To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add all of the dough ingredients and mix on low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and tacky to the touch.

Remove the dough and knead by hand until smooth. Do so by folding a portion of the dough towards the center and pressing down with the heel of your hand. Repeat about 20 times, then place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and wait until it doubles in size, typically 1-1½ hours, depending on the temperature of your dough and environment.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a clean work surface.

Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.

Roll each piece of dough into a 10 inch long rope. Using a bench scraper again, divide the dough 1-inch pieces, 10 pieces per rope. Place the pretzel bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise, about 15 minutes. The final proof is complete when the pretzel bites have grown and look puffy.

The second rise is just enough time to prepare the boil bath. Bring the water to a boil, then add the brown sugar and baking soda. Stir until both are completely dissolved. Boil 10 pretzel bites at a time for 15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pretzel bites and place them on a wire rack. Immediately top the pretzel bites with coarse salt while they are still damp, if desired. Skip the salt if you plan to make cinnamon sugar pretzel bites. Repeat with the remaining sourdough pretzel bites.

Once all of the Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites have been boiled ane are no longer damp, place them back on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake the pretzel bites for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees F. While still warm, brush the pretzel bites with the melted butter and enjoy plain or with your favorite dipping sauces!

For a sweet cinnamon sugar version, skip the coarse salt before baking. Once baked, place the pretzel bites in a large bowl with the melted butter. Stir until they are all evenly coated. Then top with a cinnamon sugar mixture and mix again until evenly coated. Enjoy!