Pretzel Bites

Remember when you were a teenager and you would wander around the mall with your friends on a Friday night?  Remember those little pretzel shops with the smell of butter wafting out as you walked bye?  Not sure if I ever made it through without buying some.  And lets be serious, I still can't resist them today as a 30 year old mom.

This weekend I found a pretzel recipe, and it brought me right back to the mall.  Soft and buttery- I think I ate 20 of them.  Don't worry they're small!

This is a yeast recipe....don't be scared!  It has a very short rise time and if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, its a breeze.  There is even a mini science experiment involved.  Fun!

dough

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (if you have the strip of yeast packets use one packet)

1 cup warm water

bath

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons baking soda

topping

6 tablespoons melted butter

salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and warm water.  

Beat until well combined.

Remove the paddle.  Scrape off the dough and place it back in the bowl.  

Add on the dough hook.

On medium speed, knead the dough.  You will want the dough to be smooth in texture, but it will still have wrinkles.  Mine took about 6 minutes.  This is what it will look like.  The dough hook will form this ball for you. 

Sprinkle some flour onto the dough to coat.  Remove from the mixer bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a large plastic bag or loose plastic wrap.  It needs to be able to grow, so if you use saran wrap leave it loose.  I had to loosen mine a couple of times.  

While the dough is rising- It's science experiment time!  In a small bowl place the 2 tablespoons of baking soda.  Pour the cup of boiling water over it (slowly).  Yay!!  Bubbles.  Brings me back to elementary school!  It will calm down in a minute.  Allow the solution to cool down while waiting for the dough.  

30 minutes later......

Puffy dough!

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.

Lightly grease your work surface.  I sprayed my counter with a little bit of cooking spray.  

Gently form the dough into a log, this just makes it easier to divide up.  

Cut the dough into 6 equal sections...as equal and you can get them.

Now roll each piece of dough into a 12 inch rope.  If it is a little longer that will be fine.  The dough may fight with you a little bit, just give it a pull at each end if you have to!  

Cut each rope into 10 little bites!  Set aside for a minute.

Pour the water and baking soda solution into a 9x13 inch glass dish.  

Place all the bites into the solution for their bath.  Move them around so each side is coated and them let them rest in the solution for 5 minutes.  

Almost done!  I swear it is worth the work!  Place each bite onto the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, as much or as little as you like.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  They will be light golden brown.  Some of them ended up looking like mini loaves of bread, cute!

  

Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter and dip in each bite.  Place them on a serving dish.  Eat!!  

If you are not eating these right away store them in an air tight container and reheat them right before serving. 

This recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour