Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Warm the milk in the microwave in 30-second intervals, until it's between 100-110˚F. Stir in the yeast and brown sugar, then let it sit for about 15 minutes, until foamy.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and salt. Once the yeast has bloomed, whisk the melted butter into the milk mixture. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour.
- Knead for 10-20 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (We do about 10 minutes in the mixer and 10 minutes by hand.)
- Lightly oil a large bowl, add the dough and turn it to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour (or up to 1 ½ hours with active dry yeast).
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it on top of a second baking sheet. Doubling the pans keeps the bottoms from getting too brown.
- To a medium saucepan, add the water and baking soda. Warm over medium heat until simmering and the baking soda is mostly dissolved, then turn off the heat.
- Portion the dough into ~10 pieces. Keep the pieces you're not using covered with a towel. Roll each section into a long rope about ½-inch thick. It should be thinner than you want the finished pretzel bites, since they puff up in the baking soda bath and oven.
- Holding the rope over the pot, cut it into 1-inch pieces with kitchen shears, letting them drop right into the baking soda bath. Almost immediately after all of the pretzels are submerged, use a slotted spoon to remove the pretzels from the pot. Shake off the excess liquid and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with pretzel salt while they're still wet.
- Repeat until the first tray is full (about half the dough), then bake for 9-10 minutes, until deep golden brown. While the first tray bakes, roll, cut and dip the remaining dough for the second tray.
- As soon as the pretzel bites come out of the oven, brush them generously with melted butter. Enjoy warm!
- For cinnamon sugar pretzel bites, skip the pretzel salt. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon, then toss the buttered bites in the mixture while they're still warm, just after they come out of the oven.
Notes
Yeast: Instant yeast (sometimes labeled rapid rise) and active dry yeast both work here, in the same amount. Active dry yeast needs the full bloom in warm milk before it goes into the dough. Instant yeast doesn't technically need it, but we bloom it anyway to make sure it's active. Dough made with active dry yeast may take a little longer to double, so go by size rather than the clock.
No pretzel salt? Use flaky sea salt or coarse kosher salt, not table salt.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350˚F for 5-8 minutes, then brush with more butter.
Freezing: Freeze cooled, baked bites in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes, then brush with butter.