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Mariel here. Every morning, I head out onto the mean streets of NYC and pound it out on the pavement for a full hour. Rain or shine, snow or wind, this daily jog helps clear my head and de-stress my perpetually anxious soul before hunkering down for an honest day’s work. It also has the added benefit of pre-paying penance for any lusty treats I may indulge in later. Unfortunately, my morning route takes me past a number of street vendors who sling crusty hot pretzels, hot dogs and coffee. Believe it or not, I want all of these things at 8 in the morning.
You can’t live in New York City without enduring the perpetual pretzel assault, but I rarely give into this particular temptation. The reasons aren’t caloric, they’re primarily germaphobic. Those street carts look grimy, they’re set up alongside busy intersections with idling cars that toot out all kinds of debris. And where on earth do street vendors go to use the bathroom? Surely they can’t abscond and leave their carts unattended. Just sayin’.
Since I’m constantly exposed to warm doughy pretzels but I rarely actually eat them, for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I decided to dip a finger into dough-making and whip up my own at home. I was assigned a blog dubbed The Boys Made Me Do it, which is stocked with weekly meal plans, family-friendly foods and giveaways galore, so when I landed upon her adapted recipe for Chewy Pretzel Bites, I knew my search was over.
These little nuggets are downright addictive, so beware if your will is weak (like mine is). I adapted the recipe very slightly by using active dry yeast instead of instant and I infused the buttery topping with honey and roasted garlic. These are absolutely heavenly and have helped fade my fear of soft pretzels…and of street carts named E Coli.
Oh and a second order of business – we just wanted to wish our blog a very happy three-year anniversary! Time has truly flown by…but my culinary skills are all the better for it. Here’s to many more!
Print This Recipe
Honey & Butter-Glazed Pretzel Bites with Roasted Garlic
Makes about 24 bites
Recipe from The Boys Made Me Do It
Ingredients for the Dough:
2½ cups of all-purpose flour – stock
½-teaspoon salt – stock
1 teaspoon sugar, divided – stock
1 Tablespoon dry active yeast – $0.89
1 cup very warm water, divided – stock
Topping:
½-cup warm water – stock
2 Tablespoons baking soda – stock
Coarse salt – stock
1 jumbo clove of garlic – stock
2 Tablespoons melted butter – stock
1 Tablespoon honey – stock
Grand total assuming well-stocked kitchen: $0.89
Cost per bite: $0.04
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine ¼-cup of very warm water with ¼-teaspoon of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of dry active yeast. This is called proofing and basically it activates the yeast before using it. Stir together once and let it sit for five minutes, it will start to bubble up and rise.
2. In a large bowl, gently whisk together the flour, salt, and remaining ¾-teaspoon of sugar. Add the activated yeast and stir. Slowly pour in the remaining ¾-cup of water, bit by bit, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Once all of the water is poured in, ditch the spoon and use your hands to work and knead the dough for five minutes. The goal is to get a soft, smooth dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the ball of dough and place it in a large plastic ziplock. Seal the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest 30-60 minutes.
3. In the meantime roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and baste the skin of the garlic clove with olive oil. Wrap in two layers of tinfoil and roast for 15-25 minutes, or until the garlic becomes soft and starts to caramelize but isn’t burning. Set aside.
4. Once the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven to 500 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface and divide the dough into four equal-sized strips. Twist the dough strips gently to stretch and elongate them. Allow the dough to rest, uncovered, for five minutes.
6. While the dough is resting, whisk together the ½-cup of warm water and the baking soda in a vessel deep enough to dunk the pretzel bites once they’re cut.
7. Cut each strip of dough into bite-size pieces (about an inch long) and dip into the baking soda solution. Make sure to keep stirring the solution before dunking since the baking soda settles at the bottom. Place the bites on your prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt. Allow the bites to rest for another 10 minutes.
8. Bake the pretzels for 6½-7 minutes or until golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. When golden, remove from oven and set aside.
9. Combine the melted butter, honey and roasted garlic in a small dish and use a pestle or back of a spoon to macerate the garlic and fully incorporate it. Brush the baked bites with your honey-garlic-butter, coating thoroughly and using the entirety of the mixture. Serve warm or at room temp alongside spicy mustard. Enjoy!
These look amazing! It’s been forever since I’ve made homemade pretzels, so good! 🙂
I made soft pretzel bites for SRC too. Seems to be a hit! I love the idea of your glaze and I agree about the food carts. I was just in NYC last month and I was tempted, but not enough to overcome my trepidation. I loved your city and want to come back. It’s like a whole different world – there is just no place I’ve ever been quite like it.
What a fantastic recipe–they look delicious!
These look really good, I have never asked myself the bathroom of street vendors question before. You got me?
Pretzels always sound good, but the honey butter garlic glaze pushes these into sounding divine! I am pinning this now to try soon!
We love these!! I make them all the time! Great choice!!
Another SRC pretzel recipe! I think there’s a message in that! I do like a certain commercial brand of honey mustard pretzels…I think these would fill the bill for them (I’m steering clear of pre-packaged junk food). Now if I make my own…
Ok these look about 1 million times more delicious than NYC street pretzels! Gorgeous photos!
Agree with Rhonda – there is a sign here, and I will have to try this very soon, as I have wanted to for a long time, but never gotten around to it. They look amazing!
Great choice for SRC, these look so delicious! So glad to be in Group C with you! 🙂
Those look wonderful! I can’t wait to try them. I’m pinning the recipe so I don’t forget about it!
Happy Anniversary! These look phenomenal! Yum!
Those look beautiful, I would have a hard time resisting a plate of those!
These look fantastic. If I were running (LOL) by a street vendor selling these, I would HAVE TO STOP! Great SRC post!
I’m willingly weak willed when it comes to something as delicious looking as this, gorgeous pictures too.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my Group ‘A’ SRC entry: Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Yummy! Soft pretzels are one of my weaknesses. Visiting your blog for the first time from SRC and will definitely be following.
I love homemade pretzels – I learned a couple of years ago that they really aren’t that difficult to make! These look delicious – I love the glaze! I could totally pop a handful of these dipped in spicy mustard right now – yum!
I would be fat if I were you, it seems like a nightmare to see all that food everyday and I will thank you for posting about this delicious looking pretzel bite, they sound perfect with roasted garlic
They’re perfect bite sized treats. I’ve never made pretzels before and now I want to 🙂 Visiting you from group B.
Ha! That’s a great question about how bio breaks are handled. Probably better not to know and just make your own pretzels. 😉 The addition of honey and garlic sounds pretty heavenly. Pretzels are on my baking bucket list. Will have to try these.
Happy 3rd Blogoversary! Looking forward to the next year.
These preztel bites look scrumptious. I must admit to eating street vendor food while living on Mauritius so reckon I might be able to stomach something from a NYC counterpart. Most impressive seeing that I have cleanliness issues!
🙂 Mandy
Homemade pretzel bites?! I could try my hands on this recipe. Better still, send some over 😀
Okay, I have to admit I’m not a giant pretzel fan…but these look amazing!
Drooling. And dreaming of making my own pretzel bites this weekend!
Thanks Mariel!
I want one of these right now! Wouldn’t my family love me if I made these. I will.
Congratulations on hitting three years! That’s a big landmark. Your pretzel bites look fantastic. I’ll admit, I’ve eyed those carts before as well. It’s the gyro ones that tempt me, but you’re right. There’s definitely an element of “clean” that keeps me from actually plopping down my wad of cash.
Congratulations! Homemade pretzel bites are an absolute treat! Looks perfect!
Has anyone tried freezing and rewarming these?