Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe
We think it's fair to say that soft pretzels have a place at every meal. Yep, you read that right. Soft pretzels as a snack? Undoubtedly. Soft pretzels as an appetizer or a side with dinner? Absolutely. Some may even make a case for enjoying soft pretzels for breakfast. With a chewy exterior and pillowy inside, they're truly the perfect carb.
And while a large soft pretzel can be fun, sometimes you want something even more manageable for dipping. And that's where soft pretzel bites come in!
Whether you want to dip them in a vat of cheese sauce or you're more of a mustard fan, these little bites are sure to serve as the perfect vessel. The best part? While it may seem intimidating, you can absolutely make them on your own at home. And as a bonus, they require only a few ingredients, and you'll have soft pretzel bites to enjoy for any occasion in under an hour.
Gather the ingredients for soft pretzel bites
To make pretzel bites of your own, you'll only need a few simple ingredients. For this soft pretzel bites recipe, you'll need one and a half cups of warm water, one package of active dry yeast, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, three tablespoons of vegetable oil, and five cups of flour. This will make up the pretzel dough.
You'll also need three cups of warm water and three tablespoons of baking soda for the water bath. In addition, you'll need one egg yolk and coarse salt for topping.
Proof the yeast
To get started on making your soft pretzel dough, first add the one and half cups of warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer, and fit the stand mixer with the dough hook. Then add in the sugar and stir, and then sprinkle the entire package of yeast on top of the water.
Let the yeast mixture sit for five minutes as the yeast proofs and wakes up. It'll become foamy and bubbly during this process.
Make and proof the soft pretzel dough
Once the yeast is activated, start mixing in the flour. Turn the mixer on and keep it running as you gradually add in the flour, salt, and oil. Add in the flour and keep the mixer running until a dough forms. It shouldn't be sticky. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl once it's finished.
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the mixing bowl and spray the bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough back in the bowl, and then cover it with a towel. Set the bowl aside to allow the dough to proof for 30 minutes.
Just before the 30 minutes of proofing time is up, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roll and cut the dough
Once the dough has proofed and doubled in size, prepare a well-floured work area. Cut the dough into equal sections to divide it up, and then roll each section of soft pretzel dough into a long, thin rope. Be sure to keep it less than half an inch thick so your pretzel bites won't be too big. Once the rope of dough is rolled, cut the pretzel bites out of the rope, cutting about every inch.
Give the soft pretzel bites a water bath
Once all of the pretzel bites are cut and ready, it's time for a water bath. This is what gives them that chewy exterior. Combine three cups of warm water and three tablespoons of baking soda in a large pot or bowl. Put all of the pretzel bites into the pot, dunking them for a minute to give them a water bath. Remove the pretzel bites from the bath, and allow any excess water to drip off. Place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment or greased with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking.
Bake the soft pretzel bites
Before you bake your soft pretzel bites, mix an egg yolk with one tablespoon of water and whisk it with a fork. Brush the egg wash over top of each pretzel bite, and then sprinkle them with salt.
Bake the soft pretzel bites for five minutes until the tops are golden brown. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before serving with your dipping sauce of choice.
- 1 ½ cups warm water, plus 3 more cups for water bath
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons baking soda, for water bath
- 1 egg yolk, for egg wash
- Coarse salt or pretzel salt, for topping
- Pour the warm water into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add in the sugar and stir.
- Sprinkle the package of yeast over top of the water and sugar mixture. Allow the yeast to activate for about 5 minutes until foaming.
- Turn the mixer on medium-low speed, and gradually begin adding in the flour. Add in 2 cups of flour, and then add in the salt and vegetable oil while the mixer is running.
- Continue to add the remaining 3 cups of flour, and keep the mixer running until a dough forms. Be sure the dough isn't too sticky and that it completely pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Once the dough has formed, turn the mixer up to medium speed and knead the dough for 3 minutes.
- Once the dough is ready, remove it from the mixing bowl and spray the bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a towel, and set aside to proof for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the dough has proofed, prepare a well-floured surface. Cut the dough into equal sections. Roll each section of dough into a long, thin rope less than half an inch thick. Then, cut the pretzel bites out of the rope, cutting about every inch.
- Combine 3 cups warm water and 3 tablespoons baking soda in a large pot or bowl. Put all of the pretzel bites into the pot or bowl to give them a water bath. Remove them from the bath, allow any excess water to drip off, and then place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment or greased with cooking spray.
- Mix an egg yolk with one tablespoon of water, whisk with a fork, and then brush it over top of each pretzel bite. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake pretzel bites for 5 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool and then serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.
| Calories per Serving | 281 |
| Total Fat | 5.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 14.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 50.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.7 g |
| Sodium | 1,139.3 mg |
| Protein | 7.0 g |
