Everything Bagel Pretzel Bites
These easy everything bagel pretzel bites make a great snack or appetizer! Serve with your favorite pretzel dip, or try my raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip! Recipe makes 24-48 pretzel bites, depending on how small you cut them.
Ingredients
- 336 grams all-purpose flour
- 146 grams warm water
- 30 grams chopped onion
- 28 grams unsalted butter (melted)
- 8 grams sugar
- 3 grams instant yeast (1 teaspoon)
- 3 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (1 teaspoon, use half as much of any other brand if measuring by volume)
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
- ½ cup everything bagel seasoning blend (for finishing)
- ⅛ cup pretzel salt (optional, if your everything seasoning doesn't have salt in it)
Boiling solution
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
Instructions
- Mix. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water and melted butter. Mix with the dough hook on low-medium speed until a shaggy dough forms. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Knead. Increase speed to medium to and knead for knead 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft. If the dough appears to be tearing as it kneads, flick a few droplets of water onto the dough. If the dough is sticking to the bowl, dust in flour 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Rise. Shape the dough into a ball by tucking the ends under so you have a smooth surface on top. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rest 45-60 minutes in a warm spot until just about doubled in size. When you press a finger into it, the indentation should spring back just slightly.
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- When the hour rise time is almost up, whisk water and baking soda together in a wide, high-sided skillet and bring to a low boil. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured countertop. Use your hands or a rolling pin to gently stretch the dough into a rectangle about half an inch thick. Cut the dough into a 6x8 grid of rectangles about 1-1½ inches in size.
- Working in batches, boil the pretzel bites in the baking soda solution for 45-50 seconds. Use a wire spider to transfer them in and out of the hot water without splashing.
- Arrange the boiled pretzel bites on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops with egg wash, then dip the egg washed side in a small bowl of everything bagel seasoning. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, if desired.
- Bake 10-12 minutes at 450°F until deeply golden brown.
- Let cool on sheet pan for 5 minutes, then remove to rack to finish cooling.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you only have active dry yeast, increase the amount to 4 grams and stir it in with the water. Give it 3-5 minutes to hydrate before you begin mixing.
- Make sure the baking soda and water are heating up before you begin cutting and shaping the pretzel dough. You don't want the dough to sit too long after you shape it before you boil it or it will keep rising and you'll have very airy pretzels!
- You can swap out 5 grams of onion for 1 large grated garlic clove.
- A plain egg wash is fine, but you can also mix it with a splash of water and pinch of salt to help break up the egg proteins and make it easier to whisk.
- Check out my soft sourdough beer pretzels recipe for how to shape a classic pretzel twist! This recipe will make 6 classic soft pretzel twists.
- These soft everything bagel pretzels are best eaten same day or within a day or two of baking. They are very small and will quickly start to dry out or go stale. If you would like to save some everything bagel pretzel bites for later, I recommend freezing them! To Freeze: Arrange on a clean lined sheet pan. Once frozen, store in a large airtight bag in the freezer. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 10-20 minutes, or until soft and warmed throughout.