Homemade Stadium Style Beer Pretzels

I'm recovering a bit this morning.  A little too much wine, too many appetizers and too much of a go-go-go mentality yesterday has gotten me moving sluggish this morning.

We hosted our 2nd Annual Holiday Dinner Party last night and well, I'm tired today.

BUT!  That doesn't mean life doesn't go on.  I mean, I have to show you these beer pretzels, right?  A perfect Saturday snack.  Oddly, it is rainy and icky here (weird, that it isn't snow....it is December in Iowa!). 

Nonetheless, a gross day.

One of my favorite snacks to get at games, sporting events, etc. is a hot pretzel.  Either dipped in a red sauce or melted cheese.  I'll pass by a hot dog, nachos or even a slice of pizza...all for a pretzel.

Never having made homemade pretzels before I was surprised by how easy they were and how good they turned out.  I almost felt like I was at a ballpark - minus two kids tugging on my leg asking a zillion questions and the messy kitchen in the background.

Homemade Stadium Style Beer Pretzels

{Print this Recipe!}

4 3/4 to 5 1/4 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 envelope quick rising yeast

1 1/2 t. salt

1 c. milk

1/2 c. beer

2 T. canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

coarse salt

In a large bowl, combine 2 c. flour, sugar, yeast and salt.  In a small saucepan, heat milk, beer and oil to warm through {do not boil}.  Add wet to dry ingredients, beat until just moistened.  Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes.  Divide dough into 12 portions, rolling each into a 15 in. rope.  Cover and let rest 10 more minutes.

Twist into pretzel shapes, place on a greased baking sheet and brush with eggs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Take out of oven, brush with additional eggs and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake an additional 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm with mustard, cheese or marinara sauce.

Here's a sneak peak at one of our activities last night.  Yep, their arms got tired and their drawing skills were horrible.

Awful, really.

But, it was fun.