Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe
Stacey Mebs | Bake.Eat.Repeat.These soft pretzel bites are so easy to make and are the perfect appetizer. Serve them on their own, or with some queso dip for the perfect snack!
These soft pretzel bites are way too easy to make.
Seriously.
I actually have to stop myself from making them as often as I'd like to, because they are SO good. And so easy.
You could be digging in to some buttery, salty, soft pretzel bites in as little as an hour and a half - and most of that time is hands off while you wait for the dough to rise.
That's definitely too easy.
Because it's not like you make 5 dozen soft pretzel bites and then eat just one or two. No, that would be impossible.
But this is definitely the perfect recipe to pull out when you're having people over.
It's a great recipe for a crowd because it makes a lot of soft pretzel bites. And because everyone loves them.
How do you get salt to stick to pretzels?
Before baking the pretzel bites, you dip them in a baking soda solution. This gives them the "pretzel" taste that commercial pretzels get from lye.
After dipping them, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt immediately. The salt will stick to the dough since it's damp, and it bakes into the pretzel in the oven.
Are pretzels made with milk?
There's no milk in soft pretzels, but there is some butter in this recipe. If you need them to be dairy free, you could use hard margarine as a substitute for the butter.
What salt do you use for pretzels?
Any coarse salt is fine. I typically use kosher salt, just because I always have it on hand. But sea salt, bagel salt, or any other coarse salt will work.
How to make Soft Pretzel Bites:
- Homemade soft pretzel bites are actually a little too easy to make. It's one of the easiest yeast doughs to make and work with. And there's no shaping of the dough. Simply roll it out into a long snake and cut it into pieces.
- I like to use my stand mixer to mix up the pretzel dough, as it's the fastest and easiest way to do so. But you can definitely mix it up in a bowl and knead it by hand if you like. You will have to knead the dough for about twice as long though.
- These soft pretzel bites are best served warm right after baking them, but they are still great the next couple days, either cold or warmed up again in the oven. I like to warm them up at 350F for about 5 minutes so they crisp up on the outside again.
- Store any leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Here are some more great soft pretzel recipes for you:
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Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 cups Very Warm Water
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
- 2 tablespoons Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, melted (for brushing after baking)
- Kosher Salt, or Coarse Salt, for sprinkling
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, salt, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, brown sugar and 2 cups of very warm water.
- Once the ingredients are combined, knead for 5-6 minutes by machine, or 10-12 by hand.
- The dough should clear the sides and bottom of the bowl and be very soft and smooth, but not overly sticky. If it’s too sticky add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if it’s really dry and not tacky at all, add a little more water a tablespoon at a time.
- Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let rest for 30-60 minutes, the bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Cut the dough into 6 pieces, and roll each of them out into 15 inch long ropes, then cut each rope into 10 pieces, each about 1.5 inches long (I don’t actually measure any of this, just eyeball it, it doesn’t need to be perfect!). Let the pieces rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix the 1/2 cup warm water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda until combined. It won’t stay in solution, but just give it a quick whisk to combine as well as possible after dipping a few pieces.
- Dip each of the pretzel pieces into the baking soda wash, coating completely, and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Sprinkle them with coarse or kosher salt.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes or until they are golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time, the others will be fine to rest uncovered for a little longer.
- When they come out of the oven, brush thoroughly with the melted butter.
Recommended
- Published:
- Author:
- Stacey Mebs
- Source:
- Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.
- Cooking Method:
- Baking
- Category:
- Lunchbox
- Tags:
- Lunchbox, Snacks, Family Meals and Snacks, Pretzels, Baking, Baked, Party Food, Appetizers
- Related Recipes:
- Lunchbox Recipes, Snack Recipes, Family Meals and Snack Recipes, Pretzel Recipes, Baking Recipes, Baked Recipes, Party Food Recipes, Appetizer Recipes
- Recipe Yields:
- 5 dozen pretzel bites
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Rising Time:
- Total Time:
- Related Post:
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Published:
Author: Stacey Mebs
Source: Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.
Recipe Yields: 5 dozen pretzel bites
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 88 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving