In the mood for light snack that will have you going back for more, and more, and more?? These are it. I have made these multiple times, most recently for our superbowl party. Everyone was diving in and fighting for the last bites...okay so I was fighting for the last bites. Not to mention the cheesy, delicious flavor that the gruyere cheese sauce adds. I was basically drenching each and every bite in the creamy sauce right before it hit my tongue! I am 100% addicted to these salty, chewy morsels. I hope I can get you addicted, too!
Chewy Pretzel Bites with Gruyere Cheese Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until you get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag (like a zip-top gallon size bag); close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four pieces of equal size, and roll into snakes about 1-1.5 inches thick. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.
Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 inch in width. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.
Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Makes about 40 bites
Gruyere Cheese Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk, cooking for one minute. Then, gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk.
Increase heat to high; bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, stir until melted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe adapted from Food.com
Makes about 1 1/2 cups dipping sauce
