Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites (Printable Version)
Soft, chewy golden bites perfect for snacking or parties. Serve warm with cheese or mustard.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1½ cups warm water (110°F)
02 - 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
→ Baking Soda Bath
07 - ⅔ cup baking soda
08 - 10 cups water
→ Topping
09 - 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
10 - Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Stir gently and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy and bubbly, indicating the yeast is active.
02 - Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or stand mixer paddle attachment until a shaggy, cohesive dough forms and no dry flour pockets remain.
03 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and springs back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
04 - Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 30 minutes until doubled in volume.
05 - While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
06 - In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady, vigorous boil.
07 - Punch down the risen dough to release air bubbles. Divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 18 inches long, then cut each rope into 1-inch segments to form the individual bites.
08 - Working in batches of 8 to 10, carefully drop the dough bites into the boiling baking soda bath for 20 to 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon, allowing excess liquid to drain, and arrange on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 1 inch apart.
09 - Brush the top of each pretzel bite generously with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the tops immediately while the egg wash is still wet.
10 - Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the pretzel bites are deeply golden brown and have a slight sheen.
11 - Remove from the oven and allow the pretzel bites to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Serve warm alongside your preferred dipping sauce such as cheese sauce, spicy mustard, or honey mustard.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- These little bites have that addictive chewy center and crackly salted crust that makes it impossible to stop at just one.
- The baking soda bath sounds fussy but it is the single thing standing between you and pretzel shop quality results.
02 -
- If your yeast never foams in step one, the water was either too hot or the yeast was dead, so start over rather than wasting flour on dough that will never rise.
- The baking soda bath will taste bitter if the bites soak too long, so keep it to thirty seconds maximum per batch.
03 -
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife because packed flour makes dense, heavy bites.
- Let the shaped bites sit for five minutes before the soda bath if your kitchen is cold because a slightly relaxed dough puffs better in the oven.