Pitmaster Porter Mustard Pretzel Bites
Warm. Salty. Chewy. Built for dipping.
Soft, golden pretzel bites with a chewy center and lightly salted crust, served warm with Pitmaster Porter Mustard. A simple homemade snack built around one of the boldest condiments in the Performance Pantry.
Some sauces deserve their own snack.
Pitmaster Porter Mustard was built for smoked meats, burgers, sandwiches, and sausages, but there's another pairing that's hard to beat:
A warm soft pretzel.
These homemade pretzel bites keep things simple. A lightly enriched yeast dough gets cut into bite-sized pieces, dipped in a traditional baking-soda bath, and baked until deeply golden.
The result is a soft, chewy pretzel with enough flavor to stand on its own but not so much seasoning that it competes with the mustard.
Serve them warm, put a bowl of Pitmaster Porter Mustard in the middle, and start dipping.
🧪 In Testing — Kirby Kitchen Test Kitchen
This recipe is currently being tested.
The recipe below is the current working version from the Kirby Kitchen Test Kitchen. The ingredients and method have been developed, but the recipe hasn't completed our final bake-and-taste test yet.
We're testing dough hydration, chew, salt level, baking time, bite size, and how well the pretzel itself balances the bold flavor of Pitmaster Porter Mustard.
We're also testing both oven and air-fryer methods to see whether the convenience of the air fryer can match the texture and color of the traditional oven method.
You're welcome to try it along with us. If you do, leave a comment and let us know which cooking method you used, how they turned out, and what you'd change.
Once we're happy with the final result, the In Testing label will come off and this page will be updated with the finished recipe.
Recipe at a Glance
Yield: About 40 pretzel bites
Serving Size: 5 pretzel bites
Servings: About 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Rise Time: 45–60 minutes
Bake Time: 10–14 minutes
Oven Temperature: 425°F
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
360 g bread flour
240 g warm water, about 105–110°F
7 g active dry yeast
15 g honey
15 g unsalted butter, melted
6 g kosher salt
Baking Soda Bath
8 cups water
½ cup baking soda
For Finishing
1 large egg
1 Tbsp water
Coarse pretzel salt, as needed
Pitmaster Porter Mustard, for serving
Instructions
1. Activate the Yeast
Add the warm water, honey, and yeast to a large mixing bowl.
Stir gently and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until the yeast becomes foamy.
Kirby Rule: Warm means warm, not hot. Water that's too hot can kill the yeast before the pretzels ever get started.
2. Make the Dough
Add the melted butter, bread flour, and kosher salt.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for approximately 6–8 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but shouldn't stick heavily to your hands.
3. Let It Rise
Lightly grease a clean bowl.
Place the dough inside, cover, and let rise in a warm area for 45–60 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.
4. Shape the Pretzel Bites
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Divide it into 4 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a rope approximately 18–20 inches long.
Cut each rope into roughly 10 bite-sized pieces.
You should end up with approximately 40 pretzel bites.
5. Prepare the Baking Soda Bath
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bring 8 cups of water to a gentle boil in a large pot.
Slowly add the baking soda.
Work in batches and drop the pretzel bites into the water for approximately 20–30 seconds.
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Kirby Rule: Don't skip the baking-soda bath. It's what helps give soft pretzels their characteristic chewy exterior, deep color, and unmistakable pretzel flavor.
6. Finish the Tops
Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water.
Lightly brush the pretzel bites with the egg wash.
Sprinkle with coarse pretzel salt.
Don't go crazy with the salt. Pitmaster Porter Mustard already brings plenty of flavor.
🏠 Oven Method
Bake at 425°F for 10–14 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for a few minutes.
Serve while still warm.
🌬️ Air Fryer Method
Prepare the pretzel bites through the baking-soda bath.
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
Arrange the bites in a single layer with space between them.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with pretzel salt.
Air fry for approximately 6–9 minutes, checking early, until deeply golden.
You'll likely need to work in batches.
The Important Part
Serve warm with Pitmaster Porter Mustard.
On the website, make Pitmaster Porter Mustard a direct link to the Performance Pantry recipe.
I'd serve approximately 2 tablespoons mustard per serving of five pretzel bites for anyone wanting a generous dipping portion.
Performance Notes
🥨 Bread Flour for the Chew
All-purpose flour would work, but bread flour contains more protein and helps give these bites the chewy texture we associate with a proper soft pretzel.
This isn't one of those places where I'd swap flour just to make the nutrition label look different.
🍯 A Little Real Honey
We're using only 15 grams of honey in the entire batch.
The small amount provides food for the yeast and a little flavor without turning the pretzel dough sweet.
🧈 Keep the Butter
Fifteen grams of butter across roughly 40 bites isn't something worth engineering out of the recipe.
It adds flavor and tenderness while keeping the ingredient list simple.
🔥 Built for Pitmaster Porter Mustard
The pretzels intentionally aren't loaded with garlic, cheese, Firehouse Seasoning, or other strong flavors.
The mustard gets to be the star.
That's the point of this snack.
Make It Your Own
Everything Pretzel Bites: Replace the pretzel salt with Everything seasoning.
Firehouse Pretzel Bites: Add a very light dusting of Firehouse Seasoning after the egg wash.
Parmesan Pretzel Bites: Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan over the tops during the last few minutes of baking.
Cinnamon Pretzel Bites: Skip the salt and toss the warm bites with cinnamon and a granulated alternative sweetener.
Cheese Dip: Serve with warm cheese sauce alongside the Pitmaster Porter Mustard.
Fuel Profile — Estimated Per Serving
For 5 pretzel bites, before mustard:
Calories: ~190 kcal | Protein: ~6 g | Carbohydrates: ~36 g | Net Carbs: ~34 g | Fiber: ~2 g | Fat: ~3 g
Based on approximately 8 servings of 5 pretzel bites each. Nutrition is estimated and will vary depending on the flour, honey, butter, egg wash, and ingredient brands used. Pitmaster Porter Mustard is not included.
If we include 2 tablespoons Pitmaster Porter Mustard, based on the profile we estimated earlier, the complete snack would be approximately:
Calories: ~240 kcal | Protein: ~8 g | Carbohydrates: ~42 g | Net Carbs: ~38 g | Fiber: ~4 g | Fat: ~5 g
This isn't a high-protein Performance snack, and I wouldn't try to force it into becoming one. It's homemade soft pretzels and mustard. The improvement is controlling the ingredients and portion while still making the food we actually wanted.
Storage & Reheating
Room Temperature
Store leftover pretzel bites in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freezer
Freeze completely cooled pretzel bites in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheating
For the best texture, reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer until warm.
A few minutes of dry heat will bring back much more of the original exterior than a microwave.
Performance Tip
“Not every snack needs to chase a macro target. Sometimes better means making the real thing with ingredients you control.”