Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

Nadiya Hussain’s Pretzel Bites

Soft, salty and served with a rich cheesy dip, these simple pretzel bites from Nadiya Hussain are the perfect finger food to share at parties and family gatherings.

From the book

Introduction

These are satisfying to make and incredible to eat and share. Soft, chewy, salty and moreish, they are boiled (yes, boiled!) and then served with an irresistible cheesy cheese dip.

Read more Read less

Ingredients

For the pretzels:
500g strong bread flour
7g fast-action yeast
25g sugar
50g unsalted butter
250-300ml water
oil, for greasing
3 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
rock salt
For the cheese sauce:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
350ml whole milk
150g Cheddar cheese, grated
150g Red Leicester, grated
a pinch of salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
chopped fresh chives

Method

Start by making the dough. Put the flour and yeast in a bowl with the sugar and mix. Add the butter and rub the butter in till there are no lumps left.

Make a well in the centre, add in the water, a little at a time (you may not need it all) and bring the dough together. Knead the dough till you have a dough that is smooth and stretchy. Leave in a greased bowl to prove till the dough is double the size.

Have two large baking trays at the ready. Tip out the dough and knead for a few minutes. Make dough balls the size of walnuts. They don’t have to be round – misfits and odd shapes are perfect. Pop onto the trays and leave to prove, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Half fill a medium pan with water and add the bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas mark 5.

Take the dough balls and drop into the simmering water for 20 seconds, making sure to turn after 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, pop back onto the trays. Do this to all of the dough balls. Once you have done them all, brush with the egg and sprinkle with rock salt. Bake for 20–25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by putting the butter into a small pan. As soon as the butter has melted, add the flour and mix, then pour in the milk and whisk. On a medium heat, whisk till the mixture has thickened.

Take off the heat and add the two cheeses, salt, cayenne and chives and mix. As soon as the pretzels are out, eat warm with the warm cheese sauce.

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week

From the book: Nadiya’s Everyday Baking

Close menu