Victory Lager & 4-Cheese Pretzels

Hows about some Philadelphia in your mouth!?

Head over to DrinkingCraft.com and check out my latest Ode to Philly. (I know I do it a lot, but I can’t help it, I love this town!) I’ve put together some delicious, pillowy soft pretzels using the light, crisp and too-easily chuggable Victory Lager. Loaded with four different cheeses and hot out of the oven, it’s perfect food to serve up to your beer-drinking friends, have on hand for March Madness or slice into and make a sandwich out of. (Big thanks to my husband for surprising me with a toasty pretzel sandwich the other day!)

Below is the column as it appeared on DrinkingCraft.com

Nothing says Philadelphia like soft pretzels and beer. (Except cheesesteak, but that’s just predictable.) With the Italian market and the famous Di Bruno Bros in town, it’s also a great cheese city. That’s why this recipe rocks. It’s everything from Philadelphia combined into one amazing snack food. Pillowy soft pretzels made with a Philadelphia original beer, Victory Helles Lager, and topped with a blend of fontina, provolone, asiago and parm.

Make them up ahead of time and serve them at your next party, tailgating, or sit at home and eat them all yourself!

I’m too good to make a pun about how victorious you’ll be when you make these pretzels. (I’m actually not.)

Victory Lager & 4-Cheese Soft Pretzels
adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients
12 oz. Victory Helles Lager
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 pk active dry yeast
4 ½ cups AP flour
2 oz unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
⅔ cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water
2 cups cheese, shredded (try a blend of fontina, provolone, parmesan and asiago)
pretzel salt

Combine the beer, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for five minutes. The mixture will begin to foam. Then add in the flour and butter. Using your dough hook attachment, mix on low until combined. Turn the mixer up to medium and knead it until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. This will take roughly five minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, then oil it with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a warm, wet towel. Place it in a warm place for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

These pretzels are helles-fluffy. The only liquid they use is beer.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush them with vegetable oil.

In a large stock pot, bring 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil.

Turn the dough out on an oiled work surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 2-foot long rope. Shape into pretzels. (You can go the standard pretzel shape here, or the more unique Philadelphia pretzel shape, as pictured.) Place onto parchment paper.

One at a time, gently place the pretzels into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove it from the water using a large spatula. Return to parchment paper.

Brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt and a generous amount of shredded cheese. Bake until dark golden brown, 12-14 minutes.

Serve with a delicious IPA mustard.