Ham and Cheddar Pretzel Bites

I’ve loved Top Chef since the beginning and while I don’t have cable anymore, I watch it whenever I get the chance on other people’s televisions. It’s been quite a few seasons so at this point I’m used to the contestants being relatively unknown, even if they’re listed as chef in their own restaurant. So imagine my surprise when flipping through back issues of Gourmet magazine I turn a page and there’s Edward Lee in an issue from 2009.



Let’s just put this out there now, I really like Edward Lee. His cooking is always interesting and well-executed and he avoids the unnecessary drama that seems to invade the show more and more each year. (Side note: did anyone else think the episode when they made the contestants judge each other was just an attempt to get more drama into this season which had until that point been mostly drama free? Ugh.) Edward is one of my favorites to win this year so I was really excited to see a whole spread on him and his restaurant, 610 Magnolia, in Kentucky. The article included several recipes for his Southern-meets-Korean food but it was the recipe for ham and cheddar pretzel bites that really caught my eye.



I was excited about the challenge of making pretzels, but I was blown away by the results.
This is seriously one of the best foods I have ever made and it will definitely join my list of foods that are great for a potluck. Often when I make something snack-like, we eat them for a day or two and then everyone else loses interest while I slowly finish them over the next few days. Not so with these pretzels – 4 dozen bites gone within 3 days and the next day my boyfriend checked the cookie jar and sadly noted that the pretzels were still gone.



These can easily be made vegetarian by taking out the ham and increasing the amount of cheese. The original recipe called served these with a homemade jalapeno honey mustard but I opted to instead add some diced serrano pepper to the filling and eat them with some honey mustard we already had. They are just as delicious with or without the mustard. They’re really best the day you make them because the salt starts to soften after about 24 hours. You can fix this by either making a half batch (but then there are fewer bites, why would you do that?) or by baking the whole batch and then brushing them with melted butter and topping them with salt when you want to eat them. Keep in mind that if you use oil instead of butter the salt won’t stick as well; since butter is solid at room temperature it will help the salt stay in place, unlike oil which will do little to stop the salt from sliding off.



I’m hoping to see Edward Lee or Paul Qui take the title this year. Who are you rooting for on Top Chef Texas?

Ham and Cheddar Pretzel Bites
Adapted from Gourmet, October 2009

Makes 4 dozen bites

1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp plus 2 tbs packed light brown sugar, divided
¼ cup warm water (85-100F)
1 cup warm buttermilk (85-100F)
2 ½ - 3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup finely chopped country ham
1/3 cup finely chopped sharp cheddar
1-2 serrano peppers, finely diced. Remove or leave ribs and seeds depending on your heat preference

6 cups water
4 tsp baking soda
2 tbs butter, melted
2 tbs coarse salt

Stir the yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar, and warm water together in the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes – if your yeast doesn’t foam within 10 minutes it’s dead. Throw it out and start again with new yeast. In a separate bowl, mix the warm buttermilk and remaining 2 tbs brown sugar until dissolved.

Add 2 ½ cups flour and buttermilk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with stand mixer paddle attachment (on medium speed) or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add more flour if necessary, the dough should be soft and tacky but it should not stick to your hands when you press it lightly. Switch to a dough hook and knead on low for about a minute or turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead with your hands for 1-2 minutes until a smooth ball forms. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean dishtowel. Let it rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F with racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn out the risen dough onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal parts. Take one part and gently roll it into a log about 12 inches long. Then gently roll it out with a rolling pin to create a 12 by 4 inch rectangle. Press one-quarter of the ham, cheese, and diced peppers in the bottom third of the rectangle, leaving a half inch border at the bottom edge. Stretch the bottom edge of the dough over the filling and press to seal it. Then roll up the dough as tightly as possible to form a rope with the filling inside. Cut the rope into twelve even pieces and lightly pinch the cut edges to partially seal them. Put the cut pieces on a baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the baking soda. Cook the pretzel bites in batches in the simmering water, turning them once, until they are slightly puffed up, about 20 seconds. Transfer them with a slotted spoon baking to the baking sheets. * Keep a close eye on them, they puff up quickly. *

Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the pans to ensure even browning, then bake for another 7 minutes or until the bites are puffed and golden brown. Brush warm pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Eat warm or at room temperature, with or without mustard.