Homemade Soft Pretzels

INGREDIENTS
Dough

4 3/4 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast (2 packets)
2 cups warm water

Topping
2 cups water
4 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse, kosher or pretzel salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

In a mixer, bloom the yeast with the sugar and water, let sit for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and using the hook attachment, combine ingredients until it forms a dough that pulls away from the sides. Continue kneading for about 5 minutes. It should be soft, smooth, and quite slack. Cover, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the topping:

In a small pot, boil water and add baking soda, stirring until the soda is dissolved. Reduce heat to a soft simmer.

Preheat your oven to 475°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into sixteen equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Pour the baking soda/water into a 9" square pan.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 30" long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Working with 4 pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. This baking soda "bath" will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.

Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with salt, if desired.

Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter.

Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but pretend you're Paula Dean, and you need butter to live.

Sprinkle with more salt, because we go hard to the paint here, and serve!

Variation: PRETZEL BITES WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Instead of twisting your ropes of dough, cut them into 1 inch pieces, throw them in the soda water for a minute, and let sit for 10 minutes, and bake for 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown.