The Best Soft Pretzel Bites

A plate of soft pretzel bite with beer cheese dip.

This is the only recipe you need for soft pretzel bites! These pretzel bites are perfectly chewy with the perfect soft pretzel texture.

This recipe makes about 64 pretzel bites or 8 full pretzels. Nutritional calculations will be based on 1 serving of 8 pretzel bites or 1 full pretzel.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Dough Raising Time 30

Servings Servings (about 8 pretzel bites or 1 full sized pretzel)

Calories 293kcal

Author Beth, The Butcher’s Wife

Equipment

Stand Mixer with dough hook
measuring cups and spoons
baking sheet (I use a half baking sheet)
parchment paper or silicone baking mat *a greased baking sheet will work too
medium sized bowl *for the hot water and baking soda solution
slotted spoon *for dipping the pretzel dough bites in the baking soda solution
basting brush *for brushing the pretzels with butter after baking (or toss them in a bowl)

Ingredients

Soft Pretzel Dough

1 ½ cups warm water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 ¼ tsp Instant yeast *Rapid rise or bread machine yeast
1 ¼ tsp salt
4 cups bread flour *all purpose flour will work but the texture will be less chewy

Baking Soda Solution

1 ½ cups hot water *the hottest water you can get from your kitchen sink
2 tbsp baking soda

Toppings for the Soft Pretzels

kosher/coarse salt *to sprinkle on top
4 tbsp butter, melted *for brushing on freshly baked pretzel bites - use more as needed

Instructions

In stand mixer, with the dough hook, add the brown sugar and instant yeast to the bottom of the mixing bowl. Slowly add the warm water and give it a quick stir. Let this sit for a minute or two or until the mixture becomes bubbly and foamy. This will tell you the yeast will work and the pretzel dough will rise!
After the mixture is bubbly/foamy, add the salt. Then, add the bread flour starting with 2 cups. Fully is in the flour. Then, slowly add the rest of the flour a little at a time. Add all 4 cups. Mix it with your stand mixer so the flour is fully incorporated in the dough. The dough will seem dry compared to other bread doughs you may have made- this is ok!
Let the mixer knead the dough on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough raise for at least 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. (It may take up to an hour to raise).
Preheat your oven to 450℉. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also grease a baking sheet.
Lightly flour your counter or workspace.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Then roll the portion of dough into a long rope about 8 inches long (it doesn’t need to be exact). Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces to make your pretzel bites.
Repeat with all 8 portions of dough. (This should give you 64 soft pretzel bites).
*You can make 8 full classic pretzels if you prefer them bigger than bites. Just roll the dough into a rope and then twist it into the classic pretzel shape.
Measure and mix your HOT water and baking soda together in a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, dunk a few pretzels bites at a time (working in batches) then transfer them to your lined baking sheet and sprinkle the bites immediately with coarse/kosher salt if desired. (Adding the salt before baking helps the salt stick better).
Repeat with all bites until they are all dunked in the baking soda/water.
*Continue to stir the baking soda solution every time you dunk a batch of bites so the baking soda doesn’t settle in the water.
**If making full size pretzels, dunk them one at a time in the baking soda solution and then salt them immediately once placed on the baking sheet.
After all of the pretzel bites are dunked and salted, bake them in the oven (middle rack/middle of the oven) for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
Take the bites out of the oven when they are done baking and immediately brush them with the melted butter. You can also toss the pretzel bites in a bowl of melted butter, but the salt may fall off doing it this way.
*You can sprinkle more salt on top after baking if desired.
Serve the soft pretzel bites while warm with your favorite beer cheese dip, nacho cheese, cheese sauce, marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Try my Beer Cheese Dip (it is delicious)!

Notes

All-purpose flour will work for this recipe if you do not have bread flour. The texture will just be a bit different but they will still be good!

I prefer to use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on my sheet pan. You can grease a baking sheet but I find the bottoms of the pretzel bites get a little crisp with a greased pan.

Make sure you constantly stir the baking soda solution that you dip the pretzels in.

This recipe will make 64 pretzels bites (depending on how big your pretzel bites area. It will make 8 full pretzels.

See the blog post above for other ideas on toppings and dips.

Nutrition