After a few weeks of #52NewEats recipes that fell flat with my daughter, I thought I’d look for something more up her alley. And voila! I found this recipe pinned from way back in da day for soft pretzel bites.
My kid LOVES soft pretzels. Like every time we go to Target – “Mom can I get a soft pretzel?” Lucky her she lives in the Land of Soft Pretzels. Philly is known for them. I love them too – particularly after a workout. There is just something about the carby, salty soft pretzel that sets me right after busting my ass at the gym.
So kiddo was pretty excited when I told her we’d be having these for one of our ‘snacks for dinner’ nights. This recipe took some planning – you have to let the dough rise for a while – but they were very good!
My husband is a salt addict, and some time ago I’d been at some market in Amish country and found a bag of pretzel salt. I actually bought it for him as a joke, figuring he would sit on the couch and just scoop it into his mouth. Luckily, he didn’t. So luckily, we had pretzel salt in the house already for this recipe! You can probably find pretzel salt in any kind of market that sells items in bulk – like those bags and bags of gummi bears, or tubs of candies or cupcake decorations. Otherwise, just go with what the recipe recommends!
You can find the original recipe //here//.
Ingredients
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
1/2 cup baking soda (for boiling the pretzels)
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Pretzel salt (or coarse sea salt)
Directions
1. Combine the 1 1/2 cups 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and carefully add the baking soda. It will boil over, so add slowly and be careful!
5. 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.
6. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches, for about 30 seconds per batch. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed heavily 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.
7. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.