Chewy-soft, gorgeously browned, and topped with crunchy salt, these pretzel bites are the perfect coffee-table nibble for watching the game or as the opening salvo in an Oktoberfest party. You begin by making a straightforward yeast dough and letting it rise. Then you roll the dough into cylinders, cut into bite-sized pieces, and cook them in two stages: by boiling briefly in plenty of water that’s had baking soda dissolved in it, and then—after painting each with an egg wash and sprinkling with salt—baking. Soft pretzel bites are at their best while still warm, served with a bowl of Honey-Mustard Sauce or Whole-Grain Dijon Mustard for dunking.
For large-format pretzels, check out our Soft Pretzels.
Cinco de Mayo
Using the tips of your fingers, push the cut dough piece into a long rectangle. Starting from the bottom (i.e., a long end) roll the dough into a rope. Continue to roll until your rope is 12 inches long. 
Cut each rope into 8 equal pieces and lay onto the well oiled parchment paper. 
Remove from the water using a large, flat spatula. 
Return the boiled pretzel bites to the half sheet pans in a single layer, brush the top of each with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture, and sprinkle with the flake salt.
Bake until the pieces are a dark golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. If you like, roll up each pretzel bite with a slice of prosciutto, top with a cheese cube, and secure with a toothpick. 
