soft pretzel tots

How do you watch a basketball game?

I like to make some snacks beforehand, then chit-chat and eat through the entire thing.

My husband likes to stare intently at the TV, scream at no one, and rewind every single play at least twice, making the game last approximately 279716372643 hours.

These little pretzel tots are for my people. They are salty and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside... just delightful. Dipping them in yellow ballpark mustard is a must. They're so yummy they have been proven to distract even the most crazy passionate of sports watchers. Not mentioning any names.

Soft Pretzel Tots (slightly adapted from A Cozy Kitchen)

you'll need:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
cooking spray
10 cups water
2/3 baking soda
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
sea salt, for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine water, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, until yeast is active and foamy. Add flour and butter and mix until combined. Using your hands, knead dough in the bowl until it's smooth like pizza dough, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, the spray the inside of it with nonstick cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray very well with cooking spray. Then spray a little more. You should be good now.

Bring the water and baking soda to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, turn the dough out onto a  work surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each of the 4 pieces into a long rope, about 20 inches. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place it onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place the dough balls into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water using a spatula and return to the baking sheet. Once all the pieces have been boiled and returned to the sheet, brush the top of each one with the egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with ballpark mustard, honey, or whatever else you like - get creative!

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