Background
As we know, anything pumpkin is an automatic win as the weather starts getting colder and the leaves begin falling. Whether it’s bright and early or late at night, there’s something so warm and cozy about a pumpkin treat, and when you combine pumpkin with our Flagship cheese… you get more than you ever hoped for.
The pumpkin in this recipe is going to come from your beer. So – if you want that extra something in your recipe, make sure to select a nice pumpkin ale at the store while shopping for ingredients. If you’re not a huge pumpkin fan – no worries. Just substitute for your favorite ale!
Cooking and Serving Tips
While a well-chilled beer is ideal on a warm fall evening, for this recipe, you’ll want the beer to be room temp. This keeps the yeast growing as you add flour and increases the beer’s flavor in the final pretzel.
Your ale choice will slightly alter how much flour you’ll need. When testing this recipe a second time, we used a thinner local beer which led to an excess need for flour just before the kneading process.
Keep in mind that a hoppier tasting brew will also be noticeable in the final pretzel. You can use this to your advantage, so don’t be afraid to sample the candidates to better decide which flavor will better suit your preferences!
PRO TIP: Our Flagship cheese sauce is an excellent dipper for this recipe to turn it into a game day treat!
Recipe
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare two baking sheets each with greased parchment paper.
Activate the yeast. In a standing mixer, whisk warm water, yeast, and brown sugar together. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Once yeast is activated, you will see foam on top of the mixture, and even a few small bubbles.
Add melted butter, pumpkin beer, and salt. Whisk until combined.
Add 3 cups of flour – one at a time – stirring until combined. 1/2 cup at a time, add the remaining 1 cup of flour and stir until mixture is well combined. Dough should be thick and balling in the center of the bowl, not spreading to the sides and sticking. If it is still sticky, add an extra 1/4 cup flour at a time as needed.
On a lightly floured surface, start kneading mixture. Add half the shredded Flagship and knead for 4-5 minutes until dough is smooth. Once it no longer sticks heavily to the table or your hands, cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the baking soda bath. In a large pot, bring water and baking soda to a boil.
When dough is done resting, use a pizza cutter or a large knife to cut into 12 equal sections (about 1/3 cup each). Roll each section into a long rope, about 18 inches long and 1/2-inch thick.
Twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Bring the ends of the rope together to form a circle. Twist the ends and then bring them back down towards you to create the shape. The tighter the knot shape, the more cheese it will hold on top.
Dip each pretzel in the boiling baking soda bath for 25 seconds, do not exceed 30 seconds. Remove from the bath with a slotted spoon and let water drip off for a few seconds, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt as desired. Up to 6 pretzels per sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat, brush with extra melted butter and top with the remaining Flagship.
PROTIP: A stand mixer is recommended, but hand mixing is an option – and doubles as a great workout for the forearms.
Prep Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 30 minutes
Serves:
4 to 6
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Dough
- 1/2 cup water, warmed (between 105°F and 110°F)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin ale
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces Beecher’s Flagship cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- Coarse salt to taste
For the Baking Soda Bath
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 9 cups water
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