#FoodieExtravaganza : Hopped Up Pretzel Bites with Beer-Gouda Dip

Welcome to the Foodie Extravaganza! 
v. October 2014 = a Pretzel Par-tay

We are a group of bloggers who love to blog about food!  Each month we will decide on an all-famous National Monthly Food Holiday in which we will base our recipes around. This month the ingredient is pretzels with an optional ingredient of caramel.  Yes, October is National Pretzel Month along with a whole array of other delightful things!! Get excited!! We hope you all enjoy our delicious pretzel treats this month and come back to see what we bring for you next month.  If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza.  We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Here's what the whole gang made...

• Apple Cinnamon Pretzels with Creamy Caramel Dip  from Rebekah at Making Miracles
• Apple Pie Stuffed Pretzel Bites with Caramel Dipping Sauce from Lauren at From Gate to Plate
• Bacon and Egg Breakfast Pretzels from Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writing
• Caramel Apple Pretzels from  Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Chili Cheese Pretzel Bites from Ashley at The Recipe Rebel
• Cinnamon Raisin Soft Pretzels from Heather at girlichef
• Hopped Up Pretzel Bites with Beer-Gouda Dip from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Marble Chocolate Dipped Pretzels  from Marissa at Rae Gun Ramblings
• Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Bites from Emily at It Bakes Me Happy
• Pretzel Rolls with Caramel Dipping Sauce from Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Soft Pumpkin Pretzels from Alexis at We Like to Learn as We Go
• Soft Pretzel Cinnamon and Sugar Sticks from Ashlee at Ashlee Marie
• Sourdough Pretzels from Kelly at Passion Kneaded
• Spicy Cheddar and Jalapeño Pretzel Bites from Kimberly at Rhubarb and Honey
• Sun Dried Tomatoes and Cheese Soft Pretzels from Rachael from Eazy Peazy Mealz

Hopped Up Pretzel Bites with Beer-Gouda Dip

I've seen a gob of recipes of pretzels made with beer. But I decided, for this #FoodieExtravaganza party, to make mine with real Cascade hops from my friends Shelby and Dave. I used beer in the sauce...and drank it alongside my pretzel bites.

Ingredients

Pretzel Bites

• 1-1/2 C warm water
• 1 T active dry yeast
• 2 T organic granulated sugar
• 2 Cascade hops blossoms, broken up into petals
• 4 C all-purpose flour + more for kneading
• 1/2 C dark rye flour
• 1/2 C baking soda
• water
• 1 large egg, beaten
• fleur de sel for sprinkling

Beer-Gouda Dip

• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 C beer (I used Rogue Farms' Chipotle Ale)
• 1 C whole millk
• 1 C shredded truffle gouda cheese
• 1 C shredded asiago

Procedure

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve sugar in the warm water and float the Cascade hops in the water. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Let the yeast bloom till frothy, approximately 10 minutes. Some clusters of yeast will remain. 

Slowly add 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 C dark rye flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is thick. Add 1 more cup flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it's still sticky, add up to 1/2 cup more. Press the dough with your finger. If it bounces back, it's ready to knead.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes and re-shape into a ball. 

Divide the ball into quarters, then divide each quarter into halves. Roll the dough into a long, even rope. Cut the ropes into bite-sized pieces.

Fill a large souppot with 8 to 9 C of water. Once it comes to a boil, add in the baking soda carefully. It will bubble up, so be careful. Drop the pretzel bites into the water. They will float quickly.

Remove the pretzel bites, drain, and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes at 450 degrees F - until the pretzels are a deep chestnut brown color. Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack to cool. Serve with beer-gouda dip.

Beer-Gouda Dip

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook to make a roux. Continuing cooking till it turns a nice, golden color. Slowly whisk in the beer and continue to cook, whisking frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. Next, pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the cheese and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened and the consistency you like. Serve hot...with the rest of your beer. Cheers!

So happy that I found this event. I'm looking forward to participating again in the future.