Bavarian-style Soft Pretzels with Whiskey Cheese Dip
Hello, friends! I hope you are all having a fantastic week! I’m enjoying the chilly weather and thinking about the next time I’m going to make these Bavarian-Style Soft Pretzels with Whiskey Cheese Dip.
Soft pretzels have always been one of my favorite things. If a restaurant has them, I order them – My “Cheers” bar in Boulder, CO (that is sadly no longer there) had some of the best soft pretzels that I often shared with friends over a mug or two of beer. And I always get one at sporting events (there’s just something about a pretzel and that fake liquid cheese at a ballpark!) – One of my all-time favorite Valentine’s Days was spent with one of my best girlfriends at a Denver Nuggets game watching basketball and eating soft pretzels because we were both single and thought, ya know what? We’re gonna have a Valentine’s friend date! So I guess this recipe holds a special little place in my heart.
I’ve been wanting to create a pretzel recipe for a while but have been hesitant because I thought they would be difficult and time consuming. But to my surprise, they are actually quite easy and foolproof. I make a classic pretzel – Soft and chewy on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and with the perfect amount of crunchy salt sprinkled on top. These are dangerously good. Especially when paired with my Whiskey Cheese Sauce for dipping. The sauce is salty and slightly smoky, with a hint of sharpness from the cheddar and whiskey. I add a touch of goat cheese and heavy cream to help mellow out the flavor and give it a rich creaminess.This pairing is just the perfect weekend snack and I truly hope you love this recipe!
Eat well and enjoy!
Pretzel Ingredient Details
- Warm Water – You’ll want to make sure the water that you use for your pretzels is warm but not hot (110 to 115 degrees F). This temperature helps the yeast dissolve and bloom (you’ll know the yeast has bloomed when it creates a layer of foam on top of the water/yeast mixture!). If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t be able to do its job. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good rule of thumb is to use lukewarm to warm-ish water.
- Brown Sugar and Salt – These are used to add flavor and a bit of complexity to the dough. Adding salt brings out the savory-ness and brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness without making the dough too dessert like.
- Dry Active Yeast – Dry yeast comes in two different forms: Active (or Dry Active) and Instant. Active means any yeast that needs to be activated (normally in a warm liquid) prior to use. Instant Dry Yeast means any yeast that is ready to use the instant you open the package. For this recipe, I prefer to use Dry Active and activate the yeast myself in warm water. If you use Instant Yeast, you’ll use to same amount but won’t need to bloom it in warm water first. However, I have not tested this recipe with Instant so I can’t guarantee the end result.
- Flour – You can definitely play around with different flours in this recipe (i.e., whole wheat or rye) but to get that classic Bavarian-style soft pretzel, you’ll want to use all-purpose flour.
- Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe because I think it adds better flavor than unsalted. You’ll want to make sure the butter is fully melted so that incorporates easily into the dough. You can melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave in a small glass/microwave-safe bowl. You’ll want to cover the bowl with paper towel to prevent splatters and microwave in about 10 second increments until the butter is fully melted.
- 10 Cups Water and Baking Soda – These ingredients are for the first step of cooking your pretzels! Boiling your pretzels in this mixture for about 30 seconds before baking them helps create that delicious pretzel crust while keeping the inside soft and chewy. You don’t want to skip this step!
- Egg and Water – Whisking these ingredients together to create a “wash” that you brush over the pretzels before baking also helps create that delicious, golden soft pretzel crust. It’s super simple – Just whisk the egg and water together with a fork or whisk in a small bowl and brush lightly over the top of each pretzel right before sprinkling on the salt (this wash will also help the salt stick to the pretzels!) This is another step you won’t want to skip!
- Pretzel Salt – Pretzel salt is a very coarse rock-type salt. It’s best for this type of recipe because your everyday salt won’t hold up to the baking and will just cook into the pretzels and you won’t get that crunchy salt topping. You should be able to find this with the table salt in your local grocery store.
The Whiskey Cheese Dip
- Making a Roux – Roux is essentially cooked flour and fat (oil, butter, lard, and bacon fat are all common options). It’s the base of many soup, sauce, and gravy recipes because it helps to thicken the mixture without adding clumps of flour. There are also different variations in color – darker roux is used for things like stews and gumbo whereas lighter colored roux is used for sauces like cream gravy or cheese dip. The color is dependent on how long you cook the roux – the longer you let it cook, the darker it will become.
