Spent Beer Grain Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup warm water
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup dried spent beer grain
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup baking soda
4 to 6 quarts water
Steps
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and set aside to lightly cool
Add 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast to a mixer bowl, pour in 1 cup of warm water, and add in the melted butter
Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes
Measure in 1 cup of spent beer grain, 3 cups of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bowl
Mix with the dough hook attachment on low to medium speed until the dough comes together and forms a ball scraping down the sides of the bowl and incorporating any loose flour as needed
Grease a large bowl and transfer the pretzel dough in
Cover the dough with a damp towel, plastic wrap, or tin foil and allow it to rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size
Bring a large pot of 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil
While the water is heating, uncover the dough and pinch golf ball size pieces off
Roll the pieces of dough into small balls and place on a parchment paper lined tray
Add about a ¼ cup of baking soda to the pot of boiling water
Working in batches a few at a time, gently drop the pretzel bites into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minutes until all pretzel bites have been boiled
Transfer the pretzel bites from the pot with a slotted spoon to a parchment paper lined tray
In a small bowl, crack 1 egg and gently scramble with a fork to make the egg wash
Generously brush each pretzel bite with the egg wash all over the top
Bake the pretzel bites in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes on the upper rack closest to the heat source
Remove the pretzel bites from the oven when they are golden brown
