Tasty Pretzel Tots

Tasty Pretzel Tots

• 10.28.2011

On Wednesday, I tweeted that I would only make myself some soft pretzel tots if I went for a run on Thursday. It was very well intentioned. I really thought I would go for the run.

But then it rained.

And. I got some cavities filled.

So, instead I felt sorry for myself and gummed a BLT while watching the second half of "Georgia Rules" with Lindsey Lohan on Thursday afternoon. I've had better moments for sure. Although I'm pretty sure in this moment, I'm one million times better than LiLo has been for the past 5 mugshots.

As a result, there was no running. There was just pretzel tots.

The tots were super easy to make, especially since I didn't really care about perfection. I just wanted some warm tots to eat on the couch for Thursday night NBC TV. Goal = achieved.

A few notes... I got this recipe from "A Cozy Kitchen" and the lovely lady behind it cares a lot more than I do (at least yesterday) about perfection. So she used a stand mixer, I used my hand. She evenly rolled the dough out, I haphazardly cut it. She dipped them in mustard, I threw them in my mouth.

The one downside to these tasty delights? They are best right out of the oven. So, I'm not sure about entertaining with them. Perhaps, you can do all the prep work and just put them in the oven right before you want to eat them?

You decide. But, regardless.... you'll love them.

Soft Pretzel Tots (Recipe tweaked from A Cozy Kitchen)

Makes 80ish tasty tots

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil or PAM spray

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt or coarse Sea Salt

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. 
2. Add the flour and butter to the bowl and mix that sucker right up. If you have a stand mixer, awesome. If not, like me, use what you got. After the dough has "formed", remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
4. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
5. In the meantime, divide the dough up into manageable sections (4 works well). Roll out each section and cut into 1-inch pieces. You can leave them as is, or roll them into dainty little balls to make them all more uniform.
6. Place the tots into the boiling water for 30 seconds. I went for 5-ish at a time because I am impatient. Using a slotted spatula like tool it was really easy.
7. Return the tots to the pan and brush with the egg yolk mixture... and sprinkle with salt.
8. Bake about 12-14 minutes.... or until you like how dark they are.

... and that's it.