Soft, buttery Pretzel Monkey Bread with the most addicting Honey Mustard Dip! Think perfect pretzel bites doused in extra butter baked together for layers of salted golden goodness.
Think can’t stop. won’t stop. eating. deliciousness.
We have time to squeeze in one or two more Game Day recipes, right? After you try this Pretzel Monkey Bread, you will be forever grateful that I answered a big YES for you, as I think this appetizer is not only perfect for Game Day but makes an every day fun family snack or tradition!
I actually made this Pretzel Bread several weeks ago (as well as last night) and both Patrick and I fell head over heels in love with it. In fact, it wasn’t even warm by the time he got home and he still ate it into oblivion. When I made this Pretzel Monkey Bread again last night (to test it in a bundt pan, results discussed below), we shamelessly devoured the entire Pretzel Monkey Bread all by ourselves. Its that good.
The first time we stuffed our faces, we dunked the buttery morsels into my creamy Honey Mustard Dip. Its a quick whisking of mayonnaise, honey, both Dijon and yellow mustards and splashes of cider vinegar and hot sauce to create this forever favorite. The second time, we bathed the bites in Tostitos Salsa Con Queso which has always been one of my favorite dips in the world. So you have the option of creamy sweet and tangy or lusciously spicy cheesy. I highly recommend them both.
Now onto the main event, the Pretzel Monkey Bread itself! This monkey bread is based off of my oldie but goodie Perfect Pretzel Bites which adapts Food Network Star’s Alton Brown’s 5 Star rated pretzel recipe into bite size form. I reduced that recipe in order for the bites to bake evenly but other than that, his winning restaurant quality recipe remains the same for this crowd pleasing appetizer.
To make this Pretzel Monkey Bread, you start by making your simple pretzel dough. After the dough rises, you form it into a 6×12 rectangle and cut into 1″ squares. We then boil the dough bites in baking soda water for 30 seconds a batch. You will see the dough “puff” with this quick immersion but will remain pale. This extra step might seem like a hassle for just 30 seconds, but trust me, this step is what turns these dough bites into PRETZEL dough bites!
The baking soda increases the PH alkalinity on the outside of the pretzel. This allows the exterior of the pretzel bites to brown more easily when baked so you can achieve a golden, crispy exterior crust while maintaining a nice chewy, soft interior. So please don’t be tempted to skip this step or you will be skipping out on the texture, flavor and appearance of what makes a pretzel a pretzel!
Once your baking soda bath is done, you line half of your bites in a tube pan or bundt cake pan. I prefer the tube pan as I found the bites to bake more evenly whereas the darker surface of the bundt cake pan causes the outside of the pretzels to become quite dark. That being said, if you don’t have a tube pan, a bundt cake pan will definitively still work (as Patrick and I can attest to by eating the whole batch), just be aware that the bottom/outside pretzels will be a little darker than pictured.
Once you line half your pretzels in the pan, you brush with egg wash, drizzle with butter then sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining pretzels then bake for approximately 30 minutes.
And devour in approximately 15.
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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Servings | servings |
- 3/4 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened,
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- sea salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
Ingredients Pretzel Dough
Pretzel Moneky Bread
Honey Mustard Dip
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- HONEY MUSTARD DIP: Whisk all of the Dip ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- PRETZEL DOUGH: Combine the water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a standard mixer. Let sit 5 minutes. (If it doesn’t foam, start over)
- Add salt, flour and butter and mix (using the dough hook attachment) on low speed for 5-7 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
- PRETZEL MONKEY BREAD: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line roughly 18” of your counter with parchment paper (to place boiled pretzels later). Brush tube/bundt* pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Place tube pan on a foil lined baking sheet (to catch any escaping butter while baking - tube pan only).
- Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large (8-quart) saucepan.
- In the meantime, turn out dough onto a lightly floured cutting board; pat and stretch into a 12 x 6 inch rectangle. Cut dough into 1-inch pieces (I think a pizza cutter is easiest).
- Boil the pretzel bites in the baking soda water in batches of about 20 pretzel bites for 30 seconds per batch**. Remove pretzels with a large slotted spoon and place on parchment paper, making sure they are not touching.
- Layer half of the pretzels in the prepared pan. Brush with some egg wash then drizzle with 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly season with sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzel bites.
- TUBE PAN: Bake 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees F or until pretzels are golden and cooked through. You may need to cover some spots with foil the last 10 minutes of baking if tops are getting too brown. BUNDT PAN*: Bake 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F or until pretzels are golden and cooked through. You may need to cover some spots with foil the last 10 minutes of baking if tops are getting too brown.
- Loosen edges of bread with knife then invert onto a plate then invert again onto serving plate. Serve with Honey Mustard Dip
*I definitely prefer a tube pan as it bakes more evenly. The dark surface of the bundt bake pan causes the outside of the pretzels to become quite dark but will still work if you don't have a tube pan.
**30 seconds goes by very quickly! You might want to set a timer as leaving the pretzels in to long can result in a slightly bitter aftertaste.
©Carlsbad Cravings Original
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