Sweet Pretzel Bites

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*1 cup Apple Cider, warm 105-110 F.

*1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon Instant Yeast

*1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed

*1/4 cup Honey

*1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

*4 1/2-5 cups Bread Flour

*1 teaspoon Sea Salt

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Toppings: (for salted pretzel bites)

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*2 tablespoons Butter, melted

*3 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil

*Pretzel Salt

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In a stand mixer with dough hook, add to the bowl the apple cider, yeast and brown sugar and allow to sit and become bubbly. Then add honey, whipping cream and of cup of flour. Mix on medium speed until combined and add the butter, extra light oil, salt and slowly add the remaining flour. Knead with your hands or with dough hook until the dough is slightly sticky.

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Remove bowl from stand mixer and cover with a damp flour cloth and allow rising for 1 hour.

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On a flour covered surface with rolling-pin, roll out the dough and with a pizza cutter cut into strips and then again into bite size squares about 1 to 1-1 1/2 inch squares.

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Allow the squares to rise while preparing the soda bath.

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Pretzel Dough Soda Bath

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*3 cups Water

*1/2 cup Baking Soda

In a stainless pot on medium heat add 3 cups of water with 1/2 cup baking soda and bring to a boil. Add 10-12 dough bites into water bath for about 10 seconds and remove from the soda bath with a spoon strainer and place on 1/2 baking sheet with baking rack and allow to drain, repeat until all dough bites have been in the soda bath, then place them on a Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet and cover pretzel bites with melted butter and top with pretzel salt.

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Bake in a 450* F. oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and baste/brush with more melted butter if desired. Cool slightly and enjoy!

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Variations:

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Cinnamon Sugar Bites

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*1/4 cup melted Butter, for brushing on pretzel bites before sprinkling on sugar cinnamon mixture

*1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

*1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

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Follow the above recipe but instead of adding pretzel salt, sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture and bake as directed.

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See Apple Beer Fondue  and Pretzel Dots for instructions on soda bath of pretzel dough.

Enjoy!

Lindy