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Pretzel Bites

These homemade pretzel bites are always a crowd-pleaser! They're so soft and fluffy on the inside and irresistibly salty and crisp on the outside.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Servings: 56 pretzels bites
Calories: 47 kcal
Course: Appetizer , Snacks
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups warm water (360ml)
  • 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 (0.25-ounce/7g) package active dry yeast
  • 4¾ cups all-purpose flour divided (570g)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 quarts water (720g)
  • ¼ cup baking soda
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • ⅓ cup coarse sea salt (96g)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm water, yeast, and sugar by hand. Let stand for 5 minutes until mixture is frothy. Fit mixer with the paddle attachment. Add 3 cups of flour, melted butter, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, or until a shaggy dough is formed.
  2. Switch to dough hook attachment. On low speed, beat the dough while adding the remaining 1¾ cup flour, ¼ cup at a time and only adding as much as needed until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl. (You may not need all of the flour.) Continue to beat on low speed for 4 to 5 more minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. (To test, pinch off a small ball of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to see light through without breaking, it passes the test! Otherwise, knead for another minute and check again.)
  3. Coat the inside of a large bowl with the vegetable oil. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in the oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  5. Fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  6. While the water comes to a boil, on a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal parts, (130 grams each). Roll each piece into a long rope, about 22 inches long. Cut each rope into 14 (1 ½-inch) pieces.
  7. Very slowly stir the baking soda into the boiling water. (The mixture will foam and can boil over if the baking soda is added too quickly)
  8. Working in batches of 10 to 15, boil the pretzel bites in baking soda bath for about 30 seconds. Using a large slotted spoon, remove the pretzel bites and place on the prepared baking sheet, about ½-inch apart. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  9. Bake pretzel bites for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • You may need less flour than listed in the recipe. Add the flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is soft and no longer sticking to the sides of your bowl. However, if the dough is still really sticky, you can add another ¼ cup until the dough has reached the desired consistency. 
  • If the dough starts feeling sticky while rolling it into ropes, you can dust your hands with flour. However, make sure you don’t add too much flour, or the dough will become too dry.
  • These pretzel bites are great with a cheese sauce, but I also like to serve them with mustard, ranch sauce, honey mustard, queso dip, spinach artichoke dip, and buffalo chicken dip.
  • The time it takes for your dough to rise depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The ideal temperature for dough rising is 75 to 78F. If your kitchen is cold, you can place your dough in an OFF oven with the light on.
  • Make sure the water is between 110 to 120F as water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, and water not warm enough won’t activate the yeast.

Nutrition Information

Calories 47kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.3g (2%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 4mg (1%) Sodium 899mg (37%) Potassium 13mg (0%) Fiber 0.3g (1%) Sugar 0.3g (1%) Vitamin A 17IU (0%) Calcium 5mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 56pretzels bites

Amount Per Serving

Calories 47

% Daily Value*

Calories 47kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 899mg 37%
Potassium 13mg 0%
Fiber 0.3g 1%
Sugar 0.3g 1%
Vitamin A 17IU 0%
Calcium 5mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.