everything parmesan pumpkin beer pretzels with creamy honey mustard
The German in me is overenthused about these soft pretzels.
I don’t much go for ballpark or fair-type foods when I’m out and about, but whenever soft pretzels are offered, you know I’m going to buy one. At the Chicago Marathon expo I was hyped when I saw a pretzel stand, and grabbed about four packets of mustard to haphazardly dip my slab into while we walked around with our hands already full from our race day packets.
Then, there’s the Harpoon Brewery pretzels. Holy moses. Apparently they’re baked up from the beer yeast discard, and they’re about the fluffiest variety I’ve ever tired. You can choose two dipping sauces for them, and while we ordered the mustard and the beer cheese dip for ours, I pretty much just plowed through the mustard.
For real, I love mustard. I will reach for mustard over cheese sauce any day. We have three or four types in our fridge at all times. The honey mustard in this recipe is one of my favorite staples to have around for various dishes, and there’s nothing complex about it.
Pretzels are a bit more labor since they are a yeast dough, but I promise the process is smooth and the result worthwhile. Seriously, who can complain about cheesy, salty, buttery pretzels? Perfect for weekend gamedays or Oktoberfest hullabaloo, or alongside a hot bowl of soup on a chilly day.
Beer Here!
Pumpkin beer adds a nice festive tang to the bread dough, so I start here. Warm it up a bit on the stovetop, just enough so you can still dip a finger in it and not scald yourself. Make sure that finger hasn’t touched anything unsavory beforehand. Whisk in some brown sugar and sprinkle active dry yeast on top. Let it foam up for a few minutes.
Then, stir in some melted butter and salt, then slowly begin to knead the bread flour in. You can use all purpose flour if it’s easier for you to obtain: bread flour creates a denser, chewier pretzel, and all purpose renders a fluffier result. It’s more or less personal preference.
You may need up to 4 1/2 cups of flour, but I only needed 4. Pretzel dough should be rather firm but soft, not like the eggy dough as in my pumpkin brioche rolls. I kneaded mine on the lowest speed with my stand mixer’s dough hook, but if you’re kneading by hand, allow 10-15 minutes to really get that gluten working. I actually took mine out of the bowl towards the end of the machine knead and gave it some good folds and pounds for a few minutes.
Since I live in Florida, rising time is usually around 60-75 minutes, but you may need around 90 or so if you’re in a drier climate. The dough should puff up like a very slowly-inflating balloon.
Bath Time!
The crucial step to pretzel-making is the soda bath. Without a dunk in the saline water, your pretzels will be weirdly white and rather unpleasant in appearance. It may seem extra, but it really is necessary.
I boil up the soda water as soon as the pretzels are done rising. While that gets going, form the pretzels. Start with 8 balls of dough and roll each into a rope. Cross both ends over one another and loop one end beneath the other to create a twist. Press the tips against the bottom of the dough rope and voila, pretzel shape!
Next crucial note is to boil no longer than 30 seconds. If you let them hang too long in the water, they’ll achieve a rather metallic taste. Not appealing. If your pot is big enough you can likely fit 2 pretzels at a time, but if you’re hesitant, just do one. Drain each pretzel with a slotted spoon and lay on parchment-lined baking sheets. I grease the parchment as well to really ensure the twists don’t stick.
Brush each pretzel with a beaten egg, then adorn with the tastiest of ornaments: parmesan and everything spice. You can add some pretzel salt if you wish, but I found the everything seasoning salty enough. I buy mine from Trader Joes but you can get it from Whole Foods, Target, or Amazon. Really anywhere.
Bake at 450 degrees – need that hot hot oven for brown brown pretzels. While they darken and firm up, whisk together the simple honey mustard. Promise you won’t regret the dipping sauce. I mix mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt since I like that tangy flavor provided by the latter, and I use both dijon and a grainy mustard for a bit of texture. If you have some ranch dressing on hand, too, that is so good with these pretzels.
Soft pretzels are always best straight out of the oven, but if you have some left, I’d recommend freezing them after they cool. Keeping them on the counter or in the fridge will soften the exterior quickly and considerably, especially if you’re in a humid area like I am. They’ll still lose some of their crunch in the freezer, but not as rapidly.
To reheat, pop them in the oven for a bit. Microwaving will also make them more flacid, though it works fine in a pinch.
By the way, if you do want a cheese sauce, might I recommend my Three Cheese Pumpkin Beer Queso? Because fall, damn it.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
everything parmesan pumpkin beer pretzels with creamy honey mustard
Ingredients
- 12 oz pumpkin beer
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4-4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 tbsp everything seasoning
creamy honey mustard
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, or vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepot, heat the beer until warm, but not scalding. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in the brown sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Stir the melted butter and kosher salt into the yeast mixture. With the bread hood attachment, knead in 3 cups of the flour. Add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until a tacky, smooth, but firm ball of dough forms. Continue kneading for 5 minutes. I needed 4 cups for my pretzel dough.
- Lightly spray or rub the bowl with oil and turn the dough so both sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
- When you're ready to form the pretzels, bring 9 cups of water and the baking soda to a simmer.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment and lightly spray with oil.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 8 balls. Roll and stretch each ball into a rope about 20-24 inches long. Loop one end towards the center, then twist the opposite end underneath. Press both ends against the bottom of the rope to create the pretzel shape. That was not my prettiest descriptor, so hopefully the photos will help. Lay the pretzels on the baking sheets.
- Working 1-2 pretzels at a time, drop into the simmering soda water and boil for 30 seconds, no longer. Drain with a slotted spoon and set back onto the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
- Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with parmesan and everything seasoning. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden browned and crispy on top.
- To make the honey mustard, stir together the ingredients until smooth. Serve the pretzels warm, with mustard for dipping.
