Makes4 dozen hors d’oeuvres or snacks
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:4 hr
October 2009
Simultaneously salty, sharp, spicy, and sweet (in other words, completely irresistible), these nuggets are chef Edward Lee’s way of saying, “You can have a casual meal without compromising true culinary endeavor.” The tradition of serving mustard with a soft pretzel is strictly an American one; Lee makes his own honey mustard, jazzing it up with chiles. View more of our favorite recipes from this issue.
-
1 1/2
teaspoons
active dry yeast
-
2
tablespoons
plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided
-
1/4
cup
warm water (110–115ºF)
-
1
cup
warm milk (110–115ºF)
-
2 1/2 to 3
cups
all-purpose flour
-
1/2
cup
finely chopped country ham (3 oz; preferably Newsom’s or Benton’s), divided
-
1/3
cup
finely chopped sharp Cheddar, divided
-
6
cups
water
-
4
teaspoons
baking soda
-
1/2
cup
Dijon mustard
-
2
tablespoons
finely chopped seeded fresh jalapeños
-
1
tablespoon
mild honey
-
1/2
stick unsalted butter, melted
-
1 to 2
tablespoons
pretzel salt or coarse salt
-
Stir together yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) In a separate bowl, stir remaining 2 Tbsp brown sugar into warm milk until dissolved.
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Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.
-
Preheat oven to 400ºF with rack in upper and lower thirds. Line two 4-sided sheet pans with parchment paper.
-
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of ham and cheese into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, ham, and cheese and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).
-
Bring water (6 cups) to a boil in a 4- to 5-qt saucepan. Reduce heat and stir in baking soda. Cook pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once, until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to sheet pans.
-
Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes (cheese may ooze slightly).
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Meanwhile, stir together mustard, jalapeños, and honey.
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Brush warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with jalapeņo mustard for dipping.
cooks’ notes: Jalapeño mustard can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. - Pretzels can be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen (once cooled). Thaw 30 minutes, then reheat in a 400°F oven about 10 minutes.
