(graffitioto courtesy of Jenn Johnson)
Of course most people are aware that the Super Bowl was Sunday...I don't really want to talk about it... I am an avid football fan, especially of Peyton Manning. Fortunately for me, I am also an avid food fan, which is the second most important component of Super Bowl Sunday. I was supposed to go over to a friend's house and so fairly early in the day, sporting my University of Tennessee jersey, I got to mixing up a tasty treat for all to enjoy. It's actually becoming sort of a tradition for me to make soft pretzels for the Super Bowl, stuffed with various objects of deliciosity. This year they came in bite-sized form and were stuffed with pesto and brie because well, everything is better bite-sized and is there anything better than pesto and brie?? I've said this before- pesto would be included in my last meal if I could choose.
Start off by fermenting 2 teaspoons of yeast with 1/4 cup warm (about 105 degrees F) water and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Let it rest for about 10 minutes until it gets frothy and cappuccino-like,as in the following picture.
At this point, combine the yeast mixture with 1 cup warm milk (about 105 degrees F) and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Then add 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time. At this point the mixture should have a good dough consistency. If it is too dry or too wet, add ingredients accordingly. It's time to knead!!
This is the best part, so don't skimp. Add all your love, soul, frustration, anger, happiness, boredom. Try to remember to add at least one good thing though, lest it turn out sour. push out the dough, flip, gather and repeat for about 10 minutes. Then you are ready to turn it into a bowl that is greased with olive oil and to cover it with plastic wrap. Let sit for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
At this point, punch down the dough and cut it into 4 pieces. I just quartered it off right in the bowl and then took out the first section. Lay this out on a lightly floured work surface and role it out into a 12x6 rectangle (this size can vary based on how thick you want your pretzels). Cover the rectangle with your toppings. I chose pesto and brie because those are mouth wateringly delicious, but you can go whatever route you like. I made sure to have a very thin coat of pesto across the whole rectangle and a thick line of brie through the center.
At this point, it's time to role up the dough. I did mine roly-poly style and then pinched the ends to close it up. Then, cut the snake of ambrosical contents into 1-inch pieces. It makes it easier if you run your knife under cold water before cutting.
Place the pieces on a flat surface and let them rise, covered with a towel, for about 30 minutes. Toward the end of this period, start boiling about 6 cups of water. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda and reduce heat to a simmer. Carefully add the little pups into the water, turn, and remove after 30 seconds. It's slightly tricky getting the timing right for this, so only go as fast as makes you comfortable.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place the dunked pieces of sunshine on a GREASED cookie sheet or stone. Here I actually did half on a baking sheet and half on a stone to test the differences.
I applied a thin layer of egg wash that I had leftover from lunch on each little morsel before they entered the inferno. This isn't a step that is exactly necessary, but it will certainly add a little shine that adds the the eye appeal. (cream can also be used) Enter the inferno. I like to rotate my masterpieces halfway through baking, just to make sure there aren't any adverse effects caused by hot/cold spots in the oven.
Take out the little pretzel bites after about 15 minutes when they are golden-brown and smell like heaven. I mixed up 2 T melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt and brushed it over the top after they came out to add a bit of undertone and buttery/salty goodness.
My experiment with the baking sheet and baking stone had some interesting results. The baking sheet made the bites cook and brown faster with a crisper exterior, while the stone made them take a bit longer to bake, but with a soft, luscious interior and delicately crisp exterior. Score one for the stone team.
The result was a sweet and salt soft pretzel bite that was easy for people to grab and snack on in a roving situation. The brie melted to leave a creamy tone to the inner crevices that seeped slightly into the other layers. The pesto was exquisite and distinguished as always, with an unmistakable tone that makes your eyes role back.
Mmm try them! Really easy and so good! They even made me (almost) forget the horrors that were occurring in front of me on the TV.
Cheers
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