Homemade Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Sauce

My husband, Brett, is a homebrewer - I don't know if I have mentioned that on the blog yet.  Brett makes his own beer and wine in the cottage basement, which is not much of a basement, more like the cottage dungeon.  And though I know I am probably bias, his beer is some of the best I have ever tasted.  Since yeast is a major component in the brewing process my hubby is very familiar with its workings.  So recently he has taken an interest in other things involving yeast such as baking bread.

Do you know what goes really well with beer?  Soft pretzels!!  This is my husband's recipe for Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Sauce that comes to you via Draft Magazine.  These pretzels are SO awesome!!  He made them on New Year's Eve and we gobbled them up so fast that they disappeared before our eyes.

Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Sauce

Makes 15-20 small-sized pretzels

Soft Pretzels:

1 package of active dry yeast

5 cups flour

1 1/3 cups warm water

1/8 cup warm water

1/3 cup brown sugar

Water, baking soda

Sea Salt

Honey Mustard Dip:

5 ounces creme fraiche (or sour cream)

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons dijon or german mustard

Salt and sugar to taste

Directions:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/8 cup warm water.
• Stir in 1 1/3 cups warm water, brown sugar and flour.  Beat until smooth.
• Knead dough until smooth and elastic.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees.
• In a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons baking soda to each cup of water.  Use enough to fill the saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Tear off some dough and roll a pencil shape with your hands.  Pick up both ends, cross to form rabbit ears and then twist the ends and pull the back to the rest of the loop (making a pretzel shape).
• Place twisted pretzels in water/baking soda mixture for 15 seconds until pretzel dough is golden or yellow in color.  Remove pretzels from boiling water and place onto cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops with sea salt.  
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown (see picture above).

Honey Mustard Dip

• Stir creme fraiche (or sour cream), honey and mustard until creamy.
• Add sugar and salt to taste.

Pretzels Ready to Eat

Cottage Mama's Note:  Make sure to enjoy your soft pretzels with your favorite craft beer!