Pastrami Pretzel Pockets

• Meat

  • 3/4 lb Pastrami, thin

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg yolk

• Condiments

  • 1/2 cup Golden yellow mustard

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 1/4 tsp Active dry yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups All-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 1/2 cup Baking soda
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Salt, Coarse
  • 1 tbsp Sugar

• Dairy

  • 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 1/2 lb Swiss cheese

• Liquids

  • 1 Pot water (approx. 3-4 quarts
  • 1 9/16 cups Water

Found on abcsandgardenpeas.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1½ cups lukewarm water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¾ pound pastrami, sliced thin
• ½ pound sliced swiss cheese
• ½ cup golden yellow mustard
• 1 pot water (approx. 3–4 quarts)
• ½ cup baking soda
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tablespoon water
• coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions

• Combine water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit until the yeast starts to look foamy, 3–5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and butter; fit bowl with dough hook and mix slowly until combined. Increase speed and let knead until dough is just tacky and all ingredients are combined, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough ball in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size. (About one hour.)
• Once dough has risen, preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. (You may need two.)
• Using dough cutter or large knife, cut dough into 9–10 equal pieces. (I got 9, but a few were pretty big. You can definitely squeeze out 10.) On a lightly floured surface, form each piece into a flat circle.
• Stack slices of pastrami and cheese with mustard in between. Cut into bite-sized stacks, if desired, to make filling easier to break apart. Place stacks in the center of each dough circle. Or, just pile ingredients in the center of each dough circle. Pull sides of dough up and around filling to create pockets.
• Bring the water to a boil. Add baking soda slowly to avoid boiling over. Stir slightly. Using a slotted spoon, lower each pocket into the boiling water, turning slowly for 30 seconds to make sure the entire surface gets a baking soda bath. It is best to do this 2 or 3 at a time. Lift each pocket out with slotted spoon, let water drain, and place each pocket on the parchment lined pans.
• Beat water with egg yolk. Brush the top of each pocket with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20–25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and baked through.