Soft Pretzels

• 1 1/2 cup of warm water (110F)
• 1 package of dry yeast (7g) I used Rapid Rise
• 1 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (you might need a little more)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted
• coarse salt
• around 10 cups of water
• 2/3 cup of baking soda
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of water
• 
  

Directions

1. On your KitchenAid Mixer bowl add water, yeast and sugar and let it rest for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes yeast Mixture should be foamy.
2. With the hook attachment on, start mixing the yeast mixture on slow speed on your KitchenAid Mixer and add salt, melted butter and start adding flour until all combined, then change to medium speed and let the dough hook do its job for about 5 minutes until dough is not sticking to the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Spray cooking spray on a clean bowl and add the dough, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. I let my dough rise in the sun and it turned out PERFECT.
4. After your dough has risen, on a big pot add water and baking soda on medium heat.
5. Lay 2 big pieces of wax paper on a clean and dry surface close to the boiling water, this will serve as a bed for your pretzels for before and after you boil them.
6. Also, you will need 2 cookie sheets covered with wax paper and brush vegetable oil over it, you will bake pretzels on it.
7. Spray cooking spray on a clean surface and pour the dough, divide it into 8 pieces. Start rolling each piece into a long snake and shape your pretzel, the easiest way is making an U shape then cross the tips on the bottom of the U, make sure you press the tips on the bottom of the U, otherwise they will come apart when boiling it.
8. Set it over the wax paper close to the boiling water, repeat the same thing with the 8 pieces of you dough.
9. Preheat your oven to 450F.
10. Now its time to boil the pretzels, don’t be scared, you will see how easy it is.
11. Once the water is boiling with the help of a big flat spatula boil 1 pretzel at a time always throwing a little water over the pretzel for about 30 seconds, bring pretzels back to the wax paper to let it soak a little of the water from it. Repeat the same thing with the remaining pretzels.
12. Lay 4 pretzels per cookie sheet, leaving some room between each and brush the egg wash over it. Sprinkle a little coarse salt over it and bake them for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Let them cool off on a wire rack and your pretzels are ready!

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