Today I’m remaking an old favorite recipe of mine for Pretzel Bites! Soft pretzels are, I think, a top tier bread situation, and it’s one of the first kinds of bread I aspired to make from scratch. They seem complicated, but they’re actually super easy, especially in bite form like we’re doing here!

Once again, I’m here to tell you that you can put literally anything on top of these guys. I like to top them with a mixture of coarse salt and red pepper flakes, but you could also do salt and pepper, dill, Italian seasonings, za’atar, or even everything bagel seasoning! Let’s get to it!

How to Make Pretzel Bites

This is a super simple dough, and the difference for making pretzels compared to normal bread is in the cooking method. So, we’re starting by putting together all the good stuff and kneading for a while to make sure the dough gets nice and stretchy. Then we’re leaving it for a quick rise to almost double in size, this usually only takes about 30 minutes for me!

Once the dough has risen, go ahead and set a large pot with about 2 quarts of water on high heat to boil, and preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Pull out two large sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Meanwhile, divide your dough into four sections, and roll each section into a long thin rope. Then cut small chunks, about 1 inch long, of each rope, and place all the chunks onto one of your large sheet pans.

When you’re ready to boil the pretzels, pour your baking soda into your boiling water. Then, boil the pretzels in batches for about 30 seconds per batch, and then transfer them using a slotted spoon to your other prepared baking sheet.

There’s going to be a lot of bites, but it’s ok if they’re touching some, don’t worry about that. Then, we’re generously brushing everything down with an egg wash, and sprinkling on our seasoning of choice before popping the tray into the oven until the bites are a deep golden brown! Cool, pull them apart, and enjoy warm!

Tips & Tricks For Pretzel Bites

This is a super simple recipe, and the results are insanely yummy! Here’s my tips and tricks to make it great every time:

• Don’t worry about the bites touching on the pan- They may puff together when you bake them, but they pull apart easily and still turn out super yummy. If you don’t want that, split it onto two pans!
• Don’t skip the boiling process. This is what gives the pretzels their extra chewy texture that we all know and love.
• Once boiled, they will be a little gooey but that’s normal! You’ll want to use a slotted spoon to make sure they are drained properly and to help spread them on your baking sheet.
• Top with any seasonings you like for a final result that you’ll love! I like to use red pepper flakes and coarse salt, but there are endless yummy options. These are so fantastic on their own, let alone with a cheese sauce to dip!
• Watch your dough as it rises to avoid over-proofing the dough. If your house is pretty warm, the rising process can be very quick, so keep a close eye on it and don’t let it rise to more than doubled in size.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000 ft and 7,000 ft don’t need to make any adjustments to my recipes!

Enjoy!

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Pretzel Bites

Servings 50 bites

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 ½ tsp. salt
• 4 1/2-5 cups flour
• 2 quarts water
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 egg beaten with a little water
• 2-3 tbs. Course salt and spices of choice to top

Instructions

1. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. In a large bowl, mix together warm water, brown sugar, yeast, and melted butter. Let stand for about five minutes. In the the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl, mix together the salt, and 4 ½ cups flour.
2. Add yeast mixture to the flour mixture, and knead until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, which should take about 5-8 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough should be soft, but not too sticky to handle- add more flour if needed. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes to an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
3. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large pot, bring two quarts of water to a boil.
4. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake, and then cut off one inch pieces using a bench scraper or knife. Place the cut pieces onto one of your prepared baking sheets. Add the baking soda to your boiling water and stir gently to combine.
5. Use a slotted spoon to boil and remove about ten pieces at time, for about 30 seconds each. You can put the boiled pieces directly onto your second prepared sheet pan. The pieces will be a bit slippery when they come out of the water, this is normal!
6. Once all the pieces have been boiled, brush the pieces with your beaten egg mixture and immediately top with salt or your spices of choice. I love using red pepper flakes, everything bagel seasoning, Italian seasoning, or za-atar! Bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes, until golden brown. Then cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy warm!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!