Brew Pub Pretzel Bites

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and the 6 tablespoons of the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached.

Allow the yeast mixture to rest for 5 minutes until the yeast begins to bubble.

Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups of the flour.

Mix on low until fully incorporated.

Increase the speed and allow the dough to continue kneading until smooth. It should easily pull away from the side of the bowl. If it still seems too wet, add more of the flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Once the dough consistency is right, remove the dough from the bowl and knead it into a ball with your hands.

Add some vegetable oil to a clean bowl and place the dough in the bowl, tossing it to coat with the oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.

Slowly add the baking soda. It will boil over, so be very careful when adding.

On a flat surface, divide the dough into 8 pieces of the same size.

Roll each piece out into a long rope.

Cut the dough into bite-sized pieces.

Working in batches, add the dough bites to the water solution.

Boil each dough bite for about 30 seconds before removing it with a slotted spoon.

Place the bites onto the prepared cookie sheet. Do not allow them to touch.

Brush the tops with the beaten egg and season generously with the sea salt.

Bake in the oven until brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Transfer the pretzels to a cooling rack before serving.

Melt the 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the 1/2 tablespoon of the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.

Slowly stir in the milk.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheese.

Stir until melted and smooth.

Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.