Mini Garlic Butter Pretzels

1. Stage

Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes so yeast can activate. It should be bubbling. (If not, your yeast is old and should be replaced.)

2. Stage

Make the pretzel dough: In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Pour in yeast mixture and stir to form a dough. Knead the dough for 6-7 minutes in the bowl until it’s smooth and no longer sticky. If the dough is really sticky, add more flour by the 1/4 cup. When dough is smooth, transfer to a clean bowl. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise. Let dough rise for 60 minutes or until the dough at least doubles in size.

3. Stage

Boil a pot of water: Fill a large pot with 6 cups of boiling water and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Bring to a boil. Get out two baking sheets. Line one with parchment paper. Place a wire-rimmed rack on top of the other.

4. Stage

Preheat the oven to 400˚F

5. Stage

Shape the mini pretzels and boil: After the dough has risen, divide it into quarters and then each quarter into four pieces to make 16 small dough balls. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the dough out into a thin strand about 12-14 inches long. Form a pretzel by twisting two ends together to form a loop and then folding the ends back up. When your pretzel is formed, dunk it in the pot of boiling water. Wait until the pretzel floats (maybe 10 seconds) and then remove with a slotted spoon and place on the wire rack over a baking sheet. Let drain. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, move them to the lined baking sheet.

6. Stage

Bake the pretzels: When all the pretzels are shaped, boiled, and placed on the baking sheet, transfer to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until they start to brown.

7. Stage

Toss with the garlic butter sauce, then bake for 3-4 more minutes: In a small saucepan, melt butter with garlic over low heat. Once combined, remove from heat to avoid burning butter. When pretzels come out of the oven, add them to a large bowl and toss with garlic butter mixture. Return to baking sheet, spooning any leftover sauce over each pretzel. Sprinkle pretzels lightly with coarse salt, then return pretzels to oven and bake a second time for 3-4 minutes.

8. Stage

Let cool and serve: Remove pretzels and let cool. Garnish finished pretzels with fresh parsley. Pretzels are best served slightly warm. Store pretzels in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in a low 300 ̊F oven until warmed through, 3-4 minutes.