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These super simple Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip are made with my easy pizza dough recipe, baked to perfection, and served with hot, gooey Bacon Beer Cheese Dip!

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This blog is called Jawns I Cooked because I’m a Philly girl, so naturally, I have to have a soft pretzel recipe!

These easy Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip are made using my go-to pizza dough. They’re simple, no-frills pretzel bites that come together easily. Serve them with my warm, gooey and delicious bacon flavored cheese sauce for an appetizer that’s sure to go quickly at any tailgate party!

Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

Making the pizza dough for the pretzels

My pizza dough recipe is super simple, and requires minimal kneading and no special equipment. Once you quickly proof the yeast with some honey, you’ll slowly incorporate the yeasty liquid into some unbleached all-purpose flour with your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.

Transfer that dough to a floured board and knead it, folding the dough as you go- for just 5 minutes. After that, you’ll oil the dough and the bowl with some olive oil, cover it with a damp towel, and leave it sit on the counter for 1 hour to rise. Once it rises- you’ll gently beat it down into a ball, cover it with the damp towel, and let it rise a second time. At this point, it’s ready to cut into pretzels, or store in the fridge for up to a week prior to making the pretzels.

I use this dough to make pizzas all the time (makes 2 thin crust or 1 thick crust). It’s also great for making Stromboli, garlic knots and my favorite Corn, Squash and Goat Cheese Pizza.

  • pizza dough
  • cut pizza dough

Shaping and cutting the pretzels

Once your dough has double-proofed, it’s ready to roll and shape into pretzel bites! If you’re using refrigerated dough, you can use it straight from the fridge.

All you need to do is lightly oil a board or work surface, and cut the dough into 4 each portions.

Roll each portion in a back and fourth motion with your hands to form long 12-14″ ropes that are about 1″ wide, then cut them into small pieces, about 1’2″ to 1″. Continue with all 4 sections until all bites are cut.

  • cutting the pretzels
  • pizza dough pretzel cutting

The baking soda bath- a key step

To make a great pretzel, you need to briefly soak your dough in a solution of baking soda and water. My go-to is to soak the pretzel bites in a shallow pan of tepid solution.

Before I cut the pretzels, I bring the water and baking soda to a boil on the stove, just until the baking soda dissolves. I then pour it into a 9×12 or so baking dish and allow it to cool to room temperature while I cut the pretzels. This way, when it’s time to toss the pretzels in the solution, it’s cool enough for me to work with.

pretzel bites in baking soda solution

Once the dough has sat in the baking soda solution for 3-5 minutes, you’ll carefully transfer them to parchment-lined baking sheets. While on the sheets, brush each pretzel bite liberally with beaten egg, and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt.

egg washing and salting the pretzel bites

Next up: Baking the pretzel bites

Once the pretzels are all ready to go and your oven reaches 400 degrees, pop em in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, until deep golden brown.

hot baked pretzel bites

Last (but not least) make the Bacon Beer Cheese Dip while the pretzels bake

while to pretzels bake, I like to make the beer cheese dip.

You start by cooking up a few strips of chopped bacon, and then transferring the crisp bacon to paper towels to drain.

Using the bacon fat remaining in the pan, make a quick roux with flour, then slowly whisk in beer and milk. Once a thick sauce forms, stir in the softened cream cheese. Be sure to soften the cream cheese on the counter prior to adding it, or it will not melt smoothly, and lumps will form.

beer bacon cheese dip

Once the sauce is creamy and gooey, turn off the heat and stir in some spices, a bunch or fresh shredded cheddar and a touch of mustard. Top warm dip with reserved crispy bacon and chives, and serve hot!

pretzel bite closeup

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If you make my Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

Looking for more great app ideas? Why not try my Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeño Poppers,  Italian Egg Roll Mozzarella Sticks with Balsamic dipping sauce, Pickle Battered Cheese Curds, or my Rueben Egg Rolls with Beer & Bacon Sauerkraut.

pretzel bites with cheese dip on plate
Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
Print Recipe

Pizza Dough Pretzel Bites with Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Dough proofing time2 hrs
Total Time50 mins
Course: Appetizer
Keyword: bacon, beer cheese, pretzel

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • Olive oil to coat dough
  • Additional flour, for kneading dough

Pretzel Prep

  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tbsp baking soda
  • 1-2 beaten eggs, for brushing pretzels 
  • coarse kosher salt, for sprinkling over pretzels
  • canola oil or neutral oil, for greasing workspace or board 

Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

  • 3 strips bacon, cut into small pieces 
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup lager-style beer
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
  • 8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese 
  • salt and pepper, to taste 
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp stone ground country Dijon mustard such as Grey Poupon
  • fresh chopped chives, for garnish (if desired)

Instructions

  • Preparing the pizza dough
    1. In a 2 cup liquid measure or bowl, whisk honey, warm water and yeast to combine, and let rest for 3 minutes to allow yeast to bloom. When ready, yeast should form a frothy top the surface.
    2. Add flour to a large bowl and mound it into a rounded pile. Using your fingers, make a small well in the center.
    3. Add the proofed yeast/liquid to the well little by little, combining with your hands as you go and forming new wells until a slightly sticky dough forms.
    4. Kneading. Once a dough comes together, knead the dough on a floured board by hand for 5 minutes until smooth, folding over as you knead to create air pockets.
    5. First rise. Oil a large clean, non-reactive bowl (a sturdy plastic bowl is great) with olive oil- being sure to spread the oil around with your hands to get the bowl well coated.
    6. Use your oiled hands to moisten dough on all sides, and place into the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean, dampened dish towel or tea towel and let rest on the counted for 1 hour.
    7. Second Rise. After 1 hour, gently punch the dough down, reshape into a ball and place back into oiled bowl for 1 more hour, covered with the damp towel. After.1 additional hour, the dough is ready to bake.
    Preparing the pretzels
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Add 2 cups water and 4 tbsp baking soda to small saucepan. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve baking soda. Pour into a wide baking pan, and allow to cool to room temperature (until liquid is comfortable to the touch). 
    3. While the liquid cools, cut your pretzel bites. 
    4. On a large, lightly greased board or work surface, cut the dough into 4 equal sections. 
    5. Roll each section with your hands to form 1” wide ropes, about 12” long. 
    6. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the length of dough into 1” squares  and set aside. Continue until all pretzel bites are cut. 
    7. Once all pretzel bites are cut, add them to the pan of cooled baking soda liquid, and toss around gently, coating both sides. Leave the dough bites sit in the liquid for 3-5 minutes. Gently remove with your hands or a fish spatula to parchment-lined baking sheets. 
    8. Brush each pretzel bite liberally with beaten egg, then sprinkle with coarse salt and transfer to preheated oven for 13-15 minuets, until deep golden brown. Serve hot with beer cheese dip. 
    Making the Bacon Beer Cheese Dip 
    1. While pretzels bake, make the dip. Cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until crisp- about 6-7 mins. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined sheet to drain. Add flour to pan with bacon fat and whisk to combine. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
    2 Slowly whisk in the beer, then the milk until well combined,  and then stir in softened cream cheese until melted. Stir or whisk well until a creamy, homogeneous sauce forms. 
    3. Turn off the heat and fold in shredded cheddar cheese, then mustard, salt and pepper, and spices. 4. Top with bacon and chives, and serve hot. 
    Makes about 45 pretzel bites. 

© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.