Cheddar Cheese & Kelp Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (12 ounces) amber beer or nonalcoholic beer

• 1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1-1 ½ teaspoons salt

• 4-4 ½ cups all purpose flour

• 10 cups water

• ⅔ cup baking soda

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 ⅓ cups kelp, finely chopped

Topping

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon water

• Coarse salt (optional)

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan, heat beer to 110°-115°; remove from heat. Stir in yeast until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture, cheddar cheese, kelp,  and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

2. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 400°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 8 balls. Roll each into a 12-in. rope. Cut each rope into 1-in. pieces.

4. In a Dutch oven, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels, 2 at a time, into boiling water. Cook 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels.

5. Place 2 inches  apart on greased baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Tips: Enjoy with whole grain mustard or a cheddar cheese dipping sauce!