Sourdough Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese

Ever since I started making sourdough bread and maintaining my starter (his name is John Dough), I've been working on new exciting ways to use my leftover starter. But these sourdough soft pretzels might just be my favorite!

I was a little intimidated to try them at first, but they're actually super easy and don't take that long! The hands on time is minimal and since we use commercial yeast along with the starter, the dough only has to rise for an hour. This recipe makes 8 medium size soft pretzels but you can easily make them bigger or smaller depending on your preference.

Don’t have a sourdough starter? Never fear! Just check out my Sourdough Guide for all my tips and tricks!

I serve these with my favorite beer cheese but you can also serve them with mustard or just eat them plain. For the beer cheese I use New Belgium Fat Tire because it's one of my favorite beers but any amber ale or lager works too! I've used Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, Yuengling, and other local brews and they all taste great!

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Making the Dough

For all of my sourdough recipes, I measure the ingredients in grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend getting one! They have tons of super affordable ones on Amazon that work great!

Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine all dough ingredients and mix on a low speed until the dough comes together as a smooth cohesive mass (5-10 minutes but variable by machine). The dough should be slightly sticky. If it's too dry and won't come together, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk.

Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour; it will rise minimally.

Shaping the Pretzels

Turn the dough out onto your work surface (you shouldn't need to flour your work surface) and fold 2-3 times to gently deflate it. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Each piece should weigh about 100 grams.

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Take your first piece and roll into a rope that's about ½ inch wide and roughly 20 inches long. Make the dough rope into a large U shape, then twist the ends of the rope together 2 times. Pull the twisted ends down to the bottom of the U and press firmly to make the classic pretzel shape.

Boiling the Pretzels

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add in 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Boil the pretzels for 45 seconds on each side and then place on your lined baking sheet. You will only be able to boil about 3 pretzels at a time.

Do not skip this step! It might seem unnecessary, but this is what gives the pretzels that signature look and texture.

Bake the Pretzels

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse pretzel salt and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

While the pretzels are baking, make the beer cheese!

Making the Beer Cheese

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and lightly saute the onions and garlic. Add in the flour and whisk together until smooth and there are no more flour clumps. Let the roux cook for 1-2 minutes and then slowly add in the beer while stirring constantly until fully combined into a smooth sauce. Add in the cheese and spices and stir until the cheese is fully melted.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat in 30 second intervals in the microwave.

Tip: Spend a couple extra minutes and buy a block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives and additives that keep it from clumping together in the bag. This also prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.

You might also like our sourdough pretzel buns! Same recipe, different shape!

If you make these sourdough pretzels, please leave us a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers.

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