These soft pretzel buns are so fluffy and delicious, you'll love them. Sour cream and yoghurt make the dough tangy and keep it moist and fresh for longer. If a few of them stick together during the baking, it's fine, they are meant to be as soft as possible, so don't worry about spacing them too far on the baking sheet. If you like, you can sprinkle them with some coarse sea salt after brushing them with butter, or just keep them plain. They are really good on their own, but they go especially well with spicy sauces and beer.
Ingredients
For the pretzel bites
200 grams sour cream
120 ml light olive oil
120 ml boiling water
200 grams plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried yeast
700 grams plain flour
For the solution
250 ml hot water
4 tablespoons baking soda
For brushing
4 tablespoons soft butter
Preparation
Take the sour cream and the yoghurt out of the fridge and leave them on the counter for about half an hour. While they are coming to room temperature, sift the flour twice into a large bowl, add the yeast, and salt, and whisk it very well. Take a medium bowl, add in the sour cream, and the yoghurt, and mix them thoroughly. Pour in the boiling water, whisking constantly. Add the light olive oil, mix it really well, then pour it over the dry ingredients.
Start mixing with a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula until a very soft and sticky dough forms. At this point, add a bit more flour if you need to, but try to keep the dough as soft as possible. Keep kneading it right in the bowl, for a couple of minutes more, then turn it out onto a well-floured surface, and knead it briefly, only until you can shape it into a ball.
Place the dough in a large clean bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise, at room temperature, for about an hour, until doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes. If the dough keeps sticking too much, add some additional flour. Divide the dough into six equal pieces, then cut each piece into six small pieces. You can shape them into regular buns, or leave them as is.
Take a small bowl, and combine the water and baking soda. Keep whisking until the baking soda is completely dissolved. Take two baking sheets, line them with baking paper and keep them close. Dip each dough piece into the baking soda and water and place it on the baking sheet. Allow them to rest for about 5 minutes, then bake them in a preheated oven, at 200˚C (400˚F) for about 20-25 minutes or until golden. Take them out of the oven and immediately brush them with melted butter. Make sure you serve them warm. Yields 36 small pretzel buns.
