Irish Cheddar Stuffed Pretzel Bites

Salt and tangy Irish cheddar stuffed into a  soft, salty, crusty and chewy pretzel bite. The perfect bite when you are celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

I have a confession to make, I love pretzels. Seriously love them more than anything else. I even love this in any form.

Especially with cheese. When I was younger I would wrap cheddar cheese with pretzel sticks and eat it with my lunch which was normally a sandwich.

My favorite kind will have to be this kind has to be extra burnt or baked with a side of cheese with it.

Since St. Patrick's Day coming up I wanted to make something with Irish cheddar.

It is saltier than the regular cheddar that you get in here so it will work great stuffed inside a bread.

Recipes you may like:
Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Straws
Pepperoni Bacon Pizza Rolls
Cajun Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadilla

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Irish Cheddar Stuffed Pretzel Bites

Time:
 Prep- 15 minutes
Proofing- 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Baking- 15 to 18 minutes

Ingredients

4 to 4 1/3 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 cup Warm Water
1/2 cup Warm Whole Milk, can use any milk
2 1/2 teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
2 1/2 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
1 large eggs
6 to 8 cups Water
1/4 cup Baking Soda
7 ozs Irish Cheddar, cubed
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
Sea Salt, for the top 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together warm milk, water water and brown sugar. The water and milk should be warm enough that you can touch. Add in yeast and whisk. Let that bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Once the yeast is foam and fragrant, slowly add in flour, salt and butter.
3. With a hook attachment, mix the ingredients together for 5 minutes. If hand mixing, combine until it forms a soft dough then tip over with some flour on a clean surface and kneed for 10 to 15 minutes, until a smooth dough ball.
4. Cover bowl and let proof for about an 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover two cookie sheets with parchment.
6. Once doubled, divide into three sections. Roll each section into 22 inch ropes then cut into 2 inch pieces. Place a cube of cheddar into each cut piece and gently roll. Place onto prepped sheets and place in fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Bring water to a rolling boil and once water is in a full boil carefully add in baking soda. The baking soda will make it violently bubble. Drop 7 to 9 pieces into the water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on sheet pan.
8. Brush bites with a 4 tablespoons of melted butter and slice to top then sprinkle salt on the tops. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until deep golden brown.
9. Place on a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.
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