Gluten-Free Soft and Buttery Pretzel Bites

Hi Bakers,  Remember walking around the mall eating a yummy pretzel?? Me too, but that was years ago...You still enjoy this simple pleasure when you bake yeasted pretzels at home. These Soft, and Buttery Pretzel Bites are easy to make and fun too. They remind me of the best kind of soft and chewy pretzels you can't buy gluten-free anywhere. Shape or cut them into bits, either way, they are delicious. Enjoy ~Carolyn

Gluten-Free Soft and Buttery Pretzel Bites

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Recipe

Yeast solution

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder stirred into 1/8 cup water to form a gel

Dry ingredients

2 cups Cup4Cup multipurpose flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

2 teaspoons sweet rice flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Soda solution

1 tablespoon baking soda dissolved into 1 cup of warm water

Dip

5 tablespoons melted butter

Coarse Salt

Dissolve the yeast in warm water by stirring thoroughly and set aside. If the yeast is still alive, you should start to see bubbles forming in a few minutes. If you see no activity after 5 minutes, you can start again using newer yeast. Set it aside. Add psyllium husk to water in a tiny bowl and mix. This will form a gel. Let it sit while you mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the yeast solution and mix until halfway incorporated. Add psyllium husk gel and knead completely into the dough. The dough will be sticky but should not have lumps of gel or bits of dry flour. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead in a bit more flour so the dough is stiffer and easier to work with. Pat or roll dough into a circle about 1” thick. Cut into strips 1” wide and then trim to pieces 2” long. You can now roll the dough into tiny rounded bits or leave them as cut squares. Dip dough into soda solution on both sides. Shake off excess liquid and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The pretzels will stick very badly on a bare tray. Sprinkle with large grain salt and bake for about 12 minutes or until the bites are brown on top and spring back when touched in the middle. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Dip in melted butter. The bits are best warm out of the oven.