YIELD: 8 DOZEN PRETZEL BITES

Soft Pretzel Bites with

Cheese Sauce
This is it! The #1 homemade version of soft mall-like
pretzel bites and cheese sauce out there!

PREP TIME COOK TIME

1 hour 30 minutes 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the pretzels:

1 ½ cups warm (110 to 115° F) water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
22 oz all-purpose flour (approximately 4 ½ cups)
2 oz unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil
10 cups water
⅔ cup baking soda
2 tbsp butter, melted
Pretzel or Kosher salt

For the cheese sauce:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (not package pre-shredded cheese -
shred your own)
Kosher salt
Instructions
1. To make the pretzels: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, mix together the water, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed for 10
seconds. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour and butter. Mix on low speed
until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is
smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a well-oiled bowl. Cover the
bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for approximately 50 to
55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set
aside.
3. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an wide 8-quart
saucepan or roasting pan.
4. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide
into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Slice each
rope into 1 ½-inch pieces. Place a lightly damp towel over the pretzel pieces to
prevent them from drying out while you roll and cut the other pieces.
5. Using a slotted spoon lower a handful of the pretzel pieces into the boiling water
and boil them for 30 seconds, flipping them around in the water with the spoon a
couple of times. Remove the pretzel pieces from the water using the spoon, drain
as best you can, and place them on the baking sheets. Brush the top of each
pretzel with the melted butter and sprinkle with the pretzel/Kosher salt. Bake
until dark golden brown in color, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Brush with
remaining melted butter before serving. Serve warm.
6. To make the cheese sauce: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the
butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Slowly
whisk in the milk until no lumps of flour remain. Stirring constantly, bring the
milk to a simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 3 to 5
minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the shredded cheese until all
of the cheese has melted. Add a pinch of salt, if needed. Serve warm. Leftovers
can be reheated in the microwave on medium power at 30 second intervals.

Notes
Freezer Instructions: If one batch of pretzels is too much for your needs or you want
to make them in advance for a party, these pretzel bites can be frozen after you cut
them and before you boil them. Place the dough pieces on a parchment-lined baking
sheet and freeze then toss them in a zip-top bag. When you want them later, boil them
directly from the freezer (add an extra 15 seconds to the boil time) and bake for the
time instructed.
pretzels adapted from Alton Brown | cheese sauce is a Smells Like Home
original

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© Smells Like Home CUISINE:

American /
CATEGORY: appetizers | dips | snacks
https://www.smells-like-home.com/2012/01/soft-pretzel-bites-with-cheese-sauce/

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