Fuss-Free Pretzel Bites for Easy Parties

Along with my Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Buns, these pretzel bites are soft on the inside and chewy on the outside with that distinctive pretzel flavor in just about any extra flavor you’d like, and these are the easiest to make ever with a simpler, faster process for boiling the pretzel bites than most people’s. That my shortcut gives you softer pretzel bites is even better.

Taste	Texture
Salty, yeasty, pretzel	Soft, chewy

Active time	Total time	Yield	Difficulty
15 minutes	2 hours	8 large servings	Easy

this …

Pretzel Bites Are:

The Secret Technique for EASY Pretzel Bites

Skip the individual bites: Most recipes have you divide ropes of pretzel dough into 1″ pieces and then boil a few at a time until you’re through the whole batch. While this makes nice even pretzel bites, it takes quite a while to go through this process.

Instead, I have you boil the entire individual rope. After boiling in an alkaline (baking soda) solution, the outside of the dough is set enough that you can quickly cut the rope into bites. Doing things this way is faster and leaves you with softer pretzel bites since the sides of each bite weren’t exposed to the baking soda solution. What you lose in aesthetics is well made up for in speed and taste.

How to Make Homemade Pretzel Bites

1. Make the Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a mixing bowl. Next, pour in the flour, then the salt, and lard. If you’re using a stand mixer, stir everything together with the dough hook briefly to make a rough dough, and then knead the dough on low speed until it is elastic and forms a ball around the hook–about 2-3 minutes. If you’re mixing by hand, next stir all the ingredients together with a spoon to form a rough dough. From there, turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough until it is smooth–about 5 minutes. Cover the dough to rest and rise for 1 hour.
2. Make the Dough Ropes: Turn out the dough onto a work surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope of about 12″ long. Try your best to keep the rope the same diameter down the length; do not taper the ends. Line 2 sheet pans with silicone mats. Set the pretzel ropes to rest in the fridge uncovered for 30 minutes on one of the sheet trays.
3. Preheat the Oven: Just before the 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
4. Boil the Pretzel Ropes: Boil the water for the baking soda solution in a large nonstick skillet. Add in the baking soda, whisking until the baking soda dissolves. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Have a clean kitchen towel right next to the stove, and your baking sheet with the silicone mat next to that. Carefully lower 2 or 3 buns into the water, boiling them for about 30 seconds on each side. Use two large spatulas to remove each rope, placing them on the kitchen towel. Repeat for the rest of the ropes.
5. Cut the Pretzel Bites: Cut each rope into roughly 1″ pieces. Divide the pretzel bites between the 2 sheet pans.
6. Bake: Bake the pretzel bites for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. The bites should be deep golden brown and the surface will bounce back when you touch them.
7. Add Butter and Flavoring: Immediately after baking, toss them in melted butter in a bowl and sprinkle them with your flavoring of choice.

How to Make Pretzel Bites Any Flavor You’d Like

Buttered pretzel bites + 1 tablespoon wet flavor mix or 1-2 teaspoons dry mix

Pretzel Bite Flavor Ideas

After tossing the pretzel bites in butter, add any of the following:

• Classic Pretzel Bites: Sprinkle on coarse salt before baking or toss the baked pretzel bites with 1 teaspoon salt.
• Mac and Cheese Pretzel Bites: Use 1 tablespoon of cheese powder from a mac and cheese box.
• Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites: Mix 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Garlic Pretzel Bites: Mix 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan and fresh dill (optional, but awesome).
• Ranch Pretzel Bites: Use 1 tablespoon of ranch powder from a packet of ranch mix.
• BBQ Pretzel Bites: Sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite BBQ dry rub.
• Pesto Pretzel Bites: Toss the pretzel bites in 1 tablespoon of your favorite jarred pesto.
• Chile Head Pretzel Bites: Sprinkle on your favorite chile powder to taste. Korean chile flakes are really good here!

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