Chewy Soft Pretzel Bites

No one likes soft pretzels like my friend Katie. In college she would buy frozen soft pretzels to bake when we came home from a long night of partying or just because. Well, those days are long over for us ( 5 year reunion this year<cringe>.) Even though college is over, we can still rejoice because there is always an occasion to make soft pretzels.Kids LOVE pretzels and heck, adults do too. These are perfect just to snack on or to serve at your next party.

Surprisingly, these are really easy to make. I followed the recipe from Two peas in Their Pod ( I know, really cute blog name.) It could not have been any easier to assemble. I made these for the super bowl and they were a hit! It is really easy to make them savory or sweet by adding cinnamon-sugar instead of salt before baking. I made both kinds because my husband likes both and I am obsessed with those cinnamon pretzels at Auntie Anne's. If you are going to make these for a party, please remember that the dough needs to rise for an hour before you roll and cut so factor in that time!There also looks to be alot of directions, but don't worry. You make the dough, boil quickly and bake. Easy!


As for dipping sauces ( my favorite part) I was really excited to make a beer and cheddar dip. Tragedy struck when i ran out of flour making the pretzels so I had none left for the sauce! Ok Leanne, think fast. Honey Mustard Dip! This had to be the easiest dip ever. I combined yellow mustard, honey, and light mayo and made a sauce to rival Applebee's. For the cinnamon pretzels I made an icing with confectionery sugar and milk. It reminded me of the sauce Domino's serves with their cinna-stix. Yum! Next time, I will totally make a cheese dip though. I could probably drink it with a straw. Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:

Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.

Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.