Guinness Vermont Cheddar-Bacon Cheese Sour Dough Pretzel Rolls

I just returned from a trip to Vermont, one of my favorite places. Stocked up on a ton of Vermont cheese and some goodies from King Arthur.

I used a high-content Kerry’s Gold butter in this one. Instead of my usual mix of FMF with durum, I used some fresh-milled Stardust whole wheat and fresh-milled spelt along with some KAF bread flour.

The cheese matched perfectly with the malty flavor of the Guinness, along with a little dark cocoa powder.

Pretzel salt and everything bagel topping were used for the toppings.  As usual, these were made with a lye bath and also mixed with my Ankarsrum.  The fresh milled flours were milled with my Mockmill 200,  sifted once with a #30 drum sieve, and re-milled at the finest setting.

Lye really does make a big difference.  I know a lot of people are afraid to use it, but honestly, you are using such a small amount in the water bath that unless you pour it in your eyes, it will do very little to your hands, etc.  The lye really gives you the authentic pretzel flavor and look.

Caution:  When using the Lye make sure you wear gloves, long sleeves and protective eye gear. Also, never add Lye to hot water, or it will bubble over and probably burn you.

Formula
 

For Lye Bath (3.5% Solution

2 Liters (1836 grams) of Cold water

70 grams Sodium Hydroxide Crystals

Make the Levain

Add your seed starter (20 grams) to the indicated amount of flour and water and mix until incorporated.  Cover and let it sit at room temperature or in your proofer until nice and bubbly, approximately 5-6 hours, depending on your temperature.  Use immediately or refrigerate overnight until ready to mix the main dough.

Procedure

Add the diastatic malt powder to the Guinness and stir until well combined.  Add the flours in your mixing bowl and slowly add the Guinness mixture.  Mix for about 1 minute until combined.  Cut your starter in pieces and lay on top of the flour mixture and cover and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the flour can absorb the water.  Note: if you are using the Ankarsrum mixer like I do, you add the liquid first, add the starter to the liquids and then the flour.  I mix just until everything is combined, reserving some of the liquid for after the autolyze.

Next add the salt, butter (Softened), cocoa powder, and the remaining liquid and mix for 12 minutes on position #3 (medium speed).    The dough should be nicely developed and silky/soft.  You can either laminate the dough and add the cheese, or mix on low and add the cheese in that way.  I cut the cheese into small tiny pieces, but you can also shred it if you like.  I find the tiny pieces hold up better and don’t melt into the dough as much. 

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and do several stretch and folds.  Make sure the dough is as flat as possible in your bowl/container, and measure the dough in millimeters and take the temperature of the dough as well. Based on the chart from http://www.thesourdoughjourney.com, determine what % rise you need and make a note. If you have a proofer, decide what temperature you want to set it at and what rise you are aiming for. If the dough is fully developed, you don’t need to do any stretch and folds, but if it’s not, do several sets 15-20 minutes apart.  Alternatively, you can overnight the dough in the refrigerator overnight and shape the rolls the next day.

Once bulk proofing is complete, cut the dough into pieces approximately 125-150 grams each depending on how large you want your rolls.  Shape as rolls and place on a baking sheet, and cover with either a moist towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and refrigerate overnight.  DO NOT EVER USE PARCHMENT PAPER for Pretzel Rolls.  If you do, the rolls will stick to the parchment after the lye bath, and ruin your rolls.  Instead, use Silpat baking mats sprayed with cooking spray.  

The next day, fill a large stock pot with 2 liters of cold water.  Measure out the Lye and slowly add it to the cold water.  (DO NOT EVER ADD LYE TO HOT WATER).  Cover the pot and warm the mixture and stir occasionally until the lye is completely dissolved, and then shut off the heat.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan right after I place the dough in the oven. 

Dip the rolls for about 15 seconds in the lye bath upside down.  Transfer them to a cookie/baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and preferably lined with the Silpat mats per the above comment.  You want to use a stainless steel cooking sheet, as aluminum may react with the lye and peel.  

When ready to bake, score each roll as desired and sprinkle with pretzel salt or topping of your choice.  I used some new star-shaped cookie cutters I bought at KAF.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and register about 200 F in the middle.  Let them cool on a bakers rack until you can’t wait any longer!

Note: you cannot store the ones with salt in a plastic bag or covered, otherwise the salt will react with the moisture in the air, and you will end up with soggy tops.  I place them in a paper bag and leave it open so the air circulates.