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Fresh milled pretzel bites are an easy, bite-sized version of classic soft pretzels! They make a fun snack served with warm cheese sauce, and are a perfect addition to parties or game day.
I try very hard not to buy any packaged snacks for my kids, and that typically means I have to make them instead!
Fortunately, I love making food, and my kids love no-bake protein balls, homemade granola bars, and whole grain blueberry muffins just as much as they love store-bought snacks.
Recently, one of my kids asked if we could have soft pretzels for a snack, and I, of course, said yes!
Everyone in my family loves soft pretzels, and I was excited to try making them with fresh milled flour.
This recipe is great to have on hand for days you want a unique snack, and it’s so fun to make for parties and game days! Soft pretzels are always a hit, and these bite-sized pretzels are even better.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These delightful pretzel bites have all of the flavor of regular soft pretzels, but they are easier to make and more fun to eat. Bite-sized soft pretzels make the perfect snack for weekday grazing or for parties.
- You can whip up a batch of soft pretzel bites in under an hour! They only require 20-30 minutes of rise time, and the entire process is surprisingly easy.
- This recipe is so beginner-friendly! It’s a great introduction to yeasted bread products and to freshly milled flour. Before you get started, check out my posts on baking with whole grains and how to mill your own flour.
- There are so many ways to prepare and serve pretzel bites, you’ll never get sick of them! I have lots of ideas beyond classic salted pretzels with cheese sauce below.
Ingredients
- Hard white wheat flour: Hard white wheat flour gives these soft pretzel bites a good structure and gluten content, while still offering the same texture as all purpose flour pretzels.
- Coarse salt: I like to sprinkle coarse salt generously over my pretzels before baking! You can skip this or try a different flavor — see some ideas in the variations section below.
- Baking soda: A baking soda bath is essential for soft pretzels! This is what gives them that traditional pretzel flavor and chewy texture.
- Egg wash: We’ll also give the pretzel bites an egg wash for a shiny, golden brown exterior.
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How to Make Fresh Milled Pretzel Bites
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, brown sugar and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast becomes foamy.
Step 2. Add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the salt. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead for about 4–5 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough feels too sticky, add a small amount of flour until it becomes soft and workable.
Step 3. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 20–30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Step 4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 5. In a large pot, combine the water and baking soda and bring it to a boil.
Step 6. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick.
Step 7. Cut each rope into small pieces, about 1 inch long, to form the pretzel bites.
Step 8. Working in batches, carefully lower the bites into the boiling baking soda water for about 1 minute total, flipping about halfway through. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each piece.
Step 9. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Step 10. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the pretzel bites are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Tips + Notes
- Don’t skip the baking soda bath or the egg wash! These steps are what set pretzels apart from other bread products, giving them a crust that is chewy, flavorful, and has a lovely bronze color.
- Be careful not to leave your pretzel bites in the baking soda bath for too long, or they can take on a metallic taste.
- Besides coarse sea salt, you can use flaky salt or pretzel salt. Regular fine sea salt will even work in a pinch (though it won’t be quite as tasty).
- As always, I recommend measuring your flour by weight, not volume, for the most accurate measurement. Be sure to weigh the flour after it is milled; don’t weigh the whole wheat berries.
- If you are making your pretzels ahead of time, leave the salt off at first. In storage, the salt dissolves and forms droplets of water on the pretzel bites. Right before serving them, you can brush the pretzels lightly with water, sprinkle the salt on, and bake for just a couple of minutes to reheat.
Variations + Serving Suggestions
I typically serve salted pretzels with warm cheese sauce. Dijon mustard or honey mustard are also delicious options!
For a sweet take on soft pretzel bites, skip the salt and bake them with just the egg wash. Once the pretzels are done baking, brush them with melted butter and toss them in cinnamon sugar!
For a unique pretzel bite flavor, sprinkle them with everything seasoning, ranch seasoning, garlic salt, or anything else you can dream up!
Feel free to try different dipping sauces, too, like homemade ranch dressing, marinara sauce, aioli, or melted herb butter.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! Once you shape the dough ropes, just form them into a traditional pretzel shape instead of cutting them into bites. The boiling time and bake time should be similar, but keep an eye on them and adjust as needed.
Leftover pretzels can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. For best results, reheat them in the oven before serving.
If you don’t want to use freshly milled flour, you can substitute a pre-milled bread flour. I do recommend sticking with bread flour over all purpose because it has a higher protein content.
Related Recipes
- Super Fudgy Brownies with Fresh Milled Flour
- Freshly Milled Tortillas
- Freshly Milled Flour Hawaiian Rolls
- Glazed Twisted Donuts with Freshly Milled Flour
If you tried these fresh milled pretzel bites or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Fresh Milled Pretzel Bites
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 110–115°F (12 oz)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 packet
- 4 1/2 cups hard white wheat flour 590g (plus more for working)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
For Boiling
- 2 1/2 quarts water 10 cups
- 1/3 cup baking soda
Egg Wash & Topping
- 1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm water, brown sugar and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast becomes foamy.
- Add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the salt. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead for about 4–5 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough feels too sticky, add a small amount of flour until it becomes soft and workable.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 20–30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, combine the water and baking soda and bring it to a boil.
- Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick. Cut each rope into small pieces, about 1 inch long, to form the pretzel bites.
- Working in batches, carefully lower the bites into the boiling baking soda water for about 1 minute total, flipping about halfway through. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each piece.
- Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the pretzel bites are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Don’t skip the baking soda bath or the egg wash! These steps are what set pretzels apart from other bread products, giving them a crust that is chewy, flavorful, and has a lovely bronze color.
- Be careful not to leave your pretzel bites in the baking soda bath for too long, or they can take on a metallic taste.
- Besides coarse sea salt, you can use flaky salt or pretzel salt. Regular fine sea salt will even work in a pinch (though it won’t be quite as tasty).
- As always, I recommend measuring your flour by weight, not volume, for the most accurate measurement. Be sure to weigh the flour after it is milled; don’t weigh the whole wheat berries.
- If you are making your pretzels ahead of time, leave the salt off at first. In storage, the salt dissolves and forms droplets of water on the pretzel bites. Right before serving them, you can brush the pretzels lightly with water, sprinkle the salt on, and bake for just a couple of minutes to reheat.
such a yummy snack!
I love this idea! They look amazing!
Thanks!