pretzel bites


I really love Auntie Anne's pretzel bites. Like, while I never hope for a travel delay... the only upside is that I can treat myself to pretzel nuggets in South Station. There are some downsides to buying pretzel nuggets. One? It costs $4. Which isn't exactly crushing but it is when you consider its a non-healthy impulse snack. Two? It feels like they are always out of inventory during rush hour. About a month ago I decided the week had been enough and I needed pretzels. I let some girl cut in front of me while I grabbed my wallet... and she got the last salted nuggets. Devastated.

So, when I began thinking about what to make for a Superbowl snack... my heart pretty quickly went to pretzel bites. I had previously made these about 4 years ago and felt like they went fine. I didn't switch anything up here but for some reason they turned out even better. I honestly think the secrets to killer home pretzels are:
  • knead the dough // use a stand mixer and really let it go for 9 minutes. When it is done, you can see the consistency of the dough change. Be patient.
  • let it rise. for real. // It is winter time - so the house is not as hot as it should be for rising dough. When I didn't see much change after 20 minutes, I put the bowl close to the gas fireplace and let it rise there. Jackpot. 
  • baking soda bath // do yourself a favor and really just make a bowl. It makes it so much easier to just drop the nuggets in and get a good bath instead of a brushing.
  • nugget size // it's just better. I think the bite size nature of these enhanced everything. You got buttery, carby, salty flavor all at once.
  • crystal salt // It's worth buying crystal salt for $2.50. Don't try to use kosher salt. It just won't be the same.
When I showed up to the party with these pretzels, they were an immediate hit. Like, I'm not sure I've ever made anything so well received in the history of this blog.

Link to the recipe from 2013

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