Sourdough Pretzel Twists with Beer Mustard

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack!
Try dipping ’em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!

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These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!I’ve mentioned before that my wife comes from a big Italian family.  And if there’s one thing that big Italian families like, it’s big Italian family gatherings.  We try to make our way back to her hometown a couple times a year to join in the festivities.  She’s from central Pennsylvania, and the drive down from upstate New York is truthfully fairly pleasant.  At 6.5 hours, I wish it was a little closer, but it’s not that bad at all.

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!On one of our recent visits, I discovered there is a pretzel factory right there in her hometown.  Apparently they used to offer tours, but now those are a thing of the past.  But…you can still go in and buy pretzels in bulk.  And by bulk, I don’t mean 2 or 3 bags at once.  I mean boxes of pretzels.  Or the 3 pound bag of misfits (aka broken pretzels).  Hey, broken pretzels taste just as good as non-broken pretzels.  And I’m perfectly happy picking up a bag…or two…of misfit pretzels.  I mean, doesn’t everyone need 6 pounds of pretzels?

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!

Sourdough Pretzel Twists

I’ve been making soft pretzels for years, and they are still one of my favorite snack foods…especially when watching football games on Saturday afternoon.  But I decided the time has come to take a stab at hard pretzels.  Some tweaks here and twists there (pun intended), and I came up with a recipe that I’m happy with.  These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are delicious!

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!Quick note about sourdough starter, though.  I recognize that not everyone keeps a sourdough starter in your fridge.  (I know some of you do, though…don’t lie!)  My friend Kevin has a great guide on making your own sourdough starter.  If you’re not into making it yourself, then you can also just pick up a starter online.  And as long as you feed it and stir it occasionally, you can keep that sourdough starter forever.  Literally.  Some people even come up with names for their starters.  I’m not that crazy…yet.

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!But back to these Sourdough Pretzel Twists.  I can gobble down pretzels like Pacman chomps on those little white pills, but mustard really takes pretzels to the next level.  I’ve been talking about making my own mustard for years, but I’ve never gotten around to it.  So when I came across a recipe for beer mustard printed on the side of a 12-pack of beer, I figured it was a sign.  I needed to make beer mustard.  And I needed to make it now.  Sourdough pretzel twists + beer mustard = win.

I recognize that making your own mustard is a bit out there, though.  You can easily just use a spicy brown mustard from the store.  These pretzels will still be delicious!  I just wanted to see what it would be like to make my own mustard.  Call me inquisitive.  Or just downright crazy.

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!The official Oktoberfest celebrations in Germany are winding down, but that isn’t going to stop me from enjoying this classic German snacks!  After all, there’s a lot of college football left to watch.  Cheers!

Looking for more tasty snack recipes?  Check out some of these favorites!

Muffin Tin Garlic Knots
Cast Iron Skillet Nachos
Parmesan Garlic Monkey Bread
Buffalo Chicken Breadsticks
Pepperoni Pizza Pull Apart Bread

These Sourdough Pretzels Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping 'em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!

Sourdough Pretzel Twists with Beer Mustard

These Sourdough Pretzel Twists are a great gameday snack! Try dipping ’em in homemade Beer Mustard, too!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rising Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 221kcal

Ingredients

For the Pretzels

For the Beer Mustard

Instructions

For the Pretzels

  • In a large bowl, combine sourdough starter, milk, yeast, sugar and salt; stir until well combined.
  • Add olive oil, citric acid and flour; stir until well combined.
  • Let mixture rest for 10 minutes.
  • Turn dough out onto floured countertop and knead for 5 minutes.
  • Place dough into a large oiled bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm location until dough has almost doubled in size (~2 hours).
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and brush with vegetable oil; set pans aside.
  • Divide dough into approximately (30) 1-ounce pieces. Roll each piece into an approximately 12” long “stick”. (Note: Keep dough covered with a damp towel when not using it to prevent it from drying out.)
  • Fold each “stick” in half lengthwise and then twist several times. Pinch each end to prevent sticks from untwisting.
  • Fill a large saute pan about half-full with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Carefully place 4-5 twists into water and let boil for 30 seconds. Remove from water and place on prepared sheet pans. Repeat with remaining twists.
  • Mix the egg white with 1 Tbsp of water; whisk together until combined. Brush the tops of the pretzel twists with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or pretzel salt.
  • Place twists in 350°F oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until twists are golden brown and hard.
  • Let cool before serving.

For the Beer Mustard Dip

  • Using a medium bowl, add the brown and yellow mustard seeds, vinegar and ½ cup beer. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Using a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ½ cup of beer with the honey, brown sugar, salt, allspice, and turmeric. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Using a blender or small food processor, add mustard seeds along with their soaking liquid, the cooled mixture from the saucepan and the dry mustard. Puree until smooth.
  • Store Beer Mustard Dip in airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving. (Note: This Beer Mustard can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.)

