Soft Pretzel Bites

Name: Soft Pretzel Bites
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 cups warm water; 1 packet active dry yeast; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 4.5 cups bread flour; 2 tsp kosher salt; 4 tbsp melted butter; 10 cups water plus 2/3 cup baking soda for the bath; 1 egg, beaten; Pretzel salt

Appetizers

Chewy, deeply browned pretzel bites with a proper baking soda bath, salted heavily and best eaten warm out of the pan with mustard.

Course: Appetizers
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Servings: 8

Cooking Notes

Cut the dough into evenly sized pieces so every bite proofs and bakes at the same rate. Oversized pieces can stay doughy while the smallest ones become dry.
The brief alkaline bath is what gives pretzels their characteristic deep color and chewy surface. Drain the bites well before placing them on the baking sheet so the bottoms do not stay wet.
Salt immediately after the bath or just before baking so it adheres well. Serve the pretzel bites warm, when the crust is still distinct from the soft interior.

Recipe Card

Soft Pretzel Bites

By Gabriella

Pin It

Category: Appetizers
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1.5 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
4.5 cups bread flour
2 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp melted butter
10 cups water plus 2/3 cup baking soda for the bath
1 egg, beaten
Pretzel salt

Instructions

1
Stir the yeast and brown sugar into the warm water and let it sit until foamy, about five minutes.
2
Mix in the flour, salt, and melted butter, then knead for eight minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked.
3
Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl for an hour, then roll it into ropes and cut them into one-inch pieces.
4
Boil the pieces in the baking soda bath for thirty seconds a batch, lifting them out with a slotted spoon onto a lined sheet.
5
Brush with egg wash, salt heavily, and bake at 425F for twelve to fifteen minutes until dark mahogany brown.