Hot, crispy, perfection: Jerusalem pretzel sticks filled with cheese

When baking salted yeast pastries, we will use a top-bottom heat program (static heat) at a medium-high heat (200-220 degrees) in order to allow the pastry to brown and become a little crispy, but not to dry it out. We will want to heat the oven properly before putting the pastries in, so that they get a heat stroke, brown and become airy and crispy.

The result is Jerusalem pretzel sticks, coated with sesame seeds, lightly smeared with olive oil, sweet and with a surprise of melted cheese inside. A pretzel that can be used as a light meal by itself.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

500 grams of multi-purpose yeast flour (2/1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon)

30 grams of white sugar (3 tablespoons)

10 grams of milk powder (optional)

25 grams of olive oil (1/8 cup)

5 grams of salt (one teaspoon)

300 milliliters of water at room temperature (1/4 cups)

For the filling:

250 grams of grated Gouda or mozzarella cheese

100 grams of Bulgarian cheese

A few chopped fresh herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, chives)

For dipping and coating: 

water, at room temperature

20 grams of honey or silan (one tablespoon)

100-200 grams of white sesame

Atlantic salt or coarse salt, for spreading

Olive oil, for brushing

Instructions:

1. Start preparing the dough: place the multipurpose yeast flour in the bowl of a mixer equipped with a kneading hook, add the rest of the ingredients and process at a slow speed for about ten minutes, until you get a uniform and elastic dough.

2. Form the dough into a ball, place in a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about an hour or so. Remove air from the dough, form a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise again in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about half an hour.

3. Divide the dough into 8 balls weighing 110 grams each. It is convenient to do this on a lightly oiled work surface. Place the balls in a spacious manner on the work surface, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 20 minutes, until the dough balls puff up a little.

4. Prepare the immersion water and sesame: mix the water with the honey or the silane in a bowl. In a separate bowl (or any suitable container, it's convenient to do it in English cake molds) sprinkle the sesame seeds.

5. Shape, puff and bake: heat oven to 220 degrees. Line an oven tray or baking tray with baking paper.

6. Open each ball of dough into a rectangle with your hands, sprinkle a handful of the cheese and herb mixture in the middle of the rectangle and pinch the dough to form a stick. Dip the dough sticks in the silan water and immediately after that dip in sesame seeds so that it coats the dough on all sides.

7. Place the sticks of dough in the baking dish in a spacious manner. Let them rest for a few minutes and lengthen them a bit by pulling.

8. Place plastic wrap over the baking pans and let rise for about twenty minutes, until the bagels puff up a little.

9. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, until the bagels are brown and crispy. Immediately after removing from the oven, brush the boiling bagels with olive oil.