Pillowy Soft Pretzel Bites
An ideal party or weekend snack with Tillamook cheese sauce
An ideal party or weekend snack with Tillamook cheese sauce
Ingredients:
For the pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm water (not warmer than 110ºF)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
3 oz unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Organic cold-pressed vegetable oil*
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1/3 cup baking soda for boiling
1 whole egg + 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten
Coarse flaky sea salt
For the cheese sauce:
½ Tbsp unsalted butter
½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 oz. Tillamook cheddar cheese, grated
Directions:
For the Pretzels
Combine the 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Alternatively, use a spatula and mix by hand. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
Add salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. (You can still do this by hand, starting slow and picking up the pace as you stir.) If the dough appears too wet, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead it into a ball with your hands.
Oil a large bowl with about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel or bees wrap and place in a warm spot (like on top of the stove as the oven preheats) until the dough doubles in size, around 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat and carefully add the baking soda. (It can boil over, so add slowly and keep an eye on it.)
Make the egg wash by beating the egg with cold water in a small bowl, and set aside.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a flat surface. Divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/2 oz. each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring around 15-20 inches and cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Boil the bite sized pieces of dough in the water solution in batches: you should be able to do about 15 at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds and remove with a large slotted spoon. Place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Make sure they aren’t touching!) Brush the tops with the egg wash and season generously with salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for a minute or so. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, placing on a baking rack and let rest for 5 minutes before eating. Serve with the cheese sauce and enjoy!
*Read about the benefits of cold pressed oils here.
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