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The soft beer pretzels on a wooden tray with burlap and an Oktoberfest beer and cheese sauce in the background.
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Soft Beer Pretzels With Oktoberfest Cheese Dip

Buttery soft beer pretzels served with an Oktoberfest cheese dip make the perfect snack for celebrating Germany's famous fall festival or game day! Featuring a perfectly brown, chewy crust with a fluffy interior, no one will be able to resist these freshly baked Bavarian pretzels.
Course Appetizers
Cuisine German
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 8 servings
Calories 291kcal
Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Stockpot
  • Plastic wrap
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

Soft Beer Pretzels

  • 1 cup beer Oktoberfest and amber ales work well
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons
  • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter melted, divided
  • Oil
  • 10 cups water
  • ⅔ cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Pretzel or coarse kosher salt

Oktoberfest Cheese Dip

  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 12 ounces Oktoberfest beer
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of nutmeg freshly grated
  • Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 ounces mascarpone softened
  • 8 ounces Gruyere shredded
  • 8 ounces Gouda shredded
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Soft Beer Pretzels

  • Mix the beer and ½ cup water together and heat to 100-110 degrees or the temperature listed on the yeast package. In a mixing bowl, pour in the warm beer and water mixture with sugar and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit until it turns foamy, about five to 10 minutes.
  • If using a stand mixer, add the flour and ¼ cup melted butter to the beer and yeast mixture and use the paddle attachment on low speed to combine into a shaggy dough. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook. Turn the speed up one notch to speed two and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about four minutes. If kneading by hand, stir in the flour and butter with the beer and yeast mixture in the mixing bowl until it becomes a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 
  • Remove the dough from the bowl, lightly oil the bowl, place the dough back in the bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
  • Heat the oven to 450 degrees and boil 10 cups water with baking soda.
  • Meanwhile, divide the dough into eight equal pieces and lightly oil the countertop. Roll the dough under the palm of your hand until it resembles a snake, about 18 inches long. Shape the dough into a U and then cross each end to the opposite side just off center. 
  • One at a time, drop the shaped pretzel into the boiling water and baking soda for 30 seconds. Move to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Beat an egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the boiled pretzels. Sprinkle with salt. 
  • Bake until the pretzels turn golden, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly brush with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter if desired. If the butter brushes off any salt, you can always add more if you'd like.

Oktoberfest Cheese Dip

  • Melt the butter and whisk in flour. Constantly whisk for about four to six minutes.
  • Whisk in beer and milk. Continue to whisk to ensure lumps don't form. Whisk in Dijon mustard, nutmeg and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer. Do not boil. 
  • Stir in the softened mascarpone. If needed, you can soften the mascarpone in the microwave. It's OK if it gets a little melty. That will help it mix better. When it's mostly incorporated, stir in the Gruyere and Gouda until it melts. If you'd like a thinner consistency, you can always add more milk. Season with salt and pepper and serve with warm pretzels. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Dough likes a warm environment to properly rise. If the ambient temperature is too cold, it won’t rise, which can be a problem if your home is chilly during the cooler months. You can place the dough in a sunny spot or turn on the oven light with the door closed for an hour before rising. Place the dough in the oven with the light still on and it will rise beautifully. If you have a fireplace, I’ve also found placing the dough about 3 feet from the fire works well.
  • Double check the expiration dates. The baking soda and yeast will not react if they’re expired.
  • Keep the dough covered. Air can cause the dough to dry out. While shaping the soft pretzel dough, keep it covered with a towel or plastic wrap.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pretzel | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 3352mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg