For the Pretzels:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, and yeast and stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in the beer and melted butter.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 4 cups of the flour, the salt, and the spices.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix with the dough hook on low speed until the dough comes together.
4. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough looks too sticky, gradually add in the remaining ½ cup of flour, as needed until the dough is smooth and no longer too tacky.
5. Gently remove the dough from the mixing bowl, drizzle the bowl with a tablespoon of oil, and then return the dough to the bowl, turning it to coat in the oil.
6. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
7. During this time, preheat the oven to 425°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats. In my experience, these are the only option that do not cause horrible sticking after the pretzels are baked.
8. Place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands until it is smooth again. Divide it into 8 equal pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a long rope. Form each rope into a pretzel shape by making a “U” shape with the rope and twisting the ends around each other two times and then folding it down over itself.
10. Once all the pretzels have been formed, carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the pot of boiling water – do this slowly or you’ll have a mess on your hands!
11. Add the pretzels, two at a time, to the boiling water and cook for 30-45 seconds. Remove the pretzels from the water using a slotted spoon or spider and place on the prepared baking sheets. Continue until all the pretzels have been boiled. Place four pretzels on each of the two baking sheets.
12. Brush the pretzels with egg wash and season them liberally with the coarse salt.
13. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pretzels are crisp and deep golden brown.
14. Serve warm alongside the fondue.

For the Fondue:

1. While the pretzels are baking, make the fondue by melting the butter in a saucepan. Once it’s melted, add the flour and stir to combine, cooking the mixture for 1 minute.
2. Slowly stream in the beer, whisking constantly so that the butter-flour mixture incorporates. Stir in the half-and-half.
3. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Simmer until the mixture is thickened.
4. Stir in the shredded cheese and mustard and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately alongside the pretzels.