It’s national beer day and I don’t know about you, but nothing says “snack to eat with beer” like a soft pretzel with mustard. Normally I prefer them to be the size of my face, but these minis will do the trick. Plus they’re made with beer, so they’re extra celebratory!
The first time I ever made pretzels, I’m pretty sure I blurted out, “you want me to use HOW much baking soda?” Of course, I did not receive an answer but I also realized this is not a batch of cookies and measurements beyond a teaspoon or two is not the craziest thing that has ever happened in the kitchen.
I’ve just been using whatever beers I have on hand, usually the ones that someone brought to our Christmas party that no one in the apartment seems all that into drinking. It’s actually been a pretty decent way to clear up some fridge space.
These are definitely best warm out of the oven, dipped in mustard, beer in hand. But they do hold up…okay. I made them one evening to bring to work the next day, and while I knew what everyone else was missing, they were none the wiser. Because I knew we would be eating them a day later, I gave the dough a bit of extra time to rise before shaping, to make sure they were as plump as they could be and I took them out of the oven just as they turned golden, in the hopes that they wouldn’t get crunchy overnight, and it worked!
mini beer pretzels
adapted from emily hilliard
1 packet yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup beer, room temp
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
Water and baking soda for the bath
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
Sea salt for sprinkling
Cornmeal for dusting
- Put warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast over the water and let sit 5 minutes or until foamy. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in beer, then add flour and salt. With the dough hook on low speed, mix the dough until it starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, one tablespoon at a time. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a dish towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about an hour to an hour and a half.
- Once dough has doubled, turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. Make the dough into U shape and cross the ends, then twist them once more and fold them down over the base of the U. Place the shaped pretzels on a parchment lined sheet, cover and let rise again, about 30 minutes.
- While dough is rising for the second time, preheat oven to 425°F and start preparing your water bath. For every 4 cups of water, use ¼ cup of baking soda (I used 12 cups of water). Stir together the water and baking soda and bring to a low boil. Then add the dark brown sugar.
- When the pretzels are poofy, carefully drop them into the boiling water, fitting only as many as the pot allows in one layer. Let them cook about 30 seconds on each side, then flip them.
- Dust the parchment with cornmeal, return the pretzels to the baking sheets and give them a good sea salt sprinkle. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.