Chewy Soft Pretzels

I got this recipe from my mom. Every time we have made these pretzels, they have turned out impeccably! They are even better than those yummy pretzels at the mall! And we are big fans of hot pretzels in this house, so that is saying a lot! They are hot and chewy and they have that really great pretzel flavor! Plus they are so fun to make with the kids! They LOVE it! (See picture below...so excited!) Such a fun activity for them! It seems a little complicated but as soon as you make them once you will see how easy it is! And think, why haven't I been making these for years?

Makes 8 pretzels

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 cup warm water*

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Coarse salt or Cinnamon & Sugar

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown. I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Then sprinkle on the kosher salt or cinnamon & sugar! And Enjoy!

*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.

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