SD pretzels and pumpkin cheese dip
I don’t watch American football. And to be honest, I could not care ANY less about the sport. BUT, if I did watch the big game, I would make and serve this! Leftover pumpkin cheese dip with sourdough pretzel bites. Pumpkins have a shelf life of up to six months if stored properly, and I bet, after the holidays, they are one of the most discarded food items. So, instead of throwing away those pumpkins you had out on your front porch since October, maybe try this recipe! Roast your pumpkin and turn it into a puree that you can use in tons of different recipes or freeze it in cubes and save it for later use!! That’s what I did for this spicey pub pumpkin cheese dip.
Ingredients
For Pretzel Bites:
145 grams sourdough Discard or bubbly sourdough starter
175 grams lukewarm water
10 grams of granulated sugar
8 grams instant yeast 2 teaspoons
6 grams salt 1 teaspoon
285 grams of all-purpose flour
Water and 2 tbsp baking soda
For Cheese Dip:
4 tbsp butter
Grated 2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp Pumpkin spice
1 pinch of Cayenne pepper powder (to taste)
1 roasted small pumpkin (using the meat)
35 grams flour
½ ale beer (about 4-6 oz, depending on how much you want to taste the beer flavor—can also sub veg stock in)
175 grams of milk (may not need all of it depending on the desired thickness of the sauce)
170 grams of sharp cheddar grated
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (to taste)
1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard whole-grain (to taste)
Instructions
Make pretzels:
In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix the sourdough discard, water, sugar, instant yeast, salt, and flour.
Knead by hand for about 8ish minutes or knead in a stand mixer for 5ish until it comes together and forms a smooth ball. Add a little more flour as needed. The dough will still be sticky, but not overly sticky.
Lightly oil a bowl or container and place the dough in the oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the dough has doubled in size, flour a counter with 1-2 Tablespoons flour and punch down the dough. Turn it out onto the floured surface and separate into 4 sections.
Roll each section into a long strand and cut each strand into 6-8 pretzel pieces. Place each pretzel bite on the parchment paper.
Bring to boil 4-6 cups of water and 2-3 tbsp baking soda
Drop pretzel bites into the water and cook for 10-20 seconds then remove quickly
Transfer to a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt while still wet
Bake at 400F for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown
Remove once baked to perfection and allow to cool for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, you can make your cheesy dipping sauce
Make cheese dip:
Heat a large pan over medium heat
Make a roux
Heat and melt your butter, add your spices, and grated garlic
Then add the flour and stir allowing the flour to cook in the foaming butter
Add the roasted Pumpkin puree and, using a spatula, incorporate the pumpkin into the flour and butter mixture. this will create a dough-like paste
Add the beer a little at a time and whisk in, tasting as you go. It will cook down but depending on how beery you want it to taste (you can also sub for some veg stock if you want it NA)
Add milk and continue to stir until a thick sauce forms
Salt and pepper to taste; may want to add more spice at this time as well
Remove from the heat and begin adding the cheese in small handfuls at a time stirring until fully incorporated
Add apple cider vine and Dijon mustard to taste
Season again needed
Garnish with paprika or greenery and serve hot with warm pretzels
Enjoy :)
