Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites

October 20, 2017 14 Comments

This past weekend Marc and I headed to the mall since we needed to pick up a few things. Shopping is exhausting for both of us, so we stopped for our usual snack at Auntie Anne’s midway through our trip. Let me tell you, I live for those pretzel bites. So I decided to try my hand at making my own this week. I used the basic recipe I learned in culinary school and doctored it up with my beloved Italian flair. These asiago herb pretzel bites were such a fun snack and I just loved making them!

The dough for the asiago herb pretzel bites came together easily in my stand mixer. When I added in the flour and olive oil, it became a little crumbly, so I just added a little extra splash of water. This will vary though depending on temperature and humidity conditions. Yeast is temperamental. I let it sit with a damp towel covering it for an hour. It didn’t rise much, but it softened and expanded just enough.
After the dough rose, I cut it into 8 equal wedges. Then I rolled each of those wedges into logs that were about 6 inches long. My bench scraper was the perfect tool to cut the logs into 5 equal pieces. So this recipe yielded 40 cute little asiago herb pretzel bites.
I boiled all of the asiago herb pretzel bites in a mixture of water, brown sugar and baking soda. That is what gives any pretzel it’s signature color and texture. Then I lined them up on my baking sheet and brushed them all generously with egg wash. Finally, I sprinkled them all with a little extra asiago cheese and sea salt on top.
When the asiago herb pretzel bites came out of the oven they were such golden little nuggets of perfection. It took about 15 minutes for them to bake, which was just long enough to make my whole house smell like Auntie Anne’s.

I tried a few immediately. You know, quality control is important. Oh my goodness, they tasted even better than they looked. The outside was slightly crispy with a soft interior. I got the salt and asiago flavor immediately when I bit in. These babies were a perfect snack and they are also fantastic for game day! Hope you all love them. xoxo

Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
5 from 1 vote
Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
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Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
 

These asiago herb pretzel bites are so perfect as a hearty snack for game day or any day! They are amazing dipped in ketchup or marinara.

Course: Snack
Keyword: Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites, Pretzels
Servings: 40 pretzel bites
Calories: 115 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated asiago cheese plus additional for topping
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil plus additional for greasing the bowl
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1 whole egg beaten with a splash of water
  • sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
  1. First, make the dough. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and gently give it a quick stir. Let it foam up and bubble for 10 minutes. Then add in the salt, dried parsley, dried tarragon, garlic powder and tablespoon of asiago cheese. Turn on the dough hook and let it all come together for a minute on low speed. While the hook is still going, slowly add in the flour. It will become a crumbly dough. Add in the olive oil, then turn off the mixer. If it is still too dry, add a bit of warm water. Bring it together into a ball and knead it in the bowl for 2-3 minutes. Lightly grease the bowl with more olive oil and cover it with a damp towel. Set it aside to rise for an hour.
  2. When the hour is up, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 8 equal wedges. Take the first wedge and roll it out into a thin log that is about 5-6 inches long. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut it into 5 equal pieces and set them aside. Repeat this with the other 7 wedges of dough to get 40 pieces total. Pre-heat the oven to 450 and get out a sheet tray. Line the sheet tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper, then get out a medium saucepan. Bring the 8 cups of water to a boil in it, then add the brown sugar. Slowly add in the baking soda since it will really make the water bubble up and possibly boil over. Turn the heat to medium.
  3. Boil the pretzel bite pieces for 30 seconds in the saucepan in batches of 10. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon onto the lined sheet tray as they cook. Line them up nicely and brush them all with the beaten egg. Sprinkle all of the pieces with a little extra asiago on top and a generous sprinkle of salt. Bake the pretzel bites for 15-18 minutes, until they become completely golden on top and baked through. Serve them immediately warm with either ketchup or warmed up marinara sauce! Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
Amount Per Serving (8 pretzel bites)
Calories 115 Calories from Fat 19
% Daily Value*
Fat 2.1g3%
Saturated Fat 0.4g3%
Cholesterol 33mg11%
Sodium 3964mg172%
Potassium 18mg1%
Carbohydrates 21.2g7%
Fiber 1.8g8%
Sugar 4.9g5%
Protein 2.9g6%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites
Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites

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14 thoughts on “Asiago Herb Pretzel Bites”

  7. These really do look super simple, so for the life of my I can’t figure out why I haven’t done these yet. Let me tell you, over the Christmas break, these may be on my gotta-do list. They look so yummy, and like you said, the Auntie Anne’s smell is a huge bonus!

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)