Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce
January 30, 2021
Super Bowl Sunday is approaching and I have set out to create a few easy at-home appetizers you can make for your socially distanced super bowl parties. These homemade soft pretzel bites are perfect for game day!
It took me a little while to master a pretzel recipe, but I have finally found the most perfect recipe. It is simple and creates the most perfect pretzels.
Ingredients – Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites
For the Pretzels:
- Flour
- Water
- Light brown sugar
- Active dry yeast
- Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Water
- Baking Soda
- Egg
- Coarse Sea Salt
For the Cheese Sauce:
- Milk
- Cheddar Cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
- All-purpose Flour
- Butter
- Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Equipment You Will Need
- Electric Stand Mixer with Dough Attachment
- Baking Sheet
- Pastry Brush
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure you let the dough rise for at least two hours at room temperature. You can speed up this process by placing it somewhere warm with a warm damp towel over it. Sometimes I will preheat my oven to 125 degrees and then turn it off right away and place the bowl of dough in the oven for an hour.
- Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. If you add it too quickly, it could cause the water to boil over, and make a huge mess.
- Make sure your water is boiling rapidly before placing your pretzels in the water. The pretzels will not cook right if the water is not boiling.
Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Pastry Brush
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Pretzels
- 4 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Cup Warm Water
- 2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar Packed
- 1 Package Active Dry Yeast 2 1/4 Teaspoons
- 6 Tbsp Melted Butter Unsalted. If you use salted butter, add 1/2 the amount of salt the recipe calls for.
- 2 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
- Vegetable Oil To coat the bowl your dough rises in. About 1 tbsp.
- 3 Quarts Water To boil the pretzels in.
- 1/3 Cup Baking Soda Added to boiling water.
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 1 tbsp Water or Milk Added to the egg for the egg wash.
- Course Salt To add to the top of the pretzels.
Cheese Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Tbsp Flour
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese I use sharp or extra sharp
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper Optional. I like my cheese sauce to have a little kick
Instructions
- For the pretzels, combine 1 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, and the active dry yeast in the electric stand mixer bowl, and mix using the dough hook attachment. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate. The water temperature should be between 110°F – 115°F. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- Add the melted butter to the water, yeast, and brown sugar, and mix together. Add in the salt and the flour and mix on low speed until the dough is starting to form. Increase the speed to medium, and continue kneading the dough until it becomes smooth and starts to pull away from the edges of the bowl, about 4-5 minutes. You may want to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the edges. If dough appears wet, add flour and continue to knead in the mixer.
- Flour a flat surface where you can knead the dough. Place the dough on the floured surface, and knead by hand for 3-4 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Flip the dough ball over so that all sides of the dough ball are lightly coated with oil. Place a warm damp towel over the bowl and let it rise for about an hour. The dough should double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Place your 3 quarts of water in a pot on the stove on high heat and allow it to begin to start boiling.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it on a flat surface. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into an even rope, approximately 18-20 inches long. Cut the dough into one-inch pieces.
- Carefully and slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water so that it does not boil over. Boil the pretzel bites for 45 seconds, then remove them with a slotted spoon. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, make sure your grease your pan so that the pretzels do not stick. Brush the pretzels with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with coarse salt.
- Bake the Pretzels for 16-18 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Cheese Sauce
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk together. Cook for about 1 minute, continuing to whisk as it cooks. Whisk in the milk slowly, and cook on medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper, if you chose to add them, and remove from heat.
- Once pretzels are done, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Serve the pretzels with the cheese sauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you liked this recipe, check out some of my other recipes on my blog. Comment below to let me know how it went, or changes that you made. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
