Description
Irresistible Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites dance with golden-brown perfection, bringing German bakery charm straight to your kitchen. Crisp exterior and pillowy center promise a delightful snack you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (360 milliliters) warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Additional Dough Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Baking Preparation Ingredients:
- 10 cups (2.4 liters) water
- ½ cup (120 grams) baking soda
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Coarse salt or pretzel salt
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water, allowing it to activate and create a frothy surface, which indicates the yeast is alive and ready for dough development.
- Gradually incorporate flour into the liquid mixture, integrating salt and melted butter to form a cohesive, slightly sticky dough that begins to pull away from the bowl’s edges.
- Transfer the raw dough onto a lightly dusted work surface, using gentle yet firm kneading motions to develop gluten strands and create a smooth, resilient texture that springs back when touched.
- Allow the kneaded dough to rest in a covered, warm environment, enabling it to rise and expand, which will enhance its volume and develop deeper flavor characteristics.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down the mixture to release trapped air pockets and prepare it for shaping into bite-sized morsels.
- Divide the dough into small, uniform sections, rolling each piece into slender ropes before cutting into bite-sized segments.
- Prepare a baking soda bath to dip the pretzel bites, which will provide the characteristic golden-brown exterior and distinctive pretzeled flavor profile.
- Carefully submerge each dough piece into the alkaline solution, ensuring complete coating for optimal surface transformation.
- Arrange the treated pretzel bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing slight spacing between each piece to promote even heat circulation.
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the shaped dough, creating a classic pretzel aesthetic and enhancing the overall flavor complexity.
- Bake in a preheated oven until the pretzel bites achieve a deep amber color and develop a crisp exterior with a soft, pillowy interior.
- Remove from the oven and let cool momentarily, allowing the exterior to set while maintaining an inviting, warm temperature.
Notes
- Check water temperature carefully, as water that’s too hot can kill the yeast and prevent proper rising.
- Use bread flour for a chewier texture with more protein content, which helps create a better pretzel bite structure.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a high-quality gluten-free blend and add xanthan gum to improve dough elasticity.
- Enhance flavor by brushing pretzel bites with an egg wash and sprinkling coarse sea salt or everything bagel seasoning before baking for extra crunch and taste complexity.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg