Soft Pretzel Bites

Whether you like your pretzel bites salty with a bit of mustard or sweet with a touch of cinnamon, these scrumptious pretzel bites are going to be your new favorite treat. The only problem with these little bites is that they disappear too quickly. You might want to consider doubling this recipe, especially if you want to feed a crowd. I like these soft pretzel bites with a light touch of coarse salt, but they’re also perfect to serve with your favorite dipping sauces, like honey-mustard, marinara, or our zesty cheese dip.

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Soft Pretzel Bites

These pretzel bites have the perfect pretzel resistance on the outside with a soft, chewy interior. Perfect topped with coarse salt, or make them a sweet treat with a little cinnamon and sugar.

Servings

Dozen

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water

Finishing:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 Tbsp baking soda
• coarse kosher salt, optional
• cinnamon/sugar mixture, optional
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Servings Dozen Ingredients Pretzel Dough 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast 1 cup warm water Finishing: 1 cup boiling water 2 Tbsp baking soda coarse kosher salt, optional cinnamon/sugar mixture, optional 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the dough; beat until ingredients are well combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. The pretzel dough can also be made with an electric stand mixer with a dough hook.
2. While the pretzel dough is resting: Combine the 1 cup of boiling water with the baking soda; stir until the baking soda is dissolved. Set the mixture aside and let it cool to lukewarm.
3. Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with some non-stick cooking spray, or line it with a sheet of parchment paper that is lightly sprayed.
4. Lightly oil a work surface, and turn the pretzel dough out onto the prepared work area. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each of these pieces into a 12" to 15" rope. Cut each of the ropes, crosswise, into approximately 12 pieces.
5. In a pan that's big enough to hold the pretzel bites, add the cooled water-baking soda solution. Make sure you have enough room so the pretzel bites don't touch. Gently swish the bites around in the solution, leaving them in the mixture for a couple of minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet; top with coarse salt or coarse Swedish pearl sugar if you want sweet pretzel bites.
6. Bake the pretzel bites for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a nice golden brown. Remove from oven; roll the bites in the melted butter and place on a cooling rack. (If you're making sweet pretzel bites, roll the bites in a cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately after rolling in the melted butter).

Recipe Notes

* In humid weather, you might not need the entire 1 cup of warm water. When making the pretzel dough, don't add all of the water at once. Reserve a couple tablespoons of water, and use as needed to make a soft dough.