Pretzel Bread is delicious but truth be told cranking out batch after batch is getting a little redundant. To keep things hot and exciting (in the kitchen at least) I decided is was time to switch things up. With a hankerin for something cheesy, I grabbed my supplies and set to work, vowing not to quit until I success was had. Fortunately this occured on my first attempt because making cheese stuffed pretzel bites was more work than I had anticipated, but it was worth every milisecond.
2 ¼ tsp (1 package) yeast
1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
2 Tbsp room temperature non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened Almond)
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 Tbs Garlic Salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour
4 quarts water
½ cup baking soda
Salt to taste
1 package Daiya Brand Cheddar Shreds
Add yeast, water, non dairy milk, dark brown sugar and olive oil into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. (If using rapid rise yeast you can skip the wait and proceed with recipe). Mix in the sea salt. Then slowly add the flour to the bowl, one cup at a time. The dough will be slightly tacky, but firm. Once well combined, oil a bowl, and place the dough ball in an oiled bowl. Cover bowl with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Then place the dough back in the bowl, recover it with the damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour.
When dough is ready, divide it into 4 equal chunks. Take 1 of the chunks and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle shape. This might take several minutes. Be patient and do the best you can. It doesnt have to be peerfect.
Once rolled out and flattened into a rectangle, sprinkle a line of cheese down the long end of the dough about 1 - 1.5 inches from the edge. Then press the line of cheese down into the dough. Now, starting at the edge nearest to the cheese, tightly roll the dough until you reach the opposite edge and press down to seal. Cut into 10 - 12 pieces and seal the edges of each piece with your fingers as best as you can. (Again it doesnt have to be perfect).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda. While you wait, repeat above process with remaining 3 chunks of dough.
When the water is boiling you can start the baking soda bath! Take one batch of 10 - 12 at a time, carefully drop each (3 at a time was managable for me) into the boiling water for no longer than 30 seconds, turning once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the bites and place them on a a parchment lined or oiled baking sheet.
Sprinkle freshly ground salt over the bites to your specific tastes. Repeat with remaining three batches of bites.
Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before digging in, as cheese inside will be hot and melty. Enjoy!
Note: in regards to left over bites, reheat them in toaster oven or regular oven and they will taste as if you just baked them.
1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
2 Tbsp room temperature non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened Almond)
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 Tbs Garlic Salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour
4 quarts water
½ cup baking soda
Salt to taste
1 package Daiya Brand Cheddar Shreds
Add yeast, water, non dairy milk, dark brown sugar and olive oil into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. (If using rapid rise yeast you can skip the wait and proceed with recipe). Mix in the sea salt. Then slowly add the flour to the bowl, one cup at a time. The dough will be slightly tacky, but firm. Once well combined, oil a bowl, and place the dough ball in an oiled bowl. Cover bowl with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Then place the dough back in the bowl, recover it with the damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour.
When dough is ready, divide it into 4 equal chunks. Take 1 of the chunks and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle shape. This might take several minutes. Be patient and do the best you can. It doesnt have to be peerfect.
Once rolled out and flattened into a rectangle, sprinkle a line of cheese down the long end of the dough about 1 - 1.5 inches from the edge. Then press the line of cheese down into the dough. Now, starting at the edge nearest to the cheese, tightly roll the dough until you reach the opposite edge and press down to seal. Cut into 10 - 12 pieces and seal the edges of each piece with your fingers as best as you can. (Again it doesnt have to be perfect).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda. While you wait, repeat above process with remaining 3 chunks of dough.
When the water is boiling you can start the baking soda bath! Take one batch of 10 - 12 at a time, carefully drop each (3 at a time was managable for me) into the boiling water for no longer than 30 seconds, turning once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the bites and place them on a a parchment lined or oiled baking sheet.
Sprinkle freshly ground salt over the bites to your specific tastes. Repeat with remaining three batches of bites.
Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before digging in, as cheese inside will be hot and melty. Enjoy!
Note: in regards to left over bites, reheat them in toaster oven or regular oven and they will taste as if you just baked them.
My next stuffing adventure will be with peanut butter. In an attempt to make the process a little easier I am going to use my newly purchased chef basket when giving the bites the baking soda bath. Stay tuned.......
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