Prost to Oktoberfest!
These Homemade Festbier Soft Pretzels are a fabulous accompaniment to my Fall Fest Cheeseboard, or for an alternative dipper to various cozy soups and chilis I’ve created over the years. The dough is simple and the process rather joyful if you like slowing down and embracing mindfulness.
Pretzels may seem intimidating, but the ingredients list is minimal, and the photos provided will help you when you decide to Do The Twist!
Human Pretzel
That’s me, because fun fact, I’m hypermobile in my hips. Which has zilch to do with this recipe, so let’s move on.
First, the dough: In a large mixing bowl, proof a packet of yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons if you’re scooping from a big batch) in a can of warmed festbier (about 100-105 degrees) mixed with brown sugar. The yeast will foam and bubble after about 5-10 minutes.
Tip #1: The beer will bubble when you add the brown sugar, so be sure you’re using a big enough vessel so the foam doesn’t sputter over the lip!
Tip #2: Don’t like festbiers? Use a lager, ale, or pilsner instead. Non-alcoholic beers work well too!
Add flour and, using a dough hook attachment, knead the pretzel dough until soft, tacky, but not sticky. The dough bundle will come together nicely in about 10-15 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
Grease a clean bowl with oil, turn the dough ball over to coat both sides, and cover to proof until doubled. This will take about 60-75 minutes or so depending on your climate and the Bread Gods’ moods.
Shaping the pretzels: When the dough is nice and lofty, punch it down and divide into 8 roughly equal sized balls. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. These are your pretzel holding zones.
Roll and spin the ball into a long rope, about 18-20 inches or so. Set onto a clean flat surface and create a “U” shape, with the two long sides the same length.
Fold one of the ends towards the center of the pretzel, then fold the second end overtop.
Twist the second end over and under the first end and attach both tips to the bottom of the rope. You should have a heart-esque shape with a facial structure that resembles an old, pissed off German man.
AKA: me.
Place the formed pretzel on your baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Maillard browning: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in 2/3 cup of baking soda. This combination creates the effect named above, that traditional smooth, split texture the pretzel assumes once its baked.
Tip: Step back! The water will fizz aggressively when you add the baking soda.
Working 1-2 pretzels at a time, carefully drop the dough twists into the water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drip into the pot for a few seconds, then set back onto the baking sheet. Repeat with your remaining pretzels.
The pretzels will be slightly yellowed and wrinkly. This is normal! If there’s a lot of water on your parchment, dab it off with a paper towel to avoid steaming the pretzels when you…
Bake ’em up! Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Whisk an egg in a small bowl, then brush over the pretzels thoroughly. Sprinkle with as much or as little pretzel salt (or any coarse salt) as you’d like. As you can tell, I went a little ape…
Bake the pretzels for 12-15 minutes until very golden and puffy.
Congrats! You’ve just accomplished homemade pretzels! How does that make you feel?
Leftovers? I prefer storing pretzels in the freezer for up to 3 months. The fridge will “melt” the salt and render the pretzel surface wrinkly. Reheat pretzels straight from frozen for 8-10 minutes straight on the racks of a 350 degree oven.
PS: Try my Pumpkin Pretzels sometime, too!
Happy Fest-ing, friends!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
homemade festbier soft pretzels
Ingredients
- 12 oz festbier (or pilsner/lager), warm
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 2 tbsp pretzel salt
creamy mustard sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp grainy mustard
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl with an attached dough hook, combine the beer, brown sugar, and yeast. Stir, then let sit 5-10 minutes until the yeast gets very foamy. Add the flour and knead for 10 minutes until a firm, but slightly tacky, dough forms. If needed, add an additional tablespoon or two of flour to achieve this texture.
- Lightly oil a clean bowl. Drop in the dough ball and flip to coat both sides. Cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 8 balls. Working one ball at a time, press and roll into a roughly 18-20 inch rope. Cross one end towards the center, then fold the opposite end overtop and twist around the first end twice. Attach the two end pieces to the center of the rope to achieve the pretzel shape. See photos for reference. Lay the pretzel onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring about 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda (carefully, it will foam like a sonabitch). Drop 1-2 pretzels at a time into the water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzels with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drain into the pot, and add back to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
- Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with pretzel salt. Bake 12-15 minutes until deeply golden.
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon and grainy mustards, prepared horseradish, honey, garlic and onion powders, and a pinch of salt. Serve the pretzels warm with the mustard!
