Homemade Pretzel Bites

Last year, after an almost 8-year absence, I finally returned to Irish dance. Coincidentally, it was with the same school that I had been with for my first 7 years; it was just under a different director/teacher as my former teacher/the school's founder had somewhat retired from Irish dance (Amber, the new director/teacher, knows Anne through homeschooling so that's how that happened). The day I returned was St. Patrick's Day, a Thursday, with 3 performances.

Apparently, this was a relaxing day compared to their usual (a lot had changed since I left, apparently; I only remember doing a recital when we went through Kent Parks & Rec). This year was more the norm: a weekend full of performances.

To prepare for a day of driving around from performance to performance, I decided to make some snacks for the road (this was also because I didn't know if/when we would eat lunch nor when we would eat dinner). Because of my continuous pretzel kick, I decided on pretzel bites. I even searched for a spider strainer to easily remove the bites from their boiling water bath as I knew the wooden slotted spoon I had wouldn't be effective (finally found one at Bed Bath & Beyond).

Homemade Pretzel Bites (source)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups warm water
• 2¼ teaspoon fast acting yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 4½ cups all purpose flour, plus more if needed
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Add yeast and water to a stand mixer with the dough hook attached or a large bowl if mixing by hand. Stir and allow to rest for 1 minute.
2. Add salt, sugar and butter to the stand mixer and stir until combined.
3. Add in flour, 1 cup at a time on low speed. If dough is still sticking to the bottom add more flour. I do a tablespoon at a time.
4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes in the stand mixer. (If you do not have a stand mixer knead by hand)
5. Shape into a ball and place the dough in a large bowl lightly coated in oil.
6. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm area for 10 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
8. Cut dough into 6 sections.
9. Roll each section into a long rope. (About 20 inches long)
10. Cut into 1½ inch bite size pieces.
11. Boil 9 cups of water with the baking soda.
12. Drop 8-10 pretzel bites into the water at a time making sure not to over crowd. Cook for 20 seconds (I ended up leaving them in for much longer, which I think affected the taste). Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Make sure the bites aren't touching.
13. Combine the egg and water and whisk until combined.
14. Brush egg wash over each pretzel bite.
15. Sprinkle with sea salt (if you want) and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
16. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes on the pan.

While some bites were a bit salty, they still tasted good. Amber and a fellow dancer even had some and they didn't complain so I guess these were a success.