recipe | soft pretzel bites

 I made these pretzel bites for a little Super Bowl party that my family had. The game was quite depressing 

for us Bronco fans, but we still enjoyed the time together and, of course, the yummy food!!

Soft Pretzel Bites

 Ingredients…

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 package active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

4 tablespoons butter, melted

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

Coarse sea salt

Instructions...

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine warm water, sugar and kosher salt. 

Sprinkle yeast on top and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. 

Add in the flour and melted butter. Mix until well combined. 

Use the dough hook attachment to knead the dough until it is smooth, for about 5 minutes. 

Remove the dough, knead it by hand a few times and form it into an ball. 

Place the dough in an bowl brushed with vegetable oil. 

Cover and allow it to sit in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In an 8 quart pan, combine 10 cups of water with 2/3 cup of baking soda and bring to a boil.

 Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper and lightly brush it with vegetable oil.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a clean counter top and divide it into 4 even pieces. 

Roll each piece of dough into a long rope and cut it into several 1 inch pieces.

Place 4 to 6 pretzel bites into the boiling water at a time. Leave them in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the boiling water using a strainer spoon and place them on the cookie sheet. 

Sprinkle each pretzel with coarse sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are a dark golden color.

Serve Soft Pretzel Bites warm, brushed with melted butter or dip them in hot cheese sauce.

(These Soft Pretzel Bites are best served fresh, the same day they are made.)