Heat the beer in a small saucepan to between about 110-112F (a little warmer than lukewarm.) Then stir in the yeast until dissolved and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, add about 3 cups of flour, the salt, sugars, melted butter and beer/ yeast mixture and mix on low until smooth.

Start to slowly add in the remaining flour until it forms a a soft, slightly sticky dough, using a little more flour as necessary. (The dough shoudn't really stick to the sides of the bowl.)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes. Then place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning over once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Towards the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 425F/ 218C and line two sheet trays with parchment paper. Put the 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda into a large pot and bring to a boil.

Once the dough has doubled, punch the dough slightly and place onto a lightly oiled surface. Evenly divide into 8 pieces.

To shape the pretzels, roll each piece into a 24" rope. Shape into a wide U, start to make a heart and then twist the two ends over eachother and criss-cross down into the classic pretzel shape, pushing the ends into the dough a little to secure. (see below pictures)

Once all the pretzels are shaped, carefully drop 2 pretzels at a time into the boiling baking soda water for 30 seconds. (be sure not to leave longer than 30 seconds or the taste will be negatively affected.) Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a piece of parchment paper while you finish the rest.

Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking trays. Then make an egg wash by whisking the egg yolk and tablespoon of water.

Brush the tops of each pretzel with the eggwash and give a generous sprinkling of the course sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 -14 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy with your dip of choice.

Store leftover pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for a few weeks. Pop in the oven to re-heat.