Description
These soft and golden Pretzel Bites are the perfect snack for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients and baked to perfection, they offer a slightly chewy texture and a salty crust thanks to a baking soda bath and coarse salt topping. Whether you enjoy them plain or with delicious dips like beer cheese or honey mustard, these bite-sized pretzels are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2-3 tablespoons more for brushing
Boiling Bath
- About 8 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
Topping
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- About 2 tablespoons coarse salt
Optional Dips
- Beer Cheese Dip: 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 cup milk, ½ cup beer, 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Honey Mustard Dip: 2 cups mayonnaise, 6 tablespoons honey, 4 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice.
Instructions
- Make the dough: Combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, warm water, and melted butter in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium to medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until a soft, smooth dough forms.
- Rest the dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rest for 1 hour. It won’t double in size but should become slightly puffy.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 475°F (245°C) and line a half-sheet pan with a silicone liner or high-temperature parchment paper.
- Prepare the baking soda bath: Bring about 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water, stirring carefully.
- Shape the pretzel bites: Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Divide into 8 equal portions and roll each into a rope about 12 inches long. Cut each rope into roughly 1-inch pieces; you may not get exactly 12 pieces due to dough elasticity.
- Boil the dough pieces: In batches, carefully add the dough pieces one at a time to the boiling baking soda water. Let each piece boil for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer.
- Prepare for baking: Place the boiled dough pieces on the prepared pan, making sure they are not touching. Brush each piece with the beaten eggs.
- Bake the pretzel bites: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bites turn golden brown.
- Finish and serve: Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm with optional dips if desired.
- Optional – Make Beer Cheese Dip: Melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, then milk and beer. Bring to a boil while stirring. Add shredded Cheddar and seasonings, remove from heat, and adjust thickness with beer as needed.
- Optional – Make Honey Mustard Dip: Combine mayonnaise, honey, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheat pretzels in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes for best results.
- Prepare dips like beer cheese or honey mustard for added flavor and variety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 pretzel bites
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
