Soft Pretzel Bites are chewy pieces of heaven that you can serve salted alongside homemade cheese dipping sauce or sweet with a cinnamon sugar coating.
4 1/2 to 5cups(562.5 to 625 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4cupbaking soda
1whole egg
Coarse sea salt
Cinnamon Sugar:
2ounces(4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1tablespoonground cinnamon
For the cheese sauce:
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
2tablespoonall-purpose flour
1cupwhole milk
8ouncessharp cheddar cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the pretzels:
Combine the water, honey, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and add the salt then gradually add the flour on low speed. Knead on medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough appears very wet and sticky, add up to a 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Make ahead: the pretzel dough can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen in an airtight container for three months. Thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time for the pretzels to puff up before dipping and baking.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope 22 inches long. Cut the rope into 1 to 2-inch pieces to make bites. Cover the dough while bringing 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large shallow pot. Gradually add the baking soda.
Boil the pretzel bites in the baking soda water in batches of 15, for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon to the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the bites aren’t touching.
In a small bowl beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the bites with the egg wash. If making savory bites, sprinkle generously with the sea salt. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Make ahead: allow bites to cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 250°F oven until warmed.
If making sweet bites with cinnamon sugar, brush all over with the melted butter before sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. Toss to coat. If making savory bites, let cool for 5 minutes before serving with the cheese sauce.
For the cheese sauce:
While making the pretzels, begin the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.