Homemade Soft Pretzels And Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites

I have vivid memories from my childhood of running errands at the mall with my Mom.  It seems like we were always there doing something or other and even with my toddler-sized memories I can still recall the exact section of the parking garage we always parked in because it was the closest entrance to Mrs. Fields Cookies and we never went to the mall without stopping at either Mrs. Fields, or Cinnabon. Those 2 treats are forever intertwined with mall memories for me. For my kids- it’s the pretzels. They’re going to forever associate the mall with a little bucket of cinnamon-sugar covered soft pretzel bites that kept them busy in their stroller so Mom could get to all the stores before melt downs occur. Soft pretzels are actually really easy to make at home. They require very few ingredients and the payoff is huge.  It’s a perfect weekend baking project! You can shape this dough into traditional pretzel shapes, or do mini bites, and you can make them plain and salted, or doused in cinnamon sugar (with icing for dunking!)

Instructions

1. Start by combining warm water, yeast, some sugar, and salt in a bowl and let it sit until it gets foamy.  Remember, if your yeast doesn’t foam- it’s better to start over now, then ruin a whole batch of pretzels!
   
2. When the yeast is ready, add some all-purpose flour and melted butter.
   
3. That’s all!  You’ll mix and knead and then let the dough rise until it’s nice and puffed.
   
4. You can then shape your dough into either traditional pretzel shapes, or pretzel bites.
   
5. Boil your shaped dough in a bath of simmering water and baking soda. This gives the pretzels their signature chew and flavor.
   
6. Put them straight from the water onto a baking sheet, give them a quick egg wash and a sprinkle of salt if you’re going to make them plain, or a brush with butter and cinnamon sugar after baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do homemade pretzels store well? I think they’re best eaten fresh, but you can save them in an airtight container and then gently warm in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.

Can you freeze homemade pretzels? Yes. Let them cool completely and then freeze in a single layer. After freezing, wrap well and store in an airtight container. Thaw at room temp, or place frozen pretzels in the oven at 350 until thawed and warmed.

Homemade Soft Pretzels And Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites

Soft homemade pretzels covered in cinnamon sugar or simply salted.  A perfect snack!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water 110–115 degrees F
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 oz all-purpose flour about 4 3/4 cups
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• Vegetable oil for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• optional: additional melted butter and cinnamon-sugar
• optional: powdered sugar milk, melted butter for dipping

Instructions

• Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
• Add the flour (tip: don’t add all the flour at once, just in case you don’t need it all. Reserve a small amount and add as needed for a soft dough) and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, scrape the bowl clean and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan (non-aluminum pot.)
• In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
• Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. If you’re making pretzel “bites” put in as many as will fit without crowding. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula (a metal spider works great). Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt or kosher salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Cinnamon Sugar Version: Prepare as directed but don’t sprinkle with salt before baking. Immediately after removing pretzels from oven, brush with melted butter and toss in a bowl of cinnamon-sugar.
• Cinnamon Sugar Dippers: Instead of shaping pretzels into the traditional shape, roll dough into ropes and cut into 1-2 inch pieces. Continue preparing as recipe instructs, brushing with butter immediately after removing from oven and tossing in cinnamon sugar. Create a dipping glaze by mixing about a cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons melted butter and then add milk as needed, whisking until smooth. Serve warm.

Author: Adapted from Alton Brown

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