Soft, chewy, warm and salty—that’s what I think of when I imagine a picture perfect fresh-baked soft pretzel. But sometimes finding the perfect pretzel can be a challenge. They’re often too rubbery in texture, or lack authentic the authentic flavors you crave. Wanting to create a perfectly scrumptious home baked pretzel in my own kitchen, I asked myself: “How does one create the perfect pretzel?” Why, by adding beer, of course! Like the classic pairing of pretzel sticks and beer, these pretzels merge the flavors of the famous duo, with a slight gourmet step up. I used Pelican Pub and Brewery Silverspot IPA to give these pretzels a burst of hoppy flavor. And, while you’re at it, pick up a few bottles of this Oregon-based brewery’s Kiwanda Cream Ale—it’s one of my favorites.
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (about 110 degree)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 ½ cups flour (plus more for kneading)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
8 ounces Pelican Pub and Brewery’s Silverspot IPA
6 cups water
½ cup baking soda
Topping:
4 tablespoons melted butter
kosher salt
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and water. Whisk mixture gently to dissolve, and let sit in a warm spot until foamy (about 5-10 minutes).
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour and salt, and slowly add yeast mixture. Mixing on low speed, add the honey and beer. Once mixture is well combined (don’t worry, it will be very sticky), remove dough from bowl and place on floured surface. Knead dough, adding flour as necessary, until a smooth dough has formed and no stickiness remains.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once the dough has risen to nearly twice the size, divide dough into 12 equal sized-pieces. Roll out each piece of dough until it is about 18 inches in length. Form dough into a pretzel shape, and place on a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and let pretzels rise for about 10 minutes.
When pretzels have just nearly finished rising, bring 6 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda to a rolling boil. Place pretzels, a few at a time, into the water, and cook for 1 minute on each side (they will puff up and become slightly glossy). Return puffed pretzels back to baking sheet, coat with butter and sprinkle with salt. Once this process has been done to all of the pretzels, place baking sheet in middle rack of oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until tops are brown and pretzels are fully cooked. Let cool before removing from tray.
