Bread Machine Pretzel Bites + Cheese Sauce {Delish Dish Recipe 6}

Josh and I could honestly careless about most sports events, but we will take any excuse to eat good food and hang out with friends. Superbowl Sunday was just that. Thus, I made these bread machine pretzel bites and cheese sauce. I am thankful to say they were well worth the effort because they were gone by the time the game was over. 🙂

I actually combined two different recipes I found because I am in love with my new bread machine and will find any excuse to use it. The first recipe I used  is actually a great bread machine pretzel recipe to follow for reglar pretzels. The second recipe I used was for the pretzel bites and cheese sauce. The sauce this recipe called for is spicy, so I just omitted the spice to make a plain ole cheese. 🙂

Bread Machine Pretzel Bites + Cheese Sauce | Delish Dish 6

Prep Time: 2 hours Cook Time: 8-12 minutes Serves: makes about 80 small bites (about 12 people)

Pretzel Ingredients:

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry active yeast
• 1 tbps sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbps oil

Pretzel Wash Ingredients:

• 8 cups of water
• 3 tbps of baking soda

Pretzel Toping Ingredients:

• 2 tbps melted butter
• coarse salt (I used sea salt)

Directions for Pretzels:

1. Place pretzel ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. (Mine calls them to go in wet to dry, the yeast being the last to go in.)
2. Select the dough setting on your machine and press start.
3. Once your machine is done, remove the dough onto wax paper or very lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 even balls.
4. Place 7 balls back in machine pan and cover with a moist towel so the dough doesn’t dry out.
5. With one ball work into a long snake. I first pinched the dough to make a snake then rolled it out. Roll dough out to about 18″ or until you get a desire thickness for your balls. Mine were about an inch and half thick.
6. Cut dough snake at the halfway point. Then cut each half into its half (making 4 pieces). Finally cut the 4 pieces in thirds. Making a total of 12 balls.
7. Roll each ball and place on a greased cookie sheet.
8. Repeat step 5 through 7 until all the dough has been used.
9. Meanwhile, in a large pot heat 8 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of baking soda until water begins to boil.
10. Next to the pot place a plate with a paper towel on it.
11. Once water has boiled, slow drop in one cookie sheet of pretzel balls into water. Let sit for 10-20 seconds.
12. Remove balls and place on plate with a paper towel on it to let dry.
13. Move balls backed to greased cookie sheet.
14. Repeat step 11 through 13 with all the cookie sheets full of pretzel bites
15. Meanwhile, heat ovem to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
16. Place one cookie sheet at time in oven for 8-10 minutes. Bake until slightly golden.
17. Once baked brush each pretzel bite with melted butter then sprinkle with coarse salt.

Cheese Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tbps unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions for Cheddar Cheese Sauce

1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add the flour and stir until blended.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until smooth.
5. Serve warm! 🙂

The first recipe I used for this is found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-pretzels-for-bread-machines-45567

The second recipe I used you can find: http://mybakingheart.com/2012/02/17/30-before-30-pretzel-bites-with-spicy-cheddar-cheese-dip/