Description
Hearty Pumpkin Beer Cheese Skillet with Soft Pretzels delivers autumn’s warmest comfort in one irresistible dish. Craft beer, creamy cheese, and golden pretzels blend perfectly for seasonal satisfaction you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Soft Pretzel Dough:
- 1.5 cups warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast (2.25 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Pretzel Coating and Topping:
- 0.25 cups baking soda
- 3 tablespoons pretzel salt or flaked salt
Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pumpkin beer
- 16 ounces white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- fresh chopped chives for topping
Instructions
- Activate yeast by mixing with warm water and honey in an electric stand mixer, allowing 5-10 minutes for foaming to occur.
- Incorporate flour, salt, and butter into the yeast mixture using a dough hook until thoroughly combined. Allow dough to rise in a warm location for 1 hour until volume doubles.
- Gently deflate risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Prepare two parchment-lined sheet pans for pretzel rolls.
- Divide dough into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a rounded roll with pinched bottom seams.
- Position dough balls on prepared sheet pans and cover, letting rise in a warm area for approximately 30 minutes.
- Prepare beer cheese by creating a roux: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook until golden and fragrant.
- Pour beer into the roux, whisking thoroughly to integrate. Reduce heat and gradually incorporate cheese until smooth and fully melted.
- Heat oven to 425°F and prepare a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
- Bring water to a low boil in a large saucepan, adding baking soda. Gently bathe pretzel rolls in simmering water for 30 seconds per side using a slotted spoon.
- Brush boiled rolls with beaten egg, create a central “x” cut, and sprinkle with flaked salt.
- Arrange pretzel rolls around skillet edge, filling center with prepared beer cheese.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until pretzels turn golden brown. Garnish beer cheese with fresh chives before serving.
Notes
- Activate the yeast properly by ensuring water temperature is warm (around 110°F) but not hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent dough from rising.
- Knead the pretzel dough thoroughly to develop gluten, creating a chewy and stretchy texture that’s essential for authentic soft pretzels.
- Boil pretzels in baking soda water bath briefly to achieve that classic dark, shiny pretzel exterior with a distinctive flavor and crisp crust.
- Customize beer cheese by experimenting with different beer styles like amber ale or stout to create unique flavor profiles that complement the pumpkin notes.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 434 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg