Beer Soft Pretzels with Guinness Cheese Sauce

Beer Soft Pretzels with Guinness Cheese Sauce

I miss pubs. I miss dive bars in strange cities, strangers in crowded bars, crowds at beer festivals. But until the world is back to normal, and until my pint doesn’t come with a side of deadly virus threats, I’ll begrudgingly stay home. And do my best to pub-food from home. 

Guinness was one of the first beers I ever had at a bar, in an Irish pub in Los Angeles. I’ve been to Ireland, back when air travel felt safe, and Guinness will always have a place in the most nostalgic part of my beer heart. Soft pretzels and beer cheese sauce are right there with it, it’s always a good day when I have Guinness, soft pretzels, and cheese sauce. Until I can bump up against strangers in a bar, making friends and asking them if they want to try my beer, I’ll be doing this from home. It’s a great way to pass the time until the day we are out of the woods. 

Print Recipe

Beer Soft Pretzels with Guinness Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

For the Pretzels:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) rapid rise yeast
• 1 cup Guinness beer
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 10 cups water
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 2 ½ cups (300g) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• ½ cup (4oz) Guinness beer

Instructions

Make the pretzels:

• Add the flour, sugar and yeast to a stand mixer. Mix until just combined. Heat the beer to 120°F (always defer to the liquid temperature listed on the package of yeast, regardless of what the recipe says. Your yeast package says 105°F? Heat the liquid to that temperature) add the beer to the stand mixer, mixing until all the flour has been moistened.
• Add the salt and oil, beat until the dough comes together and gathers around the blade. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.
• Add the dough to a lightly floured surface, cut into 8 equal sized portions.
• Roll each portion into an 8-inch log, shape into a pretzel, add to a baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Add the water to a large pot, bring to a boil. Stir in the baking soda.
• A few at a time carefully add the pretzels to the boiling water for 30 seconds, place back onto the baking sheet.
• Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until dark golden brown.

Make the cheese sauce:

• Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth.
• Add to a saucepan over medium heat, heat to the desired temperature.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use, heat to serve. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
• Serve the pretzels with the cheese sauce.