Gameday Recipe: Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (108 grams) baking soda
½ cup (120 milliliter) lukewarm water
1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (10 grams) active dry yeast
¾ cup (180 milliliter) lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons (28 grams) soft butter
3½ cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
3 cups (720 milliliters) hot water
coarse sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and spread baking soda in a thin, even layer. Bake for one hour. Meanwhile make the pretzel dough. Once the soda has baked, remove and set aside to cool.
2. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Add the lukewarm water and sugar into a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix in the yeast and let stand 10 minutes until bubbly. Add the milk and stir.
4. Blend in the butter, 3 cups of flour, and salt into the yeast mixture. Let the dough hook knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not sticky.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or put the bowl in a plastic bag and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes in a draft-free warm place until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 425°F.
7. To make Pretzels: On the work surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Create the classic pretzel shape by rolling each piece of dough into an 18-inch-long rope, keeping the center thicker than the ends. Form into a U shape. Cross the ends of the rope over each other twice, about 3 inches from the end. Fold the ends down and press to the curved part at the 4-and 8-o'clock positions.
8. Place pretzels/rolls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with a towel and let rise 15 minutes in a warm spot. Remove towel and rise another 15 minutes, letting the surface dry to form a slight skin.
9. Prepare the soda bath. Using a large bowl (non-reactive material or glass bowl), gradually whisk in the cooled baking soda into the 3 cups of water (hot) until dissolved.
10. Dip pretzels/rolls using your fingers or a slotted spoon, one at a time, into the soda bath for about 3 seconds for pretzels and 3 seconds each side for rolls. Remove, give a gentle shake to remove excess moisture, and put back on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
11. Slit the thick center of the pretzels with a sharp knife or razor blade.
12. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes until nicely browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool. These homemade German pretzels and pretzel rolls are best enjoyed while still warm. Dipping with a hot mustard or cheese sauce will make them even more delicious than they already are!
— Otto Ball (@OttoGoBlue9) November 21, 2025
Beer of the Week: Anti-Hero from Revolution Brewing Company
Anti-Hero is a delicious IPA with an ABV of 6.7%. It has bold citrus, floral, and pine aromas. It has the perfect combination of hoppiness and taste. Anti-Hero is a great beer to pair with your pretzel bites while watching Michigan football on Saturday.
Prop Bet of the Week
Bryce Underwood over 190 passing yards at -108 and Donaven McCulley anytime touchdown scorer at +200
We have two prop bets this week. The first one I really like is Bryce to throw over 190 yards. He is coming off one of his best games of the season against Northwestern (minus two bad decisions), where he threw for 280 yards. Maryland's defense gives up an average of 220 pass yards per game,s which ranks 61st nationally. The emergence of Andrew Marsh throughout the season has given him a clear-cut No. 1 option and I only see that continuing. The second bet I think is worth putting a little money on is for McCulley to find the end zone. Donaven has two touchdowns on the season, but hasn't found the endzone since week six vs USC. Combined with a productive passing day from Bryce, I like McCulley to score a touchdown. Keeping the passing game hot this week vs Maryland would be a good sign for this team heading into The Game. Go Blue!
P.S. I can not find a Max Bredeson anytime touchdown scorer anywhere on Draft Kings, but if you can find it, I like that a lot too!