Pretzel Roll Bread Pudding Food

SALTED CARAMEL PRETZEL BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For the bread pudding: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
• Scatter the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss to coat. Bake, stirring halfway through, until the bread is golden brown and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, follow the package directions for microwaving and salting the pretzels (don't use all the salt). Quarter each pretzel.
• Whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, whole eggs and yolks in a medium bowl.
• Scatter the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with the pretzel pieces (turning some over to show off the nicely browned bottoms) and then nestle in the caramel candy halves. Pour the custard over the mixture. Cover with foil and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Bake until the bread pudding is set with a slight jiggle in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• For the caramel sauce: Meanwhile, combine the caramels, butter and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring halfway through, until the caramels and butter melt together, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth and thick. (The caramel sauce can be made ahead of time and then reheated to loosen up for serving.)
• Drizzle the bread pudding with the caramel sauce and sprinkle with some pretzel salt before serving.

PRETZEL ROLLS

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the milk and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a pot. Stir in the sugar. Scald the milk mixture slightly by heating it almost to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• Add the flour, yeast, baking soda and salt to the milk mixture in the pot and stir until well combined. Cover the pot with a dish towel and place in a warm spot in the kitchen. Let the dough rise for an hour or so. It should roughly double in size.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll each into a neat ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for another 20 minutes.
• For the water bath: While the dough is rising, bring a pot with 10 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the baking soda.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pot or in the microwave.
• Working in 3 batches of 4 rolls each, drop the dough balls into the water and boil for 30 seconds. Transfer the boiled balls to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
• To bake the rolls: Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make a small "x" in the top of each roll. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until deep brown, about 15 minutes.

PRETZEL ROLLS

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small saucepan until a thermometer registers 110 degrees F. Pour into a medium bowl; sprinkle with the yeast and let soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the flour and fine salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the yeast mixture and butter and mix until the dough is slightly smooth and soft but still sticky, about 2 minutes. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray; add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Generously coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch into a 16-inch-long log, about 2 inches wide; cut into 8 even pieces. Roll and stretch each piece into a 6-inch-long rope, then wind into a coil; tuck the end underneath. Transfer the rolls to the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate until slightly puffed, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a large pot or deep skillet with 3 inches of water. Add the baking soda and 1/4 cup coarse salt and bring to a boil. Add half of the rolls and cook until slightly puffed, about 1 minute, flipping halfway through with a slotted spoon. Recoat the baking sheet with cooking spray and return the rolls to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Transfer to the oven and bake until the rolls are deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes on the pan, then remove the rolls to the rack to cool completely.