Soft Pretzel Bites With Cheddar-Mustard Dipping Sauce

Soft Pretzel Bites (adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for bowl
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking soda
Pretzel salt


Preparation

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine 3/4 cup warm water, brown sugar, yeast, melted butter, salt, and flour in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium, and continue to mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and starts to form a ball.

Dump dough out onto counter, and knead into a ball.

Rub inside of glass bowl with some soft butter, add the dough ball, and turn to coat with butter.

Cover bowl, and let dough rise in warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, spread baking soda on foil-lined baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove baking soda from oven, and increase heat to 425 degrees.

Divide dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into a long rope. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces to make the pretzel bites.

Carefully combine the baked baking soda in a large glass bowl with 2 cups warm water. Fill another bowl with plain water. Working in batches, bathe the pretzel bites in the baking soda-water mixture for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring to coat all sides. Then dunk the pretzel bites in the plain water to rinse. (I don't know if it's necessary, but I changed the plain water after each rinse, so I would have clean water for each batch.)

Arrange the pretzels on baking sheets lined with parchment or Silpat mats, and sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until dark golden brown, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through.

Serve hot with cheddar-mustard dipping sauce.

Cheddar-Mustard Dipping Sauce (adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup milk
6 ounces cheddar, shredded
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

Melt butter in small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly stir in milk by the tablespoonful, making sure it is fully absorbed by the flour mixture before stirring in more.

Once all the milk has been added, stir in the cheese.

When cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, stir in the mustard. Serve hot.