Pretzel Bite Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (Pretzel Dough)
• 1 pkg dry active yeast (Pretzel Dough)
• 1 tbsp sugar (Pretzel Dough)
• 1 tbsp melted butter (Pretzel Dough)
• 1/2 tsp salt (Pretzel Dough)
• 2 1/2 cups flour (Pretzel Dough)
• 1 egg white (optional) (Pretzel Dough)
• Sea salt (optional) (Pretzel Dough)
• 4 cups water (Baking Soda Bath)
• 2 tbsp baking soda (Baking Soda Bath)

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until bubbly. If the mixture does not foam, the yeast is inactive and the pretzels will not turn out. Repeat this step with fresh yeast until bubbly.
2. Add melted butter, salt, and flour. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be very soft but not stick to the sides of the bowl.
3. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. After the dough has doubled, punch down and divide into 8 equal pieces. Set aside and preheat the oven to 425°F.
5. In a large pot, bring the water and baking soda to a boil.
6. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, then cut into 1-inch pieces to form bites.
7. Working in batches, gently drop the dough pieces into the boiling baking soda water for 5-10 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (The parchment will become wet, so be sure to transfer the bites to a fresh sheet of parchment before baking.)
8. Brush each pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating!
11. Best eaten within the hour. If you'd like to store for a longer period of time, freezing the pretzels as soon as they are cool is suggested. Reheat the pretzels in the oven at 425°F for 8-10 minutes.