My Homemade Pretzel Bites are soft on the inside and chewy on the outside - and make a great game day or party snack.These salty, buttery bites are best served with some cheese dip and a couple of beers!
2 1/2cupsbread flour- more or less, to desired consistency
sea salt- for topping
butter- for brushing on after baking
To boil:
8cupswater
8Tablespoonsbaking soda
Instructions
In a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Be careful to use warm water, not hot. Mix with a spatula and let sit for about 15 minutes to get the yeast working.
Add the melted butter, honey, and kosher salt. Mix with a spatula.
Attach a dough hook to your mixer and add the all-purpose flour and about a cup of the bread flour. Start the mixer and let it run for awhile to get everything well combined, occasionally using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer. Then gradually add more bread flour until you get just the right consistency. You want the dough to be soft but not too sticky. (See blog post for more tips.)
Grease a large bowl with oil and add the dough. Punch the down into a nice smooth ball. Cover with a clean dishtowel and set it in a warm corner of your kitchen. Let the dough rise for about 35-40 minutes, or until about doubled in size..
Meanwhile, prep so that you are ready to go after the dough has rested. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Prep pretzel bites. Spread a little bit of oil on a clean surface, or baking mat. Take bout 1/4 of the dough and roll into a long tube-like shape. See pictures. Slice it into one-inch slices (or whatever size you prefer).
Combine eight cups of water with eight tablespoons of baking soda in a stock pot - and bring to a rolling bowl.
Place about 10 "bites" of dough into the boiling water. Make sure they aren't touching. After 20 seconds, start removing them, one at a time, using a slotted spoon. Shake off excess water (or you can place in a strainer for a minute or so), immediately add a sprinkle of sea salt, and add them to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat until all the bites are prepped for baking.
Bake pretzel bites for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Remove from oven, brush with softened butter, and a little more sea salt.
This recipe should fill two baking sheets. I usually bake one after the other (not at the same time).
Notes
Enjoy these pretzel bites with my Spicy Beer Cheese Dip!