- For this recipe, I use butter as the fat. You’ll want to melt the butter over medium heat, sprinkle in the flour, and then whisk constantly so that the mixture doesn’t burn. Eventually, the roux will become very thick and may begin to bubble a bit – you’ll want to keep whisking until it turns a pale yellow before continuing with the recipe.
- The Cheese – I use a mixture of sharp white cheddar, mild yellow cheddar, and goat cheese in this recipe. The sharpness of the white cheddar goes well with the whiskey and the mild yellow cheddar balances it out. The goat cheese adds creaminess to the mixture – this is a trick I learned from a friend of mine who is from Mexico and has worked in many Mexican restaurants – She said goat cheese is the secret to that creamy, restaurant-style queso!
- Shallots – I love using shallots for a cheese dip recipe. They’re milder than onions and have a hint of garlic tastes to them, making them the perfect addition.
- The spices – Don’t skip these as they add so much flavor and savoryness to this recipe. The cayenne doesn’t add very much heat but if you’re very sensitive to spicy foods, you can cut it back to ¼ of a teaspoon or omit it altogether. Also, feel free to add more if you want a spicier dip!
- Whiskey – Any whiskey will do! I would just stay away from whiskey with any adjuncts or flavors added. I used bourbon in my recipe, which tends to be a little less sweet than something like an Irish whisky – But I think an Irish whisky like Jameson would also work just fine. Also, the majority of alcohol will cook out of this recipe, just leaving behind flavor.
- Oil – I prefer to sauté with olive or avocado oil as a personal preference. But any sauté oil would work for this recipe!
I love a good soft pretzel – Salty, chewy, delicious. These are reminiscent of pretzels you’d get at a German-style restaurant or brewery. Add the savory whiskey cheese dip and you’ve got a perfect snack to share over a pint.
- 1 1/12 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 3/4 tbsp dry active yeast (1 package)
- 3 1/2 to 4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 stick salted butter, melted
- Oil for greasing the bowl (any unflavored oil would work)
- 10 cup water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt for topping the pretzels
- 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil (any unflavored sauté oil will work)
- 1/2 shallot, minced
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cup sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded
- 1 cup mild yellow cheddar, freshly shreddeds
- 2 oz goat cheese (about 1/2 of a 4 oz. log)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp whiskey
Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast begins to foam. Gently whisk in the melted butter.
Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time and mix in between cups using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. Mix until the dough is thick and no longer sticky, adding more flour if necessary. The dough is ready to knead if it bounces back after you poke it with your finger.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Sit in a warm place for about 50 to 60 minutes and let rise until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is cold, you can sit the bowl on top of the oven while it preheats.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line one or two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
When the dough has risen, place onto a slightly oiled surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough out into a 24-inch rope. Don’t worry if there are cracks in the rope – This will add to the texture of the finished pretzels and give them that Bavarian Pretzel look! Holding the ends of the rope, make a U-shape and cross the ends over each other a couple times, making a twist. Bring the twisted ends down to the horseshoe part of the U-shape and gently press, forming the shape of a pretzel.
Place onto the parchment-lined sheet pan and adjust the shape as necessary. Continue with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the pretzels with a towel or plastic wrap until ready to boil.
Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time, and boil for 30 seconds. Gently remove from the water using a large, flat spatula. Return to the parchment paper.
When all of the pretzels have been boiled, brush each with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least minutes before serving.
Serve alongside Whiskey Cheese Dip and your other favorite dipping sauces!
Heat the sauté oil in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the minced shallot and cook for 2 to 5 minutes, or until it becomes soft and translucent (being careful not to burn). Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Next, you’ll want to make a roux in the same saucepan: melt the 2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the 2 Tbsp. of flour and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture turns a very pale brown color. While continuing to whisk, add in the heavy cream and cook and whisk for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
Add in each cheese, one at a time, and stir until melted and creamy in between each cheese.
When the mixture is smooth and creamy, add the shallots back in along with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Stir until incorporated.
Next, add in the whiskey and stir. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm until ready to use.
*For reheating, add a splash of cream or milk and heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, being careful not to burn, and stir quickly and well to combine.