Soft Pretzels

The Boy and I made these last week when he had a hankering for soft pretzels. They were so good, that I made a second batch a few days later! They were pretty easy to make, and are best right out of the oven topped with some yellow mustard.

I should mention that I used McCormick Sea Salt for the salt that was sprinkled on top of the pretzels. It came in a grinder, but since I didn’t want to grind the salt, I used a screwdriver to pierce the container, and poured a little salt in my hand for sprinkling.

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 package yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• coarse sea salt
• 9 cups water
• 1/2 cup baking soda

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk yeast in warm water, let sit for a minute. Whisk in salt, sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add in flour, a 1/2 cup at a time. If dough is sticky, add in a bit more.
2. Knead dough on a floured surface for 3 minutes, then shape into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Boil the 9 cups of water with the baking soda. Preheat oven to 400º. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly spray with baking spray, set aside.
4. Cut ball of dough into 4 pieces, cut each piece into 3 equal parts. Roll the dough into 20″ ropes. Make a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together, and bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape.
5. Drop 2 at a time into the boiling water/baking soda bath for 20 to 30 seconds. Don’t leave them in any longer than that or they’ll have a metallic taste. Remove from water with a slotted spatula, allowing as much water to drip off. Place on prepared pan and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.