Pesto Parmesan Pull Apart Breadsticks | completelydelicious.com

Pretzel recipes instruct us to boil pretzels (or in this case, pretzel bites) in a baking soda solution before baking them in the oven. Can you skip this step? Yes, but the resulting pretzels won’t be what you’re used to.

Boiling the dough causes it to instantly puff, creating a chewy interior and giving the exterior a head start on forming a crisp crust. The baking soda also produces pretzels with a deep golden brown and cracked appearance.

Don’t skip it!