Soft Pretzel Bites with Beer-Cheese Dipping Sauce

Steps

1. Step 1

   Stir the warm water and sugar together in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves, then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it sit until it looks foamy, about 5 minutes.

   5 min, hands-off

   • 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
   • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
   • 2 1/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast (1 packet)
2. Step 2

   Add the melted butter, fine salt and 3 cups of the flour. Stir with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then add the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and is only slightly sticky.

   5 min

   • 4 cups all-purpose flour
   • 2 tsp fine salt
   • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
3. Step 3

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes. Shape it into a ball, return it to the bowl, cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

   1 hr, hands-off

4. Step 4

   Heat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

   425°F

5. Step 5

   Punch the dough down and divide it into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 3/4 inch thick, then cut the ropes into 1-inch nuggets. You should have about 60.

   10 min

6. Step 6

   Bring the water to a boil in a large wide pot. Turn the heat down slightly and add the baking soda a spoonful at a time — it will foam up hard, so go slowly.

   10 min

   • 10 cups water
   • 2/3 cup baking soda
7. Step 7

   Working in batches of about 12, drop the nuggets into the simmering bath and boil for 30 seconds, stirring once so they don't stick. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, let them drain for a moment, and space them out on the baking sheets.

   10 min

8. Step 8

   Brush the boiled bites with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with coarse salt.

   5 min

   • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 2 tsp coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt
9. Step 9

   Bake until deep glossy brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Deep brown is what you want — pale bites taste doughy.

   17 min, hands-off · 425°F

10. Step 10

    While the bites bake, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute until it smells toasty.

    3 min

    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
11. Step 11

    Pour in the beer and milk a splash at a time, whisking smooth after each addition. Add the Dijon and smoked paprika and simmer, whisking, until it thickens enough to coat the whisk, 3 to 4 minutes.

    5 min

    • 3/4 cup lager beer
    • 1/2 cup whole milk
    • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12. Step 12

    Take the pan off the heat and add the cheddar in handfuls, whisking until each one melts before adding the next. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the warm pretzel bites with the sauce alongside; if the sauce stiffens, whisk in a splash of milk over low heat.

    5 min

    • 8 oz sharp cheddar
    • salt and black pepper

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026