Easy Homemade Pretzel Bites Recipe (One Rise)
These homemade pretzel bites have a soft center, a lightly chewy crust, and that deep golden finish you want from a soft pretzel.
They are made from scratch with instant yeast and need just one rise. And because we’re making bites, there are no pretzel twists to shape. Once the dough has doubled, roll it into ropes, cut it into small pieces, give the bites a quick baking soda bath, and bake.
That baking soda bath is an important step. It helps give the outside its pretzel-style finish instead of leaving you with small pieces of regular bread dough.
This recipe makes about 40 to 50 bites, so there is plenty to share. Keep them classic with coarse salt, add sesame seeds, or finish the warm bites with garlic butter, cheese, or cinnamon sugar.
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A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Easy Homemade Pretzel Bites Recipe with Yeast
- 🍽️Serves: 40 pretzels
- ⏰Ready In: 1 hour 35 minutes
- 🔥Calories: 49
- 🥣Main Ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, fine salt, instant yeast, warm water, melted butter, baking soda
- ⭐Why You’ll Love It: Soft, golden homemade pretzel bites made with instant yeast, one rise, and a quick baking soda bath.
Why You Will Love These Easy Pretzel Bites Recipe
Only one rise. Let the dough double in size, then it is ready to divide and shape.
No pretzel twisting. Rolling the dough into ropes and cutting small pieces is much easier than shaping individual pretzels.
Instant yeast keeps the method simple. It goes straight in with the dry ingredients, so there is no separate yeast-proofing step.
Ingredients You Need
The exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what you’ll need and where each ingredient fits into the recipe.
All-purpose flour: The base of the dough. This recipe uses regular all-purpose flour.
Sugar: A small amount goes into the dough with the flour, salt, and yeast.
Salt: Added to the dough for flavor. Coarse salt is used separately on top for the classic pretzel finish.
Instant yeast: Mix it directly with the dry ingredients. There is no separate step for activating the yeast first.
Melted butter: Adds richness to the dough. You can also brush a little more over the baked bites for a softer, shinier finish.
Baking soda: This goes into the water bath, not the dough. The quick bath helps give the bites their pretzel-style exterior.
Coarse salt: Sprinkle it over the bites after the baking soda bath and before baking.
Sesame seeds: An optional savory topping if you want something other than coarse salt.
How to Make Pretzel Bites
Make the Dough
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl.
Add the warm water and melted butter. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
Let It Rise
Cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Use the dough as your guide rather than relying only on the clock. The risen dough should look noticeably puffy and domed before you move on.
If it hasn’t doubled after exactly one hour, give it a little longer.
Divide the Dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Divide it into 6 to 8 portions.
A bench scraper makes this easy and also works well for cutting the ropes later, but a knife is fine too.
Roll and Cut
Roll each portion into a thick rope.
Cut the rope into short, chunky pieces, roughly as long as the rope is wide.
The pieces don’t need to be perfectly identical, but keeping them fairly close in size will help them bake evenly.
Prepare the Baking Soda Bath
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring 6 1/3 cups (1.5 liters) of water to a gentle boil.
Carefully add the baking soda. It may foam up briefly when it hits the hot water, so add it carefully.
Dip the Pretzel Bites
Add the pretzel pieces to the baking soda bath and leave them in the water for about 20 to 30 seconds.
Use a fine-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon to lift them out. Let the excess water drain for a moment, then transfer the bites to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
After the bath, the dough pieces will look slightly puffed, glossy, and a little wrinkled. That’s normal.
Arrange them with a little space between the pieces.
Add the Topping and Bake
Sprinkle the damp pretzel bites with coarse salt or sesame seeds.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until deep golden brown.
For softer pretzel bites, keep them toward the shorter end of the baking time. Leave them a little longer if you prefer more chew.
For a softer, shinier finish, lightly brush the warm bites with melted butter after baking.
Other Ways to Finish Pretzel Bites
You can change the finish without making a different dough.
For garlic butter pretzel bites, brush the warm bites with garlic butter and add parsley.
For a cheesy version, toss the warm bites with grated cheese.
For cinnamon sugar pretzel bites, skip the coarse salt before baking. Brush the warm baked bites with melted butter and coat them in cinnamon sugar.
What to Serve with Pretzel Bites
These pretzel bites are best served fresh and warm.
For dipping, try my warm beer cheese dip. The creamy cheese dip is an easy match for warm, salty pretzels.
If you want another dip for a game-day spread, my easy chorizo queso is a heartier option.
You can also serve them alongside these game-day sliders when you want another easy finger food to share.
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Easy Homemade Pretzel Bites Recipe with Yeast
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Fine-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon
Ingredients
Pretzel Bites
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 500 g
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12 g
- 1 teaspoon fine salt 6 g
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons / 7 g
- 1 ¼ cups warm water 300 ml; about 105-110°F / 40-43°C
- 2 tablespoons melted butter 28 g
Baking Soda Bath and Topping
- 6 ⅓ cups water 1.5 liters
- 3 tablespoons baking soda about 45 g
- coarse salt as needed
- sesame seeds optional
- melted butter optional, for brushing after baking
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Add the warm water (about 105-110°F / 40-43°C) and melted butter.
- Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 6 to 8 portions, roll each portion into a thick rope, and cut into short bite-sized pieces.
- Bring 6 1/3 cups (1.5 liters) water to a gentle boil. Carefully add the baking soda; it may foam briefly.
- Add the pretzel pieces to the baking soda bath for 20 to 30 seconds. Lift them out with a fine-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon and drain briefly.
- Arrange the bites on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame seeds.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Brush the warm bites with melted butter, if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- Let the dough double in size; the one-hour rise is a guide, not a deadline.
- Keep the baking soda bath brief, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Bake for the shorter time for softer bites or a little longer for more chew.
- For cinnamon sugar bites, skip the salt, brush the warm bites with butter, and coat with cinnamon sugar.