Soft Pretzels like Auntie Anne's®
Serves: 8-12
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 dash salt
1 1/2 cups 110 degree water
4 cups bread flour
1 Tbls. baking soda
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup melted real butter
toppings (see Notes, below)
-Combine first 4 ingredients; allow to rest for 5 minutes.
-Stir flour to mixture and knead for 5 minutes.
-Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to
rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
-Divide dough into 8-12 equal-size pieces; roll each piece into a rope; shape
each rope into a pretzel.
-In a shallow dish, stir baking soda into warm water; dip pretzels into mixture;
lay coated pretzel onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
-Bake in a 550 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
-Brush melted butter onto hot pretzels.
Notes: For salted pretzels, sprinkle with pretzel salt or Kosher salt. For
cinnamon-sugar pretzels, stir 2 Tbls. honey into the melted butter before
brushing on pretzels, then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar
and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. For Parmesan pretzels, sprinkle with a mixture of
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. garlic salt; serve with marinara
sauce.