Name: Vegan Pretzel Bites
Prep time: 33 min
Cook time: 77 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup warm water; 1 tbsp active dry yeast; 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other sugar); 3 cups unbleached white flour (or all purpose flour + more for dusting); 0.625 tsp salt; 3 tbsp oil (or melted vegan butter); 2 tsp coarse sea salt (or kosher salt, for sprinkling); 1 tbsp baking soda; 0.5 cup boiling water; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 0.5 cup water; 0.5 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight); 0.25 cup almond milk (plus more, if needed); 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard; 3 tsp hot sauce; 1 tbsp nutritional yeast; null null salt and pepper (if needed)

Instructions

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1

In a bowl, combine the warm water (1 cup), active dry yeast (1 tbsp), and coconut sugar (1 tbsp). Mix and let sit until frothy, 5 minutes.
2

In another bowl, combine unbleached white flour (3 cups) and salt (0.75 tsp). Mix well. Add the flour mixture, oil (3 tbsp), and yeast mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Or, add the yeast mixture to the flour, add the oil, and knead by hand for 4-6 minutes to make a smooth dough.
3

Spray water on the dough, cover with a towel, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
4

Flatten the dough into a 0.5 inch thick rectangle. Cut strips using a pizza cutter (thinner, about 0.5 inch thick, for smaller pretzels). Roll the strips between your hands if they are uneven. Cut the strips into 1 inch bites. Place the bites on parchment lined baking sheet, at least 0.5 inch away from each other.
5

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 220ºC. Make the baking soda wash: Add baking soda (1 tbsp) to boiling water (0.5 cup), mix, and set aside.
6

Brush the pretzels liberally with warm baking soda wash. Let them sit for 2 minutes. Then slice the tops using a knife or kitchen scissors (optional). Meanwhile, make the cornstarch wash: Mix the cornstarch (1 tbsp) in water (0.5 cup) and heat the water over medium heat until it thickens into a sludge. Brush the pretzels with the warm cornstarch wash. Sprinkle coarse sea salt (2 tsp) on the pretzels.
7

Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until a nice golden brown color. Serve with the Spicy Mustard Dip.
8

Spicy Mustard Dip
9

Blend the raw cashews (0.5 cup) with almond milk (0.25 cup) until smooth. Add more almond milk, if needed. Add the dijon mustard (1.5 tbsp), hot sauce (3 tsp), and nutritional yeast (1 tbsp). Blend, taste, and adjust [salt and pepper]. Serve!
10

Variations
11

Add [1-2 tbsp fresh dill] to the Spicy Mustard Dip.
12

Add ranch seasoning mix (1 tbsp) to the Spicy Mustard Dip.