Discard Pretzel Bites
Holy cow, you guys! I played around with one of my other pretzel recipes, threw in some discard, and made them bite-sized. Bonus: the gooey, cheesy interior (which is optional, but I HIGHLY recommend you not skip it). Put these together as a treat for game day, movie night, or just a good old snack.
Dough Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups flour (235g) (AP or Bread Flour)
1/2 tsp salt (approx. 4g)
1 tbsp brown sugar (12g)
1/2 tbsp dry active or instant yeast (5g)
1/2 cup warm milk (120g)
1 tbsp canola oil (15g)
1 cup sourdough discard (245g)
14 small cubes of cheddar cheese, optional (70g) (5g each)
For Boiling/Baking:
1/4 cup baking soda for poaching the pretzels (65g)
Egg wash to brush on before baking
Pretzel salt, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning
Process:
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (flour, salt, instant yeast, brown sugar). If using dry active yeast, combine it with the warm milk to activate it (let it sit 5 minutes or so).
Whisk the wet ingredients in a large spouted measuring cup or another bowl (milk- or milk/yeast- canola oil and sourdough discard).
Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. Flour a work surface, knead the dough until smooth adding more flour as necessary. Knead until the dough passes the window pane test.
Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough back into it. Cover and let rest/rise for approx. 1 hour or until double in size.
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured work surface - divide into approximately 14 even pieces. Pinch the pieces up to form balls, leaving the pinched seam UP (see photos below).
Recipe continues below.
6. (If you’re NOT adding cheese, skip to step 7). Press one 5g cube of cheddar cheese into each ball (into the seam). Pull the dough up around the cheese and pinch closed again (seal very well, otherwise cheese will leak out, but that is also not the end of the world!).
7. Place each pretzel ball seam side down once you’ve added cheese. If you skipped the cheese, just place all the pretzel balls seam side down. Let them rest on a parchment lined baking sheet while you do the next couple of steps.
8. Combine 8-10 cups of water and 1/4 cup baking soda in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a low boil (do not boil on high or it will overflow! Yay science!).
9. Pre-heat the oven 450F. Once the water/baking soda mix is at a low boil, drop in several of the pretzel balls. Poach them until they float to the surface and then remove them, approx. 60 seconds. Place them back on the parchment paper seam side down. Repeat with all 14.
10. Brush the pretzel balls with egg wash, make a small cut in the top of each one using a lame, razor blade, sharp knife or even scissors. Sprinkle with desired toppings and bake for 15-20 min, checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Pretzel balls will keep in an air tight container at room temperature for about a day, after which point I recommend moving it to the fridge. To warm them up, wrap them inside some foil and warm in a toaster oven or in the oven itself. Dip into some good quality mustard or cheese dip!
If you make this, I’d love to see! Tag @nokneadtoworry on Instagram.
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