In honor of October and Octoberfest, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes for Easy Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese. I often make homemade pizza, and since my pizza dough recipe (click for link) makes enough for two pizzas, I save the other half for another day to make these incredible easy soft pretzels with beer cheese. What is beer cheese? Well, it is a warm cheese dip, very similar to fondue, however instead of a base of wine and butter, the base is beer and olive oil. It’s a delicious accompaniment to the soft, warm, salty pretzels, and if you have any left over (which isn’t likely) it’s also a delicious spread for sandwiches! NOTE: I always use the pizza dough which I make because it’s much easier to work with, it’s cheaper, and you know all of the ingredients, however you can sub in store bought pizza dough if you’re in a pinch.
Ingredients:
- ½ batch perfect pizza dough
- 1/3 cup baking soda
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded, toscano, asiago, or pecorino cheese
- 2 tbs corn starch
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbs olive oil
- ½ cup beer (I like stout or lager)
Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil and preheating the oven to 400 degrees. While the water is coming up to temp, break up your pizza dough into 4 pieces. Then roll each piece into a long coil, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 1-2 inch pieces, and place on a well-floured baking sheet while you continue to do this with all of the dough.
Once water is boiling, add in the baking soda, and boil the dough in batches for about a minute, just so they slightly cook in the baking soda water. After they go in the boiling water, transfer them to a lined and oiled baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden.
To make the beer cheese, sauté garlic, olive oil, and shallots in a medium, nonstick sauce pot until golden. Next add in the beer and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute or 2 to reduce the liquid a bit. Mix the shredded cheese with the cornstarch to fully coat it. This will ensure a smooth and creamy cheese sauce. Little by little, add handfuls of corn starch coated shredded cheese into the simmering liquid and stir to melt it down. Continue to stir and add in cheese until the cheese is all incorporated and you have a smooth mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!