Pepperoni Pretzels

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Bring the pepperoni to room temperature and cut it into 1/2-inch slices. Put the pieces into a food processor and mince them fairly finely. Remove to a dish and set aside.
2. Divide the dough in half and bring to room temperature. Roll each piece of dough out to a 14 to 16-inch diameter circle. Brush half of the beaten egg evenly over the circle; this will help the pepperoni stick to the dough as you form the pretzel shape. Then sprinkle half of the minced pepperoni over the egg.
3. Roll up the circle, tucking in the ends as you go, until you have a tube-shaped log of dough. Pinch the ends and seam tightly closed. Cut the tube into 6 even pieces. Roll each piece under your palms until you have an evenly thick 12 to 14-inch long rope. If any of the pepperoni pieces fall out of the dough, just push them back in. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the 2 ends of the rope cross them over each other and press them into the center of the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.
4. Place on the parchment-lined pans, spacing them about an inch apart. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
5. Brush the pretzels with the egg wash and sprinkle them with coarse salt and cheese. Bake until they are deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on racks. Best eaten warm.
6. For appetizer-sized pretzels, cut each roll of dough into a dozen pieces and reduce baking time.