These tiny treats may have not the fanciest look, but believe me, they are addictive. This is how they disappear.

I found the recipe while looking for an Auntie Anne’s copycat and was not disappointed by the result. You can find the source I used as a basic here.

But I changed the style of a normal sweet pretzel slightly: First, as a tiny-things-lover I made small bite-sized dough buns which make you take one after the other until the bowl is empty. Second, I soaked these little babies with a mixture of milk, and sugar. This made them heavenly moist and sweet.

Don’t believe me? Try a bunch of them yourself.

Sweet Pretzel Bites

pretzel dough:

500 ml (2 cups) milk
1 1/2 tablespoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
6 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
540 g (4 1/2 cups) flour + some more if the dough is still sticky and for dusting the surface
2 tsp fine salt

5 tbsp baking soda
500 ml (2 cups) warm water

for the milk sauce:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
5 tbsp powdered sugar
150 ml (2/3 cups) milk

Heat the milk in a small pan until it reaches about 45°C (110°F). Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Add the butter and sugar. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and the add the salt. This works best if you use the kneading hooks of a handheld or stand mixer. If the dough is still sticky afted adding all the flour, you should use some more, but only until it stops sticking to your handy while you knead it.

Let the dough sit in a warm, moist place for about one hour.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Knead the dough with your hands on a floured surface and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll a kind of sausage out of each quarter and cut it into bite sized pieces (about 2,5 cm/1´´ length).
Place one baking sheet on your pans. Mix the baking soda and water in a bowl. In another shallow dish, combine milk, sugar and butter for the sauce.
Dip each little bun in the soda mixture, then set it on the baking sheet and bake for about 6-7 minutes until golden brown.

After taking them out of the oven, dip each pretzel bite into the milk sauce and then let them cool on the counter (if you can resist eating them). You might have some sauce leftover, which should be used for soaking.

Enjoy the goodness with your friends and family!