Homemade soft pretzel bites
Yield 8 dozen
Ingredients
Pretzel dough:
- One 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast (with date that hasn’t expired)
- 1 cup 110F water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons packed, light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Vegetable oil for coating bowl
Baking pretzels:
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- Kosher salt
Instructions
Make pretzel dough:
- Place the yeast in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Add the warm water and allow to stand until the yeast develops a creamy surface and bubbles up, about 10 minutes. Note: Make certain that the water is at the correct temperature. If the yeast doesn’t develop, start over with a new packet of yeast.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and light brown sugar.
- Using a wooden spoon, add flour mixture and butter to the yeast mixture. Stir together well, using your hands as it forms a dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes, sprinkling on more flour as needed if the dough begins to stick to the work surface.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, add dough and roll it around in the bowl to coat all sides with the oil.
- Cover with a lightweight kitchen towel and allow to rise in a draft-free place at room temperature until it doubles in size, approximately 2 to 3 hours.
- Punch down dough and divide it into quarters. Form each quarter into 4 balls. Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long rope. Cut each rope into six 2-inch pieces and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake pretzels:
- Heat oven to 450F with racks positioned in the upper and lower third levels of the oven.
- Using a brush, oil 2 parchment-covered large baking sheets and set aside.
- In a 4- to 5-quart pan, bring water and baking soda to a boil (mixture will be foamy at first but will dissipate as it cooks).
- Add the first batch of pretzel bites (approximately 12) and cook 30 seconds (the pretzel bites will rise to the surface very quickly).
- Transfer with a slotted spoon to baking sheets.
- Working very quickly, sprinkle pretzel bites lightly on both sides with kosher salt before they dry.
- Repeat with remaining pretzel bites, returning water to a boil between batches.
- Bake pretzel bites in the oven, switching baking sheets between racks and rotating sheets halfway through the baking process until pretzels turn a deep brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Note: Watch closely toward the end of the baking process so they do not get overly done.
- Immediately transfer pretzel bites to wire racks lined with parchment paper to cool.
- Serve immediately or, once cool, store in plastic bags.
Courses Appetizers
Recipe by Grateful | makeitgrateful.com at https://www.makeitgrateful.com/living/celebrate/fathers-day/homemade-pretzel-bites/