I know it may seem like a lot of work and hassle for such a quick boil, but trust me, it's necessary. The boiling and baking soda do two things; puffs them up, and increases the pH of the exterior of the dough. That helps the pretzel bites get deeply golden and crackly on the outside. Essentially, the baking soda bath is what turns these bites of bread dough into soft pretzel bites! Without it, the texture and color just won't be the same.