Pretzel Bites

Pretzels have become an American favorite at sporting events, so it’s only fitting you serve a bowl of pretzels at your Super Bowl Party. But instead of buying a bag of sad, dry pretzels, consider spending a little time to make fresh-out-of-the-oven pretzel bites for your friends and family. This recipe for pretzel bites will yield pretzels with a soft, fluffy inside and chewy, browned outside.  Serve them with mustard, your favorite cheese sauce, or create your own dipping sauce. Oh and the recipe is vegan, in case you were wondering.

Adapted from dairyfreecooking.about.com

What You Need:
1 .32 oz packet of yeast (I used organic)
1 cup warm water
¼ cup white sugar (add 2 tbsp. if using turbinado sugar)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or more if needed)
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
7 cups water
½ cup baking soda

What to Do:
Mix the water and sugar together. Heat in the microwave on high for 30 seconds until sugar is dissolved and water reaches about 110 ˚F (use a thermometer if necessary).  Stir in yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Then let rest for 5 to 10 minutes while the yeast activates. The yeast mixture should look slightly thicker and have a subtle layer of white foam on top – like fresh honey. Note: You could use the stove to heat the water, but you will need to compensate for more evaporation by adding more water.

Once the yeast has activated, add in the flour and salt, adding the flour a little at a time, until you achieve a soft dough that is not sticky though not dry. Tip: incorporate the last half cup one tablespoon at a time. Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for a few minutes until it is elastic and smooth (about 3 to 5 minutes).

Use a little bit of the oil to grease a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a towel and store in a warm place for an hour or until the dough doubles in volume. Tip: If you don’t have a readily warm place, then preheat the oven to 200 ˚F while you are forming the dough. Once the oven warms up, turn it off. Place the bowl containing the dough and covered in the towel in the warm oven.

Grease two baking sheets with the remaining oil and set aside. Remove the bowl once the dough has doubled in volume. Preheat the oven to 400 ˚F. Punch down the dough and place onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into ½-inch thick ropes. Cut the ropes into ½-inch to 1-inch pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

Bring the water and baking soda to a rolling boil. Carefully drop the small pieces of dough into the pot a few at a time (up to 5 or 6 at a time) for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the greased baking sheets. Continue doing this until all the bites have been dunked in baking soda water. Note: the baking soda will start to cover the pot and the stove and turn brown on the pot. In most cases, it is not corroding the pot and will wash off cleanly. Sprinkle the bites with salt and bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown color. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.