Soft & Chewy Pretzel Bites
Make soft and chewy pretzel bites at home with three different toppings following this easy recipe – no lye required. They’re perfect as a game day snack or appetizer with salted butter or your favorite dip. This easy-to-follow pretzel recipe also works for many other shapes including classic pretzels, pretzel sticks, and buns.
Perfect for a crowd: These soft and chewy pretzel nuggets are a great alternative to crackers, baguette, or garlic bread. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and the bites are filling without being heavy.
Endless topping options: Salt, sesame, and cheese are my favorite toppings but you can add many other variations similar to bagel toppings and even make them sweet.
Serve the pretzel bites warm with salted butter or your favorite dip such as my mint tzatziki. Traditional Bavarian Obatzda is a delicious choice and so is a wholegrain mustard dip including homemade Dijonnaise. They also make a tasty addition to grazing platters and cheese boards.
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Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
- 1 1/2 cups milk lukewarm
- 7 g instant yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tsp salt
Baking Soda Bath
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp baking soda
Toppings
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the instant yeast with the milk. Slowly add the flour, softened butter, and salt while kneading. Combine everything to a rough dough.1 1/2 cups milk, 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup butter, 2 tsp salt, 7 g instant yeast
- Place the dough onto the kitchen bench and knead it for 3 minutes until it's smooth and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add it back to the bowl, cover it with a damp tea towel or cling wrap, and let it rest for 2 hours in a warm place.
- The dough will have doubled in size. Remove it from the bowl and divide it into 4 equal parts. Shape each dough portion into a long log with your hands – about 1 inch / 2.5 cm in diameter. Add a little flour if the dough is too sticky to shape it. Cut the roll into 9 pieces with a knife or dough cutter. The pieces should be about 1.5 inches / 4 cm wide.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C) and line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper. Place the dough pieces onto the lined baking trays.
- In a large pot, bring the water and baking soda to a boil and reduce it immediately down to a gentle simmer.4 cups water, 3 tbsp baking soda
- Add the dough pieces to the water, about 4 at a time. They will initially sink to the bottom but will slowly float up. Make sure they don't get stuck at the bottom of the pot when they first go into it. After about 10 seconds the pieces will start to float up and you can take them out with a slotted ladle after about 15 seconds. Place them back onto the baking trays. Repeat the process until all pieces had a baking soda water bath.
- Add your preferred toppings to the pretzel bites and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove them from the oven and enjoy while warm with your favorite dip!2 tsp coarse salt, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Flour – All-purpose flour works well for this recipe. You can choose bread flour too.
- Milk – Full-fat milk adds softness to the pretzel bites. Lower fat versions work as well but add less richness. Leftover whey has a similar effect and can be used as a substitute for milk.
- Butter – Unsalted or salted butter both work well for this recipe. Simply reduce the salt by half a teaspoon if you’re using salted butter.
- Salt – Choose fine sea salt for the dough and a coarse grind as a topping for your pretzel bites.
- Baking soda – Giving the bites a baking soda bath not only gives them their unique color but also adds to the soft and chewy texture.
- Sesame seeds – White sesame seeds make a great topping that not only tastes but looks good as well.
- Cheese – Grated edam adds extra flavor to the pretzel bites. You can substitute it with gouda or cheddar.
Pretzel shape variations
You can easily turn this pretzel dough into other shapes. Simply bake these larger pretzel shapes for a little longer, about 20-25 minutes.
- Classic pretzels: You can shape this sourdough into traditional pretzel shapes. Check out my soft pretzel recipe for tips on how to create this shape.
- Pretzel sticks: These mini-baguette shapes are perfect for sandwiches. Simply score them at the top 3 times diagonally.
- Pretzel buns: Pretzel buns make delicious filled rolls. Ham, cheese or salami, some salad, and mayonnaise are tasty options. Simply score the buns with a cross at the top.
