Baking Soda Bath

Hot Water - 2 cups

Baking Soda - 2 tbsp

Pretzel:

Active-Dry Yeast - 2 ¼ tsp

Whole Milk - ⅔ cup

Brown Sugar - 2 tbsp

Sourdough Starter (Fed) - 75g

Bread Flour - 2 cups

Salt - ⅔ tsp

Unsalted Butter (Softened) - 1 tbsp

Topping:

Pretzel Salt - ½ tbsp

Unsalted Butter (Melted) - ¼ tbsp

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Starting Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Starter:

• Make sure your sourdough starter is slightly bubbly and active. (If you don't have one, you can order it here: Sourdough Starter). Be sure to feed your starter beforehand, making at least 80 grams, so you have enough left over after using what you need.

2. Bloom the yeast:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast with milk and sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let the yeast for at least 10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy and fragrant.

3. Making the Dough:

• Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated, then continue kneading until a cohesive dough forms.

Kneading and Folding:

1. Stretch and Fold:

• Knead the butter into the dough. As you knead, the dough will become less greasy as the butter is fully absorbed. Continue kneading for about 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

• Gather the dough into a tight ball.

Shaping and Proofing:

1. Shaping:

• Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Roll each portion into a tight ball. Place the dough balls on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rest for 15 minutes to make the dough easier to roll out.

• Working with one portion at the time, roll each ball into an 18-inch rope. Cut the trope into roughly 1.5-inch segments.

• Arrange the dough segments in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Freeze the tray for 15 minutes.

2. Proofing:

• This recipe doesn't require proofing the dough.

Baking:

1. Preheat and Prepare:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C)

• Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with vegetable oil spray or lining it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment with vegetable oil spray to ensure the pretzel bites don't stick.

2. Baking Soda Bath:

• Dissolve the baking soda in hot, boiling water.

• Drop a handful of dough pieces into the baking soda bath. As soon as the dough floats, scoop them out and place them on the prepared parchment paper, ensuring there's about a one-inch space around each piece for them to puff up.

3. Bake:

• Sprinkle pretzel salt on top of the dough pieces.

• Bake the pretzel bites for 10-15 minutes, until they turn light golden brown. 

4. Cooling:

• Once out of the oven, toss the pretzel bites in melted butter to ensure each piece is evenly coated.