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Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
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Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Dough proofing time2 hours
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Keyword: bacon, beer cheese, pretzel

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • Olive oil to coat dough
  • Additional flour, for kneading dough

Pretzel Prep

  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1-2 beaten eggs, for brushing pretzels 
  • coarse kosher salt, for sprinkling over pretzels
  • canola oil or neutral oil, for greasing workspace or board 

Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

  • 3 strips bacon, cut into small pieces 
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup lager-style beer
  • ½ cup milk
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
  • 8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese 
  • salt and pepper, to taste 
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika 
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon stone ground country Dijon mustard such as Grey Poupon
  • fresh chopped chives, for garnish (if desired)

Instructions

  • Preparing the pizza dough
    1. In a 2 cup liquid measure or bowl, whisk honey, warm water and yeast to combine, and let rest for 3 minutes to allow yeast to bloom. When ready, yeast should form a frothy top the surface.
    2. Add flour to a large bowl and mound it into a rounded pile. Using your fingers, make a small well in the center.
    3. Add the proofed yeast/liquid to the well little by little, combining with your hands as you go and forming new wells until a slightly sticky dough forms.
    4. Kneading. Once a dough comes together, knead the dough on a floured board by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, folding over as you knead to create air pockets.
    5. First rise. Oil a large clean, non-reactive bowl (a sturdy plastic bowl is great) with olive oil- being sure to spread the oil around with your hands to get the bowl well coated.
    6. Use your oiled hands to moisten dough on all sides, and place into the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean, dampened dish towel or tea towel and let rest on the counted for 1 hour.
    7. Second Rise. After 1 hour, gently punch the dough down, reshape into a ball and place back into oiled bowl for 1 more hour, covered with the damp towel. After.1 additional hour, the dough is ready to bake.
    Preparing the pretzels
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Add 2 cups water and 4 tablespoon baking soda to small saucepan. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve baking soda. Pour into a wide baking pan, and allow to cool to room temperature (until liquid is comfortable to the touch). 
    3. While the liquid cools, cut your pretzel bites. 
    4. On a large, lightly greased board or work surface, cut the dough into 4 equal sections. 
    5. Roll each section with your hands to form 1” wide ropes, about 12” long. 
    6. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the length of dough into 1” squares  and set aside. Continue until all pretzel bites are cut. 
    7. Once all pretzel bites are cut, add them to the pan of cooled baking soda liquid, and toss around gently, coating both sides. Leave the dough bites sit in the liquid for 3-5 minutes. Gently remove with your hands or a fish spatula to parchment-lined baking sheets. 
    8. Brush each pretzel bite liberally with beaten egg, then sprinkle with coarse salt and transfer to preheated oven for 13-15 minuets, until deep golden brown. Serve hot with beer cheese dip. 
    Making the Bacon Beer Cheese Dip 
    1. While pretzels bake, make the dip. Cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until crisp- about 6-7 mins. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined sheet to drain. Add flour to pan with bacon fat and whisk to combine. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
    2 Slowly whisk in the beer, then the milk until well combined,  and then stir in softened cream cheese until melted. Stir or whisk well until a creamy, homogeneous sauce forms. 
    3. Turn off the heat and fold in shredded cheddar cheese, then mustard, salt and pepper, and spices. 4. Top with bacon and chives, and serve hot. 
    Makes about 45 pretzel bites.