Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites (Printable)
Soft, chewy golden bites perfect for sharing with cheese or mustard dip.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 1½ cups warm water (110°F)
02 - 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Baking Soda Bath
07 - ⅔ cup baking soda
08 - 10 cups water
→ Topping
09 - 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
10 - Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
# Steps:
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 until a shaggy, rough dough begins to come together.
03 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and springs back when gently pressed.
04 - Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes until doubled in volume.
05 - While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
06 - In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil over high heat.
07 - Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope approximately 18 inches long. Cut each rope into 1-inch segments to form 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 with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
09 - Brush the top of each pretzel bite generously with the egg wash. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the tops to taste.
10 - Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the pretzel bites are deep golden brown on top.
11 - Allow the pretzel bites to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Serve warm alongside your choice of dipping sauce such as cheese sauce, spicy mustard, or honey mustard.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The baking soda bath is the real deal secret that gives you that authentic soft pretzel chew without needing lye or any scary chemicals.
- They come together in about an hour, which means you can satisfy a serious carb craving without planning a whole day around it.
02 -
- Do not skip or shorten the baking soda bath because that brief boil is the entire difference between a dinner roll and a pretzel.
- The dough will look alarmingly wet at first but firms up fast as you knead, so resist the urge to dump in extra flour.
03 -
- Use a bench scraper or pizza cutter to portion the bites because a knife tugs at the dough and gives you ragged edges.
- Arrange the bites with a little breathing room on the pan because they expand in the oven and crowded bites stick together into weird shapes.