SUPER EASY Soft Pretzel Bites Recipe - Only TWO ingredients! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

Pretzel doughs are typically made with 40 to 45% dough absorption, while pizza doughs are typically made with around 55% dough absorption. Dough absorption is the amount of water added to the dough expressed as a percentage of the flour weight. Check out the RECIPE BANK for some dough formulas and procedures.

If they harden, you can reheat them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make them soft and warm again. Freezer Storage: Make sure the pretzel bites are fully cooled, then store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Auntie Anne Pretzels are somehow more delicious than your average pretzel. A healthy dose of sugar makes for a tasty dough, and a topping of melted butter and salt makes them positively addictive. Another reason the popular pretzels are so good is they are made and served fresh and warm.

Soft pretzels are large and have a chewy texture. They're usually served individually and are commonly sold at concession stands, restaurants, and bakeries. Meanwhile, hard pretzels are small and crunchy and can be eaten by the handful, depending on their shape.

Like lye, baking soda is an alkaline substance, and when mixed with water and brushed over the pretzel dough, it changes the pH of the dough and gelates the surface starch. In the oven, the starch gel hardens and the alkaline baking soda makes browning happen fast.

Simply wrap all the pretzel bites tightly in foil, sealing the edges together, then place in your oven on “keep warm,” or 170F.

Like bagels, pretzels are made in boiling water prior to baking to give them their snappy outsides and chewy insides (messy!). Soft pretzels must be boiled, or dipped in a baking soda bath (or lye if you're gusty and strict with your pretzel traditions). THEN, they can be baked.

They're Boiled, Not Baked.

The dough is first shaped into a long rope and then boiled in water before being baked at a higher temperature than bread. This process creates a distinctive pretzel shape and gives them their unique taste.

Choose a bowl that will be large enough to contain the dough after it has doubled in size, and grease it lightly with butter. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Put the dough in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours, for optimal flavor.

Is bagel dough similar to pretzel dough? ›

Bagels are normally boiled in water with either non-diastatic malt, honey or brown sugar to help them brown. Pretzels are boiled in baking soda or lye to give them both the color and that pretzel flavor.

Combine the baking soda with warm water in a 2-quart baking dish and stir until dissolved. Gently dip each “rope” into the soda solution. This alkaline solution is what gives the pretzels their signature dark brown, shiny crust and distinctive flavor.

Heat as suggested below. Cooking Times (Due to differences in ovens heating instructions may need to be adjusted): Number of bites: 1-20; Microwave: 45 seconds; Oven: 3-4 minutes. Number of bites: 21-30; Microwave: 1 minute, 45 seconds; Oven: 4-5 minutes or until hot.

Storing Freshly Baked Soft Pretzels

For those times when you have freshly baked soft pretzels, here's how to keep them tasting great: Cool Before Storage: Let pretzels cool completely to avoid moisture build-up. Individually Wrapped: Wrap each pretzel in plastic wrap to protect against dry air.

What Gives Pretzels Their Pretzel Flavor? You have baking soda to thank for that distinct pretzel flavor. Baking soda is highly alkaline and imparts that subtly metallic taste onto the dough before your pretzels go into the oven. Some recipes call for a lye bath, which does the same thing.

Lye-dipped pretzels, or in this case, pretzel buns, have a distinctive flavour that is both savoury and slightly bitter. The lye, a strong alkaline solution, is used to give the pretzels their characteristic dark brown colour and chewy exterior.

Soft pretzels are just a yeast bread is that formed into a pretzel shape. The one big difference in pretzel making, as opposed to a regular bread, is that pretzels are boiled and then baked. It is the boiling that gives the outside of the pretzel its beautiful golden brown color and uniquely crisp and chewy texture.

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven.