GF Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

For the Pretzel Dough:

• 3 1/2 cups Better Batter Flour (choose one)
  • 490g Bread Flour
  • 490g Artisan Blend
  • 560g Original Blend
  • 560g. pizza mix (bulk bag.  (No salt and sugar added to the recipe.)
• 490g. to 510g warmed water to 105 F this will depend on time of year and climate
• 1 /3 cup (56g sugar or maple sugar or brown sugar.
• 1/4 cup (56g) vegetable oil
• (1 package or 7 g) instant, rapid or active dry yeast
• 2 tsp (11g) saltFor the Baking Soda Bath:
• 5 c water
• 1 Tbl baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• Melted butter
• Coarse salt for sprinkling
• Alternative Flavoring

Instruction

Add all ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer.

Attach the paddle attachment to the mixer. Beginning on low speed, mix to combine 1-2 minutes, then increase speed to high. Continue to beat for 6-8 minutes, or until dough is cohesive and fluffy.

Turn mixer off and remove paddle. It should be wet and sticky

Portion the Dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto the bench, dusting it with a little more flour.

Divide the dough into portions just smaller than a golf ball, or larger if you want bigger pretzel bites. Gently form into a ball and place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover. Makes 3-4 dozen pretzel dough balls, depending on size. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft free location until they have slightly puffed and increased in size, about an hour.

Make the Baking Soda Bath. As the dough completes the rising process, combine the water and baking soda in a medium pot over medium-high heat on the stove and bring to a boil and also preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lower and Return. Use a slotted spoon to gently lower 3-4 dough balls into the baking soda water and cook until just puffed, turning frequently, about a minute. Return the par-cooked dough balls to the baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough balls. Use a pastry brush to coat all the pretzels with beaten egg and then sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake. Bake the pretzel bites for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over toward the end of the baking process to brown the bottoms.

Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

Serve with mustard dip (mix together 6 Tbl mayonnaise, 3 Tbl Dijon mustard, 3 Tbl honey, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder)

Idea! Make sweet soft pretzel bites instead! After baking, coat each soft pretzel in butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Yum! Craving a cheese dipping sauce? Try this super fast Nacho Cheese Sauce!