Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With a DIY Pretzel Bar
Ready for a fun fact? Back in 1992 I was supposed to be born on St. Patrick’s Day, and that’s why I was given the name Kelly. I’m kind of glad that I wasn’t born on St. Patrick’s day because of the guilt I would feel for my love of purple instead of green #purplehairforever. That said, I do love to celebrate this holiday. This year we are combining one of our favorite foods and drinks to make beer pretzels! If you ask me (and all the other B+C employees), we would say that this recipe was a hit, and your guests will eat them up. Party hack alert! To create more space on your table, hang your pretzels from shower curtain hooks on a towel rack. This will add new height to your spread and tons of space on your table for more beer (which is very important).
Ingredients:
– 1 bottle amber beer
– 1 package active dry yeast
– 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
– 2 tablespoons sugar
– 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
– 4 cups all-purpose flour
– 2/3 cup baking soda
– sea salt flakes
Instructions:
1. Pour your beer into a small pot and heat up until it is lightly bubbling. Dissolve yeast in the beer and take it off the heat.
2. Combine melted butter, sugar, salt and yeast mixture in a large bowl. Stir until combined.
3. Slowly add in 3 cups of flour and mix thoroughly.
4. Add in the last cup of flour and kneed with your hands. The dough should be a little sticky.
5. Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Divide the dough into 8 sections and roll into 24-inch ropes. Curve each rope into a pretzel shape and pinch the edges together.
6. In a Dutch oven, bring 10 cups of water and 2/3 cups of baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels 2 at a time into boiling water and let cook 30 seconds.
7. Place pretzels about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. For the extra salty top, combine 1 egg yolk with some water, brush on top of the pretzel and sprinkle with coarse salt.
8. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown, and let cool on a wire rack before eating.
Pour your amber beer into a small pot and bring to a slight boil. Add in the yeast and stir until dissolved. Watch out for the bubbles and the beer rising! I happened to step away from the stove and the beer bubbled over, getting the counter top all sticky.
Melt your butter in the microwave, then mix with the sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add in the yeast mixture and stir until it is all combined.
Slowly add in three cups of flour to your liquid mixture. Mix until combined — it will be sticky!
Add the last cup of flour and kneed with your hands (in the bowl or on a floured surface).
Grease your bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm space.
Divide the dough into eight equal sections. Roll out into a 24-inch rope and twist into a pretzel shape.
Pinch the cross sections together to make sure your pretzel will stay in shape through the baking journey.
Bring 10 cups of water and 2/3 cup of baking soda to a boil, and then add in pretzels two at a time. Let them cook for 30 seconds, then take them out and drain on a paper towel.
Create a wash of one egg yolk and some water, and brush on top of your pretzels. Sprinkle with sea salt or any toppings of your choice.
Let the pretzels bake for 12 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then let cool on a wire rack.
Pretzels — get in my belly!
Here’s a party hack for you. Use a towel rack and shower curtain hooks to display your beer pretzels. Use the tray on the bottom for dips and beverages.
Want to get extra spirited? Add some green food coloring to the pretzel dough for some St. Patrick’s Day-inspired beer pretzels.
Which is your go-to pretzel dip? Relish, queso or mustard?
Show us your project by tagging us on Instagram + using hashtag #iamcreative!
DIY Production and Styling: Kelly Bryden
Photography: Chris Andre
