Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
1 1/2 C warm water
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 – 5 C all purpose flour
2 quarts water
1/4 C baking soda
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
coarse sea salt for topping
Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine brown sugar, yeast, melted butter and water. Give a quick mix, then let sit for 5 minutes or until slightly puffy.
Switch out your paddle attachment for a dough hook. Add salt and flour to wet mixture. Mix on low speed, gradually increasing the speed to medium. Continue mixing until all flour is incorporated and the dough is pulling away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. If needed, add additional flour until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is no longer super sticky. Transfer dough to a clean work area, knead by hand for 3-5 minutes, shaping into a ball.
Grease a medium bowl with olive oil. Add dough ball to the prepared bowl, flip dough to coat all sides lightly with oil. Cover and allow to sit in a warm location for an hour or until dough is doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large stockpot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Carefully and quickly, add baking soda – this may splatter.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake. Using kitchen sheers, cut 1″ pieces. Transfer pieces to a clean plate. Repeat process with all pieces of dough. Slightly more than a quarter of the full recipe should fit on one standard size baking tray. If making the full batch, work a quarter of the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap until ready to roll and cut.
Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Whisk one egg together with 1 tbsp water, set aside. Boil 10-15 pieces of cut dough at a time for 30-45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, transferring to your prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough pieces.
Brush egg wash over dough pieces. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Continue process with any remaining dough.
Serve warm with dipping sauces, such as mustard or cheese. Store any remaining pretzel bites in an airtight container.
