Description
Magical German Pretzel Bites bring comfort straight from Bavaria’s heart, melding chewy dough with rich cheese and savory ham. Crisp outside and tender inside, these small delights invite you to savor a delicious bite of traditional German street food.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227g) warm water
- 24 mini hotdogs or small cubes of cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)
Leavening and Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (18g) sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Baking and Topping Ingredients:
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by mixing warm water, sugar, and yeast in a spacious mixing vessel, allowing the mixture to bloom and become frothy for approximately 5 minutes.
- Incorporate flour, softened butter, and salt into the yeast mixture, kneading thoroughly until a cohesive, elastic dough develops. Adjust moisture by adding small amounts of water if the dough appears excessively dry.
- Shield the dough with a clean kitchen towel and permit it to relax and rise in a draft-free environment for half an hour, enabling gluten development and volume expansion.
- Divide the rested dough into uniform, small portions, creating bite-sized segments ready for filling.
- Prepare cheese or preferred filling by cutting into compact cubes that will nestle comfortably within each dough portion.
- Flatten each dough segment into a thin circular shape, placing a cheese cube or filling at the center.
- Carefully encase the filling by pinching and sealing the dough edges, ensuring no gaps remain that could cause leakage during baking.
- Prepare a baking soda bath by dissolving baking soda in warm water, creating the signature pretzel solution for dipping.
- Submerge each filled dough ball briefly in the baking soda mixture, which will contribute to the characteristic pretzel exterior and golden-brown coloration.
- Arrange the coated pretzel bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving adequate spacing between each morsel.
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the prepared bites to enhance flavor and provide a traditional pretzel finish.
- Bake in a preheated oven until the pretzel bites transform into a deep golden-brown color and emit a tantalizing aroma, indicating complete cooking.
- Allow the baked pretzel bites to cool for a few minutes before serving, permitting the filling to set and preventing potential mouth burns.
Notes
- Swap out regular flour for gluten-free blend if you have wheat sensitivities, ensuring the same delicious texture and taste.
- Experiment with different cheese fillings like cheddar, pepper jack, or even blue cheese to create unique flavor combinations.
- Brush bites with egg wash before baking to achieve a gorgeous golden-brown shine and extra crispy exterior.
- Freeze unbaked stuffed pretzel bites for quick future snacks by laying them on a baking sheet, freezing until solid, then transferring to a freezer bag for convenient storage.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg