Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites

Directions

1. In the bowl of stand mixer, combine water and sugar. Sprinkle with yeast and let sit 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Add salt and 3 cups of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Using the dough hook, beat on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky after 1 minute, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Continue beating, adding more flour if necessary. When you're finished, the dough should just be able to hold a ball shape on its own.
4. Transfer dough to a bowl coated with oil or cooking spray, turning the ball over to cover all sides with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 450° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut away a palm-size piece of dough. Roll dough into a rope, about 1-inch thick (or however big you want your bites). Cut the rope into 2-inch pieces and transfer bites to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly add the 1/4 cup baking soda (it will bubble up) and reduce to a simmer. Working in batches of about 10 bites, transfer pretzels to the water and let them simmer, about 30 seconds per side (1 minute total). Giving them a good stir halfway through is usually enough to make them flip over and get evenly coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bites.
7. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly.
8. In a small bowl, whisk cinnamon and sugar to combine. In a separate bowl, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Coat each bite in the melted butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can just dip the pretzels in butter, but I found the easiest way to avoid butter-drenched pretzels was to put 10 to 12 bites in a bowl, brush them lightly with butter, roll them around to get an even coating, and then roll them in sugar. This provides a light enough butter coating that the sugar will not clump or melt.