Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites
These are great for game day or any day! You have to try this Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites Recipe. Don’t let it intimidate you …they are amazing!
Just take a minute to stare at the Delectable Golden Salty Ham & Cheesy Goodness in the picture above. YEP, they are as good as they look, if not better! I have been coming up with delicious food ideas around here for the last couple days, mostly because it is too cold to venture outside. Hubby looks forward to me coming up with something stellar to eat for the super bowl each year. This year I am pretty sure I hit it out of the park! THESE ROCK!
These Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites take a little more work than I typically like to put into a recipe, but they are so worth it. Next time I am going to make more than one batch and pop one batch in the freezer for a rainy day. If ham and cheese aren’t your things, you could fill these with just about anything; turkey, beef steak, even just veggies, and cheese.
Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites
Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 -3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Package of Instant Dry Yeast
- 2 Tbsps Brown Sugar
- 2 Cups Diced Ham
- 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 4 tsps baking soda
- Melted Butter
- kosher salt.
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar, yeast and 1 Cup Warm Milk (110-115 degrees F). Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let yeast activate about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms. (About 2 1/2-3 Cups)
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times forming a smooth ball.
- Brush the inside of a large bowl with olive oil and place dough ball in the bowl. Cover and let rise 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once doubled turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into about a 12x4 inch rectangle.
- Place 1/2 Cup ham and 1/2 cup of cheese down the length of the rectangle.
- Roll the dough as tightly as you can starting with the edge holding the ham and cheese
- Transfer them onto parchment lined baking sheets and let them rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Also, 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.
- You are going to boil the pretzel rolls one at a time, cooking for about 20 seconds each and turning once.
- Remove carefully from the water and slice them into 1 inch pieces.
- Place them on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes or until gold brown.
- When you removed them from the oven brush them with melted butter and top them with coarse salt.
- Serve Hot out of the oven.
The dough itself is straightforward to make. It will look like this after you have kneaded it and put it in the bowl.
About 2 hours later the dough will have doubled.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into four equal pieces
Then you are going to roll each piece into about a 12×4 rectangle. It does not have to be exact as you can see. Place 1/2 cup diced ham and 1/2 cup shredded cheese down the dough. You are then going to roll it up like a burrito. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
While they rest, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bring some water with 4 tsp Baking soda in it to a boil. This step concerned me at first because I could just imagine these rolls falling apart in the pot of water. I cringed as I dropped the first one in and took a huge sigh of relief because it turned out perfect!
This will add to the color and the chewiness of the pretzel bites. If this step worries you, you can skip it. Although your bites will probably not brown as much in the oven.
Place each dough “burrito” in the boiling water. It will only be in there a few seconds. About 10 seconds each side. Remove carefully back onto cutting board.
Slice the pretzel bites into 1-inch bites and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes or until golden brown. When you removed them from the oven brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with coarse salt.
You will end up with a plateful of Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites goodness that is worth the work. YUM!
Love Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites?
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I have always wanted to try making bagels which require the boiling step… you have given me courage to try. I will definitely be trying your recipe first – it looks amazing. Now bagels seem boring! Thanks
At what point would you freeze these? Before they are baked or after? These look amazing and you could fill them with almost anything! Thank you for sharing!
Megan, I would freeze them after they are baked. Then heat them covered in a 350 oven until warm. I am guessing 15 -20 minutes.
Thanks so much! These would be great to make ahead!
I want to try these but i only have active dry yeast or rapid rise highly active yeast which one can i use?
I used active dry.
Yummo!! These sound amazing and like something my son and I would both enjoy!! Usually anything that has to rise makes me nervous but maybe I’ll give this a shot!!