GIANT Pretzel 🥨 Auntie Anne's VS German Bavarian

German Bavarian Style pretzels compared to Auntie Anne's...  which do you choose?  Today you don't have to because we're making both.

5,210 -  6,544 Calories Per Pretzel

Instructions: 

1. Place 3/4 cup warm water in bowl of a stand mixer; sprinkle with yeast.  Stir in honey syrup until dissolved.  Let mixture stand until yeast is foamy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add flour, beer, butter, and kosher salt; using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Attach bowl and dough hook to stand mixer.  Beat on medium-low speed until dough comes together and forms a smooth ball, about 1 minute.  Dough should be quite firm and may be slightly tacky but not sticky.  If dough is sticky, add flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, and beat until dough is smooth.  If dough is too dry, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and beat until smooth.
3. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer dough to a large bowl greased with cooking spray; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let dough rise in refrigerator until almost doubled in size, at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
4. Turn dough out onto an un floured work surface, and firmly press down to deflate.  
5. Shape a rope by rolling it against the work surface with your palms, applying mild pressure and working from the center outward.  If you need more friction, moisten work surface with a few drops of water, dispersing it evenly with your hands.  Continue rolling until dough rope is evenly rolled out and begins to shrink back toward middle.  Set dough rope aside.
6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Shape 60-inch dough rope into a U shape, positioning ends of the U pointing away from you.  Holding one end in each hand, lift and cross ends over each other about 12 inches down from ends.  Cross ends again, passing ends to opposite hands, creating a twist in the dough. Holding ends and maintaining twist, fold ends toward bottom of U.  Allowing for a 1' inch overhang on each side, press ends into bottom of U at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock. Gently transfer shaped pretzel to prepared baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap or clean dish towel
7. Let covered pretzel rise in a warm place until puffy and increased in size by half, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F
8. Stir together egg and milk; set egg wash aside.
9. Place baking soda in a large stainless steel saucepan, and add 6 cups water.  Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over high, stirring gently to dissolve baking soda.  Reduce heat to low, and maintain a very gentle simmer for 4 mins.  Pour alkaline water over pretzel, Cook 20 seconds, flip pretzel to allow the other half contact with the alkaline water for another 20 seconds.
10. Wearing rubber gloves, lift the pretzel from alkaline water, allowing excess to drip off, and transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet-pan.  Reshape pretzel on the baking sheet as needed.  Pretzel will look a little wrinkly, thats ok.
11. Quickly brush top and sides of pretzel with egg wash, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
12. Immediately bake pretzel at 500°F until deep mahogany in color, 9 to 12 minutes, rotating pans half way through.  Transfer pretzel to a wire rack, and let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 5,897  Fat: 73  Saturated Fat: 31  Unsaturated Fat: 1 Trans Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 1,047  Sugar: 27  Sodium: 120 Fiber: 0 Protein: 203 Cholesterol: 306

The original Beer Cheese dip, that also happens to be the worlds easiest to make, is stupid delicious!  Make this cheese sauce to accompany the Bavarian Pretzel. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel and roughly small dice the onion. 
2. Cut the camembert and butter in to roughly bite sized pieces.
3. Put everything in a food processor and pulse together until fairly smooth and well-blended. 
4. Place in refrigerator to chill and allow flavors to come together.
5. Allow it to slightly come up to room temperature and stir before serving.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 647  Fat: 52  Saturated Fat: 31  Unsaturated Fat: 1 Trans Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 20  Sugar: 7  Sodium: 145 Fiber: 3 Protein: 23 Cholesterol: 147

Your mall favorite, made so big you wont be able to finish this one.  So grab a few friends and get ready to feast!

 INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Scald the milk in a small pot.  Do not boil; just heat the milk until it is hot all of the way through.
2. Add the butter and sugar to the hot milk.  Stir until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved.  Pour into stand mixer bowl and set it aside to cool just a bit.  If the milk is too hot, the yeast will die; too cold, and it won't rise as quickly, 110°F is perfect.
3. Add the yeast to the top of the milk mixture and allow it to soften for 5 minutes.
4. Using the bread hook attachment on your stand mixer, add in the flour and salt and stir with the hook attachment until completely combined and a smooth ball forms.
5. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.  Then punch down the dough in the bowl.
6. Shape a rope by rolling it against the work surface with your palms, applying mild pressure and working from the center outward.  If you need more friction, moisten work surface with a few drops of water, dispersing it evenly with your hands. Continue rolling until dough rope is evenly rolled out and begins to shrink back toward middle.  Set dough rope aside.  Preheat oven to 450°F 
7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Shape 60-inch dough rope into a U shape, positioning ends of the U pointing away from you.  Holding one end in each hand, lift and cross ends over each other about 12 inches down from ends.  Cross ends again, passing ends to opposite hands, creating a twist in the dough.  Holding ends and maintaining twist, fold ends toward bottom of U.  Allowing for a 1' inch overhang on each side, press ends into bottom of U at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock.  Gently transfer shaped pretzel to prepared baking sheet-pan. 
8. Place baking soda in a stainless steel saucepan, and add 2 cups water. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over high, stirring gently to dissolve baking soda.  Reduce heat to low, and maintain a very gentle simmer for 4 mins.  Pour alkaline water over pretzel, Cook 20 seconds, flip pretzel to allow the other half contact with the alkaline water for another 20 seconds.
9. Wearing rubber gloves, lift pretzels from alkaline water, allowing excess to drip off, and transfer to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet-pan.  Reshape pretzel on baking sheet as needed. pretzel will look a little wrinkly, thats ok.
10. Bake at 450°F the for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.
    
11. Brush the pretzel with melted butter.  Sprinkle with coarse pretzel salt.
12. Serve Warm.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 4320  Fat: 126  Saturated Fat: 80  Unsaturated Fat: 4 Trans Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 695  Sugar: 216  Sodium: 835 Fiber: 17 Protein: 84 Cholesterol: 370

This cheese sauce recipe brings you the classic Auntie Anne's cheese dip flavor. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for approximately 1 minute until a thick paste is formed.
3. Then gradually whisk in the milk and cook uncovered until the mixture has thickened.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and then whisk in the cheddar cheese, food dye and salt. 
5. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
6. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 Calories: 890  Fat: 48  Saturated Fat: 27 Unsaturated Fat: 1 Trans Fat: 1 Carbohydrates: 62  Sugar: 36  Sodium: 3046 Fiber: 1 Protein: 55 Cholesterol: 150