Description
These Soft Pretzel Bites are chewy, golden, and perfect for snacking or serving with your favorite dips. Made with a simple yeast dough, boiled briefly in a baking soda bath for a classic pretzel crust, and sprinkled with coarse salt, these bites are easy to make at home and ideal for sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 and 1/2 cups warm water (lukewarm, around 100°F / 38°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cool (14g)
- 3 and 3/4 – 4 cups all-purpose flour (469-500g, spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
Baking Soda Bath
- 1/2 cup baking soda (120g)
- 9 cups water (2,160ml)
Topping
- Coarse salt or coarse sea salt
Optional for Serving
- Spicy cheese sauce or your favorite mustard
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook attachment. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down sides if needed. Add 3/4 cup flour and continue beating until dough pulls away from sides, about 2 minutes. If sticky, add remaining 1/4 cup flour and beat 1 more minute.
- Knead the dough: Switch to dough hook and knead for 5 minutes in mixer or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Add flour 1 teaspoon at a time if too sticky to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Dough should slowly bounce back when poked and pass the windowpane test.
- Rest the dough: Cover the dough lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes while preparing the baking soda bath.
- Preheat and prepare baking sheets: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper lightly sprayed with nonstick spray or greased with butter. Set aside.
- Shape the pretzel bites: Cut dough into six equal pieces. Lightly flour the work surface and roll each piece into a 20-inch rope. If dough shrinks, cover and rest for 10 minutes. Cut each rope into 1.5-2 inch pieces to form bites.
- Baking soda bath: In a large pot, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop 8-10 pretzel bites into boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess water. Place bites on baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat with remaining bites. You may refrigerate boiled bites for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Bake: Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and serve warm.
- Storage and reheating: Store leftovers at room temperature covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or bake at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes to refresh softness.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Freeze baked pretzel bites without coarse salt, then thaw and reheat with salt sprinkled on top. Prepared dough can be refrigerated for one day or frozen for 2-3 months; thaw overnight before shaping.
- Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for a chewier texture if desired. Avoid whole wheat flour as it changes texture and rise.
- Cinnamon Sugar Variation: Bake pretzels plain without salt. Melt 4 Tbsp unsalted butter and mix 3/4 cup sugar with 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Brush warm pretzels with melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar. Best served same day to avoid sogginess.
- You can brush boiled bites with beaten egg before salting if you prefer the classic egg wash finish, though it’s optional.
- Use silicone baking mats for best nonstick results over parchment paper.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 pretzel bites
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
