Pretzel Bites
These buttery, soft Pretzel Bites make the perfect appetizer or snack idea. You might want to make plenty because everyone loves them!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
- 1 ½ cups warm water 110-115 F
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- Vegetable oil for greasing the bowl
Soda Bath
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
Egg Mixture, for brushing bites
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- Kosher salt
Instructions
Making the pretzel dough:
- Combine warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast in your stand mixer bowl. Mix together with a spatula to dissolve the yeast.
- Fit the paddle attachment to the mixer. Add in the flour and melted butter and mix until the dough comes together.
- Switch to your dough hook. Knead on low until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This usually takes 50-60 minutes.
Cooking the bites:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking oil.
- Bring water and baking soda to a boil in a large stockpot.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Work with one piece at a time and roll the dough into ropes 1" inch diameter. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in each portion into 1" bite-size segments.
- Boil for 30 to 40 seconds, stirring a couple of times to coat all the surfaces. Remember to boil the pretzel bites in the 6 batches you laid out so as not to overcrowd them. Remove the bites from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheets.
- When all the pretzels are boiled, whisk together egg yolk and water. Brush the pretzel bites with egg mixture and sprinkle with salt.
- Cook in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until browned to your liking.
Notes
- Serve with our Beer Cheese Dip recipe, which is out of this world when combined with these bites. You can also use honey mustard, buffalo chicken dip, barbeque sauce, Ranch dressing ... or really anything you find tasty!
- You can get creative with toppings. Besides traditional salt, you can sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic powder, or even shredded cheese for unique flavor profiles.
- Instead of doubling or tripling this recipe, I recommend doing separate batches to ensure it comes out just right!
- Pretzel Bites can be frozen. After baking and cooling, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave when needed.
- Store leftover Pretzel Bites in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. If you want to keep them fresh for a longer time, refrigerate them. Reheat in the oven to restore their crispness.
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 2226mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
