ham and cheese pretzel bites

These take time, but it's worth it. Extreme note of caution: when a recipe calls for the use of wax paper, remember to remove it from the baking sheets BEFORE placing food in the oven. If you do not do so, the result is very smoky and awful smelling. Yes, it did happen tonight. Second cooking flub in the same week. Can you tell it's been hectic around here?

Ingredients:

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water (110-115˚F)
1 cup warm milk (110-115˚F)
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1/2 cup finely chopped ham (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice
6 cups water
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1-2 Tablespoons coarse salt

In a large bowl, combine the yeast, 1 tsp. brown sugar & warm water. Let stand until foamy. That takes about 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, stir together 2 tbsp. brown sugar and warm milk until brown sugar is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups flour & the milk mixture to the yeast. Stir until a soft dough forms. If it is too sticky, add in the other 1/2 cup of flour. On a floured surface, knead dough a few times and make into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft free area for 2 hours. The ball should be doubled in size and little bubbles will appear on the surface. 

Once the dough has risen, separate into 4 equal balls. Roll one section of the dough into a rectangle. With the long side facing you (like this [     ] ), spread 1/4 of the ham and cheese into the bottom section of the rectangle (like this [__] ). Roll dough upwards, as tightly as possible, starting with where the filling is. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Repeat with the remaining 3 sections of dough. Let stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a medium size pot, boil 6 cups of water. Once water is boiling, add in baking soda. Reduce to a simmer. Place 4-6 pretzels in the water at a time, for about 20 seconds, turning once each. Use a slatted spoon to remove them. Place onto a baking sheet WITHOUT the wax paper (you can spray the sheet with non-stick spray to make removing them easier). Once all the pretzels have had their boil bath, bake for 15 minutes. They will be slightly browned. Melt butter and brush over the pretzels and sprinkle with salt. I did only a few at a time in sections so that the butter didn't soak in before the salt got on there. Serve alone or with a favorite dipping sauce. I recommend honey mustard!