Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe

Pretzel bites on a serving dish with a side cup of marinara sauce.

4.41 from 5 votes

These soft pretzel bites are chewy and so simple to make. To get the best homemade pretzel bites, just follow these easy step by step instructions.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Rising Time1

Total Time1

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 161kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough

1½ cups water warm (95-110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon salt

Poaching Liquid

6 cups water
6 teaspoons baking soda

Egg Wash

1 large egg
2 tablespoons water

For Salted Pretzels

2 tablespoons pretzel salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pretzel Bites Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Mix well and let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.
When the mixture looks nice and bubbly, add 2 cups of the flour and your salt, and mix on low speed using the dough hook. Add in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need to use the full amount).
Once all of your flour has been added, mix on low to knead the dough for another few minutes, then turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, or about 1 hour.

Shaping the Dough

After your dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and divide into 9 equal balls. Cover the dough balls loosely with a kitchen towel and let them relax for about 2 minutes.
Cut the dough ball into 4 pieces, then take each piece of dough and begin rolling them into logs that are about 18" long. (Hint: if you “bang” the dough on the counter as you roll, they will naturally get longer and longer.) Use a sharp knife to cut the pretzels into 1" pieces.

Poaching and Baking

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine the water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add 6-7 pretzel bites at a time and poach for 20 seconds. Flip them over and poach for another 20 seconds. Do not over boil them! Remove them from the water using tongs or a slotted spatula and place on a baking tray.
As soon as all of your pretzel bites are poached, whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Dip each bite into the egg wash, then place back onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pretzel bites are golden brown. Once they are finished baking, remove from the oven and serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing Instructions: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Make-Ahead Tips: you can make your pretzel dough the night before and store in the fridge. Just be sure to wrap well with plastic wrap. When you are ready to shape, allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes first.

For Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels: combine 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Nutrition