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For the pretzels: Begin by adding 1 1/2 cups of warm water to a mixing bowl.
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If you have a KitchenAid mixing bowl, use that.
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Add in the sugar, salt and the package of yeast.
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Gently stir, and walk away from it for about 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast foams.
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Once the mixture has foamed, add in the flour and melted butter.
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Use your dough hook attachment, and begin mixing on medium speed for about four minutes.
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Your dough should be smooth and begin coming off of the sides of the bowl.
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Remove the dough from the mixer and add it to another bowl.
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Drizzle the vegetable oil on top of the dough, and then flip the dough over to the other side, making sure the entire surface of the dough is oiled.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for about two hours.
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The goal is to have the dough rise to about twice the size of when you placed it into the bowl.
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Once the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and give it a good smell.
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I love the smell of fresh dough.
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Nothing beats that wonderful yeast smell.
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Well, bacon probably beats that, but still, it is a great smell.
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For the next few steps you will want to have everything prepared as things go pretty quickly.
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Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
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Preheat your oven to 450 F. Beat the egg in a small bowl.
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Add the salt to another small bowl.
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In a roasting pan or another large pot, add the 12 cups of water and the baking soda.
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Put it on the stovetop and bring it to a boil.
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If you do not have a roasting pan, use a deep skillet or another vessel that can hold that water to a boil.
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OK, back to the dough.
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Take the dough and divide it into about 8-10 balls.
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The dough will be a bit sticky, so use a bit more vegetable oil to lightly coat your hands.
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Take each ball and begin to roll it into a rope like shape.
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Once you begin to get the rope, grab both ends and swing it a bit.
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Your goal here is to get the rope to be about 7 inches long or so.
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Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
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Lay the ropes down, and cut them into about 2 inch pieces.
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Add these pieces to the boiling water.
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Let these cook in the water for 20-30 seconds.
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What happens here is that the dough begins to soften, par cook, and enlarge a bit.
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Remove the dough with a slotted spoon, trying to remove as much water as possible, and add the cooked dough to the oiled baking sheet.
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Brush the egg wash onto the top of each pretzel bite, then sprinkle each one with kosher salt.
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Repeat this process for the remaining dough balls.
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Once the baking sheet is filled with some pretzel bites, add them to the preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
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They should come out golden brown.
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The smell is amazing.
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Take it in.
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Remove them from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.
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Repeat this process until all of the pretzel bites have baked.
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As the pretzels cook, make the cheddar cheese beer sauce.
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Add the beer to a sauce pan.
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Bring it to a boil.
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Toss the flour with the cheese.
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Once the beer is boiling, add the cheese and flour mixture, dial down the heat, and stir constantly.
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Toss in some salt and pepper.
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Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth.
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Then remove from heat and put it into a serving bowl.
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When you are ready to plate, add the pretzel bites to a plate with a small bowl of the beer sauce, and dig in.
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The flavor of these pretzels is just phenomenal to say the least.
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Packed with this yeasty smell and flavor, every bite is nicely salted.
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And that beer and cheese sauce, well, I will let you judge.
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A perfect snack any time of the day.
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And better yet, a great game day appetizer that will get all of your friends and family dipping everything into that beer and cheddar cheese sauce!
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Enjoy.
