Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (110-115f)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• warm milk, mixture
• 1/4 ounce instant dry yeast
• 1/2 cup ham, finely chopped (or slices)
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded (or slices. use another if you want to do so)

Recipe

• 1 combine milk and brown sugar in a bowl and stir til sugar is dissolved.
• 2 add flour and .25 oz instant dry yeast.
• 3 stir until a soft dough forms. add more flour as needed (up to 1/2 cup).
• 4 turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.
• 5 brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. alow it to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
• 6 turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. divide it into 4 equal pieces. lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each piece of dough into roughly a 12x4-inch rectangle.
• 7 with the long sides facing you, place the ham topped by the cheese onto the bottom third of each piece of dough.
• 8 starting with the long edge with ham and cheese, roll tightly into logs.
• 9 cut each roll into 12 pieces.
• 10 transfer to a silpat (parchment) lined sheet and let them rest for 30 minutes.
• 11 preheat oven to 400°f.
• 12 bring 6 cups of water to a boil. add 4 teaspoons of baking soda to the boiling water and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
• 13 boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 20 seconds each and turning once. if you are having casualties, pinch the ends closed just a little.
• 14 they should look slightly puffed when they are done. use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheet.
• 15 bake in the preheated oven until they are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
• 16 brush with 4 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt.
• 17 best served warm. or enjoy room temperature.
• 18 consider a mustardy dipping sauce.
• 19 only active time is estimated.