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Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe

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4.1 from 37 reviews

Enjoy these deliciously soft pretzel bites made with a simple six-ingredient dough. Perfect for beginners, this recipe takes about an hour from start to finish and yields 5 dozen bite-sized treats. A baking soda bath before baking gives them the classic pretzel crust, and you can top them with coarse salt or cinnamon sugar for a sweet twist. Serve warm with your favorite mustard or spicy cheese sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack.

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 5 dozen pretzel bites

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (around 100°F/38°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 3 and 3/4 – 4 cups (469-500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface

Baking Soda Bath

  • 1/2 cup (120g) baking soda
  • 9 cups (2,160ml) water

Topping

  • Coarse salt or coarse sea salt

Optional Serving

  • Spicy cheese sauce or your favorite mustard

Cinnamon Sugar (Optional)

  • 4 Tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or dough hook, whisk together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add salt, melted butter, and 3 cups (375g) flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, add 3/4 cup (95g) flour, and mix until dough forms and pulls away from sides, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour if dough is too sticky and mix for another minute.
  2. Knead the Dough: Switch to dough hook and knead for 5 minutes in the mixer, or knead by hand on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Add small amounts of flour if needed to prevent excessive stickiness. Dough should feel slightly soft and pass the windowpane test. Cover lightly with a towel and let rest for 10-30 minutes while you prepare the baking soda bath.
  3. Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, lightly greased if using parchment.
  4. Shape the Dough: Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Lightly flour work surface and roll each piece into a 20-inch rope. If dough resists stretching, cover and rest for 10 minutes. Cut ropes into 1.5–2 inch pieces to form bite-sized pretzels.
  5. Prepare Baking Soda Bath: In a large pot, combine water and baking soda and bring to a boil. Drop 8-10 pretzel bites at a time into boiling water and boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, let drain quickly, then place bites on prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or leave plain for cinnamon sugar topping.
  6. Bake: Bake pretzel bites in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Serve: Serve warm with spicy cheese sauce, mustard, or enjoy plain. For cinnamon sugar topping, brush warm pretzels with melted butter and coat in cinnamon sugar mixture. Best served the same day.
  8. Storage & Reheating: Store leftovers at room temperature up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave for a few seconds or in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5 minutes. Dough can be refrigerated for up to a day or frozen for 2-3 months.

Notes

  • To freeze baked pretzel bites, do not salt before baking. Cool completely and freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Reheat by brushing frozen bites with water, salting, and baking at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes or microwaving.
  • The dough can be refrigerated for a day or frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge and allow shaped bites extra puff time before baking.
  • Bread flour can be used instead of all-purpose flour for a chewier texture; avoid whole wheat flour.
  • For cinnamon sugar coating, bake pretzels without salt, then brush with melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar while warm. Serve same day as topping can become soggy.
  • You may optionally brush boiled pretzel bites with beaten egg before salting for a shinier crust.
  • Use silicone baking mats for best results; parchment paper should be lightly greased.
  • Gluten in the dough needs occasional rest if rolling dough ropes is difficult due to shrinking.
  • Author: Amelia
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://recipesvibe.com/soft-pretzel-bites-recipe/