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30 Comments

  1. I love pretzels. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a pretzel factory though!. I wish there was one close to me….I guess I will have to settle making my own. I’ll start with your recipe because it looks fabulous. I really like sourdough and I think it would be perfect in a pretzel!

    1. Oh man, Kathy…you need to make your way to a pretzel factory! But only if you want to come home with like 12+ pounds of pretzels. Because everyone needs 12+ pounds of pretzels, right? 🙂

    1. Hah! Well, I did go to the same mani/pedi place as you, Mike. They said you were really pleased with the latest color…deep purple with gold accents for LSU! 🙂

  2. Hi David! What a deal on those misfits! Pretzels are my favorite snack! My husband on the other hand won’t touch pretzels (yeah, he’s weird sometimes). I also really like making different mustards as you can customize them to your particular taste. I found a new pretzel at the store a while back – the brand is Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps and they have different flavors such as honey mustard, but the one I really like is the “everything”. Have a good weekend my friend! 🙂

    1. Tell me about it, Dorothy…and I can’t resist a good deal! It drives Laura nuts, but hey, a deal is a deal…and when pretzels are involved? Well count me in! Everything pretzels you say? I think these could be a great snack on football game day…but I might just have to try my hand at making my own! 🙂

  3. These look amazing and I love how mustard is used as a dip and not the yellow squiggle on hot dogs! A pretzel factory with broken pretzels sounds amazing- I brought a pack to Australia last time and it all crushed up and I made them into bars lol. My bad. Also, what a pretty, pretty nail you have.

    1. Oh for sure, mate. Mustard is so much more than just a condiment on burgers and hot dogs. It’s a straight up dip when pretzels are involved! Laura taught me the wonders of pretzels dipped in mustard a long, long time ago…and now I’m hooked. Especially when I realized how easy (and fun) it is to make your own mustard!

  4. It’s amazing that you’ve been making soft pretzels for years – this looks so professional and so delicious! Saving this one for the books – hope you’re having a lovely weekend, David!

    1. I indeed had a lovely weekend, Ala…I hope you did, too! I tried my hand at soft pretzels several years back, and now they are a staple in our house. We totally just made another batch this past weekend. 60-90 tops, and you’ve got a nice batch of chewy, soft pretzels. That’s a win in my book! 🙂

  5. These are so up my alley in everything – from the sourdough (thanks for the shout out!), to the citric acid add, to the twist and chunky salt to that mustard sauce I need to make. Tangy sourdough is the best. Perfect snackin’ food right there!
    Mike’s comment was pretty funny, too! Let the dippin’ begin! #WolfpackSnacks

    1. Thanks, Kevin! I agree with ya…sourdough is the way to roll! I want to try sourdough soft pretzels soon, but I opted for the harder version this time. And homemade mustard? That stuff is legit…it takes a bit of time, but it’s not difficult at all!

  6. Wow, how interesting. I ignored pretzels for most of my life, but then I wound up living in Hershey PA for a couple of years, and the PA Dutch, man, they make some pretzels! I used to go to farmers markets and get them fresh out of the fryer and I ALWAYS dipped them in mustard.

    I’ve never made my own mustard, and never really wanted to, until I heard you could make it with beer! I’m in!

    1. Oh man, I’ve driven right past Hershey a couple of times when we go down to visit my wife’s extended family in northern Maryland. We definitely sing the Hershey Park theme song…of course, that could be due to the fact that we are delirious after hours in the car. 🙂 Oh, and mustard really isn’t hard to make at all…it takes a couple of days, but the process is incredibly easy! And this version turned out awesome. A little bit on the spicy side, but we like it that way. Give it a shot!

  7. 6 pounds of pretzels? David, I’ve got a great idea. You should make Rudolph cookies for your Christmas presents. How many these cookies with the pretzel elements you can make? I guess, a lot! All the excessive cookies you can send to me, sure. In a meanwhile, you’ve got something delicious here. The beer mustard dip sounds intriguing – you’ve incorporated the ingredients I would never imagine together. Well done!

    1. Hmmm…I like the way you think, Ben! Cookies + pretzels would be pretty darned delicious, and my mind is already whirring away with ideas! Of course, I’d have to send them up to you for sampling first…quality control and all. 🙂

  8. WOW – I don’t think I’ve ever stumbled on a recipe for hard pretzels! What a fantastic recipe, David! And $2 for that 3lb bag of pretzels??? Dang!!!
    BTW – I know some people who name their starters – they don’t think that they are crazy – am wondering if I should send them this post 🙂
    Happy Monday My UpState-NYC friend

    1. Haha…see! It’s not that strange to name your starter. I love that you can just keep feeding a sourdough forever and ever. Sourdough pretzels for everyone!! 🙂

    1. Everyone needs 16.73 pounds of pretzels!! I mean, c’mon…it’s football season! Plus, that batch of mustard is huge. You might need 16.73 pounds of pretzels to get through it all! 🙂

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