Soft Guinness Pretzels with Sea Salt
ShareEasy and flavorful homemade soft pretzels, using Guinness. A perfect snack for St Patrick’s day celebrations.
Day three and the final day of boozy recipes for St Patrick’s day is my favorite of the bunch! Shocker… it’s carbolicious! We already covered St Patrick’s day dinner plans: beef and Guinness pies, obviously. And of course dessert is taken care of too because you’ll be making mini Baileys cheesecakes. So we needed to cover snacks.
Party or not, you want these and need these Guinness pretzels in your life. They’re ridiculously flavorful and in the absolute best way possible. I know, given that I’m sharing a few boozy recipes this is about to sound really odd but I’m always a bit scared to add liquor of any sort into recipes. I’m always worried it’s going to change the flavor of the food in a bad way. But somehow Guinness only makes food better. Even if you don’t like Guinness (*raising hand* totally not a beer fan)Â you’ll love just about any food that it’s added to. Promise. It pairs really well with so many things.
Like just about any homemade snack or bread, these Guinness pretzels were gone within a matter of hours. I think there was maybe 1 or 2 left the next morning but even those didn’t last long. They were a huge hit with everyone in the family. Yes, the kids were begging for more! These babies are irresistible! Eat these warm, dipped in the mustard of your choice. Yes, that’s kind of mandatory. I opted for dijon but yellow or even spicy brown would totally work too.Â
Soft Guinness Pretzels with Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 3/4 C water heated to 115-120°F
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 - 4 1/2 C all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 C Guinness
- 1/3 C baking soda
- 8 C water
- 1 large egg
- Course sea salt
Instructions
- Heat 3/4 cup water to 115-120°F in a large measuring cup, add yeast and sugar. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer add 4 cups of flour and salt. Measure out Guinness and melt butter.
- When yeast has proofed, slowly add to dry ingredients with mixer on low, followed by Guinness and butter. Add additional flour as needed until dough is no longer stick and is manageable.
- Shape dough into a smooth ball, transfer to a large greased bowl. Flip dough once to coat completely with oil. Cover and allow to rise in a warm location for one hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil with baking soda. In a small bowl, beat one egg with 1 tbsp of water.
- Divide dough into 8 equal portions, weighing if possible. My sections were each roughly 4.25oz each. Grease your hands lightly with oil, shape dough into a 24" rope. Form a 'U' shape crossing the ends over each other and twisting once, then bringing the ends down to the bottom of what was the 'U' to complete the pretzel shape. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.
- Carefully place shaped pretzels in boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Use a spatula to remove the pretzels from the water, placing back on parchment lined baking sheets. Brush each boiled pretzel well with egg wash and immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. Enjoy warm.
Notes
Normally I made a guinness bread but this might have to happen instead!
Yes! It absolutely should be these :)
I have made about 5 different pretzel recipes in the past month or two trying to find the perfect one for my mom’s farmer’s market stands. (she sells gourmet mustard) I can’t wait to try this one. LOVE Guinness addition.
Gourmet mustard sounds so good!
These look SO GOOD, Rachel!!! They would definitely disappear instantly at my house!
I am such a sucker for soft pretzels!! Why does baking and yeast scare me so?!?
It’s so easy! Don’t fear the yeast :)
HOLY COW these look amazing!!! I love making soft pretzels… have GOT to try these!!
Ahh beer with pretzels — sounds good to me!!! These look great!
I was just thinking I needed some carbs and beer for breakfast! Dang girl, this looks amazing!!!
lol such a blogger thing to say ;)
I love this. Boozy pretzels RULE.
Love Guinness, for a long time it was the only beer I drank. These look incredible!
I love making pretzels, they’re so fun! I love making cinnamon sugar ones, but these look so yummy I’m going to have to try them!
I’ve never made cinnamon-sugar pretzels but they are on my to do list!
These sound amazing! I think we have the perfect mustard accompaniment!
I want a dozen of these babies! Mmmm! Nothing like a soft pretzel? With Guinness? :):):):)
These are beautiful! And, you’re right: Guinness makes everything taste better, even though it is one of my least favorite beers to drink!
Lovely pretzels! And you’re right–Guinness definitely makes food taste better!
Oh yes. 1000 times yes!!
Holy yum!! I love me some soft pretzels!
oh my…this Soft guinness pretzel is so pretty. I wish I know how to do that pretzel twist. I guess I would just need to play with the dough to figure it out. ;) This is definitely the best snack for St. Patrick’s Day….or any day.
It’s fairly easy, just follow the instructions in the recipe :)
pretzels and beer. Best combo ever!
This is an awesome sounding recipe and better yet, your site makeover! Forgive me that I haven’t popped by in a week or two but it’s absolutely gorgeous! Lindsay is working on mine now! That lonnnng wait is finally over :) Yours turned out beautifully! I love the logo and font and your overall colors!
Thanks so much! And good luck with your redesign :)
These are going to be in my dreams, I just know it.
oh my HEAVENS. These obviously look amazing and I can only imagine how incredible they taste. Pretzels and beer – can you really go wrong?!
I absolutely love Alton’s base recipe so I know your version with Guinness is going to be pure awesomeness :) I’m going to surprise my husband with these next weekend!
getting together with my husband’s fam on St. Patty’s day and these just might need to be on the menu!
I love pretzels! I will have to try this. They look yummy!
Adding this to my weekend baking with the 6 pack of Guinness in my fridge. Excited to try this out.
I hope you like them! :)
Yes please! I’ll have a dozen to go!!
These look OUT OF THIS WORLD – yum, I’m going to have to try these.