I made these a few weekends ago as a snack. They turned into a much bigger project than I expected, and I made a huge mess in my kitchen. They turned out really nicely and didn't last long! This is a recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod, a great blog I follow. I made these as bites, but they could also be sticks. These pretzel bites are also great with Buffalo Chicken Dip! These taste great, but they require a lot of effort. The baking soda water makes a mess, so be prepared to clean your stove, kitchen floor, and counter tops following this one.
Ingredients:
Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
3 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
Cheese Sauce:
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
Preparation:
1. For the pretzels, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon.
6. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt.
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.
9. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute.
10. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Store leftover pretzels in an airtight container. They keep for a few days. Store leftover cheese sauce in a container and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.
Ingredients:
Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
3 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
Cheese Sauce:
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
Preparation:
1. For the pretzels, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon.
6. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt.
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.
9. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute.
10. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Store leftover pretzels in an airtight container. They keep for a few days. Store leftover cheese sauce in a container and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.