Jalapeño Popper Cheesy Pretzel Bombs

INGREDIENTS:

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
12 ounces warm beer (110°-120°), I used Blue Moon *see cooks note
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting counter
1 teaspoon kosher salt + more for pretzel tops
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 cups water
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar cheese)
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeños
12 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces

DIRECTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 450°.
-Pour beer into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (see cooks note if you do not have a stand mixer), sprinkle yeast over top, add sugar and stir.
-Allow yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Once it is nice and foamy, it is ready.
*It should look like the ‘head’ of a beer poured too quickly and smell yeasty. Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl combine cheeses, bacon and jalapeños. Mix together.
-You may need to use a wood spoon to get it well mixed.
-In a small bowl beat egg, set aside. Sprinkle clean counter top with ¼ cup flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
-Set aside. Add flour and salt to stand mixer. Knead for 3- 5 minutes until the dough comes together in one ball.
-Add more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed, if bread is too sticky to come together.
-Dough should be tacky when you pull it out of the mixer, not sticky.
-Place dough on floured counter top and knead in flour until it is no longer tacky, just a minute or two. Form dough into a ball. We are going to cut this ball into 36 (somewhat) even pieces. First quarter the ball of dough.
*I used a bench scraper, but a butter knife would work too. Roll each quarter into a fat log. Cut that into 3 pieces.
-Roll each piece into a log and cut into 3 pieces. When you are done you will have 36 pieces.
-Fill a medium (4 cup) bowl with 2 cups of hot water and add baking soda. -Place baking sheet, baking soda water and cheese mixture on the counter that you are working on.
-Roll each dough piece (one at a time) into a ball and then flatten it into a circle. Add 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture in the center *I used a tablespoon scooper.
-Carefully pull each side over the cheese to create a ‘cheese package’, pinching the edges closed. Roll the dough into a ball.
-Be careful to make sure you can not see the cheese through the dough.
-Tap fingers in flour, pinch any tears and roll again. Set aside and repeat until you have 3 stuffed dough balls.
-Transfer 3 stuffed dough balls to hot water mixture and allow to set while you prepare the next 3.
-Prepare the next 3 dough balls. Remove dough balls from water with a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheet.
-Place 3 newly prepared balls into the water and prepare 3 more. Repeat until all dough balls are on the cookie sheet.
-Arrange all pretzel balls on parchment so they are not touching. Brush egg wash onto each one and sprinkle with course salt.
-Bake for 8-10 minutes until the tops are browned. The ooey gooey cheese may escape some of your pretzel bombs.
-That is a beautiful thing! Scoop all that cheesy goodness up onto the plate and serve. Your guests will go crazy over them.