctive taste and color!

Using tongs, carefully dip each pretzel into the water mixture and place on the prepared baking pans leaving about 1 ½ inches between each pretzel. You may need to readjust the shape after dipping. Sprinkle with coarse salt, and bake!

When the pretzels come out of the oven, brush with melted butter. Allow to cool while you start on the beer cheese sauce.

How to make Stout Beer Cheese Sauce:

The beer cheese sauce coms together in under 10 minutes and is absolutely delicious!

What cheese to use?

I used mozzarella, cheddar and gouda which is what I had on hand. It was delicious! You can mix up the cheeses here if you’d like, but I would stick with melty cheeses. The best melty cheeses are: mozzarella, gruyère, fontina, provolone, gouda and cheddar.

What beer to use?

We love beer and really wanted a ‘stronger’ beer flavor in our cheese sauce, so we used a milk stout. Great Basin has a wonderfully balanced milk stout called their “Outlaw Stout”. But you can use whichever beer you prefer! If you want a lighter beer taste, a light wheat beer or Hefeweizen would also work great.

Here is the Simple cheese sauce method..

To make the sauce, start by making a roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When the butter is melted add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Gently pour in the half and half, a little bit at a time, whisking between each pour to prevent clumps. Next add the beer and stir to combine. Add the seasonings. Add all the cheese, and stir over medium high heat until the mixture becomes smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately with the fresh pretzels.

And there you have it!! The most amazing homemade pub style pretzels EVER.

I sure hope you enjoy this recipe! Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out for you!

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Looking for more game day bites? Try these cinnamon cranberry pecan pinwheels for a sweet treat!

Need a game day dinner? This Smokey Dutch Oven Beer Braised Chili is amazing and would be perfect for a cozy super bowl night in!

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