Easy Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites (Bread Machine)
One of my all time favorite snacks has always been pretzels. But not just any pretzels…I love warm, soft pretzels. Ballgames, day trips to New York City, Auntie Anne’s – I’m a sucker for a good soft pretzel. But now I live far from NYC. And we don’t attend as many baseball games as we used to. So I created the easy homemade soft pretzel bites so that I could enjoy my favorite snack any time I wanted.
I recently whipped up several batches of these delicious homemade soft pretzel bites and thought it was about time to share the recipe.
Why You’ll Love Them:
Warm, soft, salty… homemade soft pretzel bites are the ultimate in comfort food. Especially when they come out of your own oven.
If you have a bread machines these soft pretzel bites are a breeze to make. All you have to do is dump all of the ingredients in your bread pan and turn it on. The machine does all the work. I love my bread machine and I use it all the time.
But even if you don’t have a brad machine, soft pretzel bites are easy to make. This is an easy dough to work with. Not sticky. Not fussy. And not a long rise time. I mean, you really can get away with rolling these bites out after just 10 minutes, although I do recommend letting them rest and rise for at least 30.
But if you’re short on time, these soft pretzel bites are super forgiving. In a hurry? You can start rolling them out after just ten minutes. You can even make them ahead of time and refrigerate the boiled pretzels for up to 24 hours before you bake them.
And did I mention that soft pretzel bites are a huge hit with family and friends? These are often one of the first snacks to go at my parties. We devoured an entire batch watching the Gamecocks the other day. So, if you’ve got some big games on your t.v. viewing schedule this week, this might be a great time to try these soft pretzel bites.
How to Make Soft Pretzel Bites:
Like I said, I use my bread machine for this recipe. My bread machine is nothing fancy, but it does the job. Usually I use it on the dough setting and bake my bread (and pretzels) in the oven. This recipe is perfect example of that.
To get started, all you have to do is dump all the ingredients in the pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. I start by adding 2 1/4 cups warm water (I don’t take the temperature, Just heat it up in the microwave for about 1 minute), 1 tablespoon of melted butter, slightly cooled. And then I add 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Finally, I add 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and set the machine on the dough setting.
For me, this setting takes 90 minutes. This is basically a hands-off 90 minutes. Although I do recommend checking in on your door after about five minutes or so when it starts to mix. You might need to add an additional tablespoon or two of water or flour to bring the dough to the right consistency.
Once the dough is finished, turn it out onto a floured surface and divide it into 8 balls. Then shape each ball into a 16 inch rope. You want the rope to be about the same width all the way down.
Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut each rope into 8 2-inch pieces.
I usually let the dough rest at this point and prepare my water bath. Bring 10 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda to a boil in a large soup pot. Also, use this time to preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and place parchment paper on two large baking pans. If you have silpats, they work even better. But I don’t, so I just lightly spray my parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Once the water is boiling, use tongs to add the pretzel bites to the pot. You’ll want to work in batches so you don’t crowd the pot. Too many bites will make your soft pretzel bites taste metallic. Boil each pretzel for about 15 seconds, then use the tongs to remove from the boiling water and let drain on paper towels. This baking soda bath is the key to making pretzels.
Sprinkle with coats salt and transfer to the baking sheet.
Bake soft pretzel bites in a 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. When you remove the pretzels from the oven, you can brush them with additional melted butter and sprinkle with more salt, if desired.
How to Make Soft Pretzel bites without a Bread Machine:
If you don’t have a bread machine, you can mix the dough with your stand mixer or even by hand. I recommend adding the yeast to the warm water first and letting it poof for about five minutes, until bubbly. Add 4 cups flour, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl and mix. Then pour in the melted butter and water and yeast mixture. Add an additional half cup of flour if needed. Mix just until combined. Push your thumb into the dough to check for doneness. If it bounces back it is ready to go.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Allow the dough to rest. I recommend letting the dough rest (and rise) for 30-60 minutes. But if you are pressed for time, you can begin shaping the dough after just 10 minutes.
Follow the rest of the directions above.
Enjoy!
Serve soft pretzel bites warm with your favorite toppings. Yellow mustard, grainy mustard, beer cheese! They are all delicious.
Or bring in a little sweetness with honey mustard, chocolate or even caramel.
You can even mix up the toppings on the soft pretzel bites before you bake them. Skip the salt and add cinnamon sugar. Or sprinkle with garlic or everything but the bagel seasoning. (Find a recipe to make your own here). Or try chili powder or jalapeño pieces for a spicy soft pretzel bites.
These homemade soft pretzel bites are also delicious dipped in spinach dip.
There are so many options and so many ways to love soft pretzel bites.
Happy Eating!
Easy Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites (Bread Machine)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups warm water 70 to 80°F + 1 – 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp melted butter slightly cooled
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 10 cups water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- Coarse salt
- Melted butter optional
Instructions
- In bread machine pan, place 2 1/4 cups warm water, 1 tbsp melted butter, 4 1/2 all purpose flours, 4 tbsp brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast in order suggested by manufacturer.
- Select dough setting. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed.
- When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into eight balls. Roll each into a 16-in. rope. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut each rope into 2 inch bites.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Using a large pot, bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil. Working in batches, drop pretzel bites into boiling water. You don’t want to crowd the pot. Boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a tongs; drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
- Transfer pretzel bites to a pan coated with parchment paper and sprayed with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- If desired, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional salt.
Notes
Store leftover pretzels in the refrigerator and heat in a 350 degree oven. No bread maker? No problem. Use these modifications. Start by dissolving the yeast in the warm water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until water is bubbly. Then add the flour, brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment or place in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Add melted butter and water/.yeast mixture and stir until combined. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10-30 minutes. Shape the dough into bites as directed above and follow boiling and baking directions.
