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Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 112 reviews

Soft Pretzel Bites are a delightful snack featuring a chewy and golden exterior with a tender inside, perfect for dipping in spicy cheese sauce or your favorite mustard. This recipe guides you through making the dough from scratch, shaping bite-sized pretzels, giving them a quick baking soda bath for that classic pretzel texture, and baking them to a perfect golden brown.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml) warm water (lukewarm; around 100°F / 38°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 3 and 3/4–4 cups (469–500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface

Topping and Bath Ingredients

  • Coarse salt or coarse sea salt for sprinkling
  • 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
  • 9 cups (2.1L) water for baking soda bath

Serving Suggestion

  • Spicy cheese sauce or your favorite mustard

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook attachment, whisk together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups (375g) of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, scraping the bowl if needed. Then add 3/4 cup (95g) more flour and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes. If sticky, add remaining 1/4 cup (30g) flour and mix for 1 more minute.
  2. Knead the dough: Switch to the dough hook and knead in the mixer for 5 minutes or knead by hand on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Add small amounts of flour if dough becomes too sticky but avoid drying it out. The dough should be soft and pass the windowpane test, showing it is well-kneaded and elastic.
  3. Rest the dough: Cover lightly with a towel and let the dough rest for 10–30 minutes to relax the gluten and make shaping easier.
  4. Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper lightly greased with butter or nonstick spray.
  5. Shape the pretzels: Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces using a knife, pizza cutter, or bench scraper. Lightly flour your work surface, then roll each piece into a 20-inch rope. If dough resists, cover and rest for 10 minutes before continuing. Cut each rope into 1.5–2-inch bite-sized pieces.
  6. Prepare the baking soda bath: In a large pot, bring 9 cups (2.1L) of water mixed with 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda to a boil.
  7. Boil the pretzel bites: Place 8–10 pretzel bites into the boiling baking soda water for 10–15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon/spatula and drain excess water. Place on prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse sea salt while wet. Repeat with remaining bites. You may refrigerate the boiled bites for up to 24 hours before baking.
  8. Bake the pretzel bites: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Serve and store: Remove from oven and serve warm with spicy cheese sauce or mustard. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat by microwaving briefly or baking at 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.

Notes

  • Use a silicone baking mat for best results to prevent sticking; if using parchment paper, lightly grease it.
  • Do not boil pretzel bites for longer than 15 seconds to avoid metallic flavors from baking soda.
  • If dough is too sticky to roll, let it rest covered for 10 minutes before continuing.
  • Cinnamon sugar can be used as an alternate topping if preferred, instead of coarse salt.
  • Leftover pretzel bites lose some softness over time but can be refreshed by reheating.

Keywords: soft pretzel bites, homemade pretzels, bite-sized pretzels, snack recipe, pretzel bites recipe

Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/soft-pretzel-bites-recipe/