Soft Pretzels

These pretzels were fairly easy to make and tasted so good fresh out of the oven. I think next time I make them I will probably just make them into little nuggets instead of the pretzel shape. It wasn't hard to make the pretzel shape it was just slightly time consuming and then it was hard to get the center of the pretzel cooked completely. I halved this recipe and it made six pretzels. I also had to add more water to incorporate all of the flour.

Soft Pretzels

• 4 TSP Active Dry Yeast
• 1 TSP Sugar
• 1 1/4 CUP Warm Water
• 5 CUPS Flour
• 1/4 CUP Sugar
• 1/4 CUP Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 TSP Salt
• 1 TBS Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Baking Soda
• 4 CUPS Very Hot Water
• 2 TBS Melted Butter
• 1/4 CUP Kosher or Sea Salt
  

In small bowl dissolve yeast, tbs of sugar, and 1 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. In large bowl add flour, sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Make well in center and add yeast mixture and oil. Mix and form into dough, add more water if needed. Knead dough for about 7-8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cloth towel and allow to rise for an hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl dissolve baking soda into 4 cups of very hot water. Divide dough into 12 balls. Roll into a rope and shape into a pretzel. Next time I will just roll into a rope and then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Dip pretzels into baking soda water for several seconds then place on a greased baking sheet (This step is what allows them to brown and taste more like a pretzel than bread). Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.