Soft Pretzels

Makes 6 pretzels (up to you if you want to roll into sticks or make into bites!)

Ingredients: 

2 teaspoons dry active or rapid rise yeast (½ packet)
⅓ cup warm water
½ cup warm milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or oil
¼ cup baking soda
3 cups water
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt to top

Instructions:

Whisk together yeast and warm water in bowl until dissolved. Add milk, flour, light brown sugar, salt, and fat. Mix by hand or with dough hook until combined. Knead for 7 minutes.
 
Transfer to oil lined bowl and cover with plastic, leave in a warm, dark place for 1-2 hours where it will double in size.
 
Bring baking soda and water to a boil in a shallow pan and heat oven to 450F.
 
Deflate dough on counter, and divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece out to 20-inches long, then take each rope and twist it into a pretzel.
 
Boil pretzel dough for 20 seconds face down, then 20 seconds on bottom side, for 40 seconds total.
 
Transfer boiled pretzel dough to greased baking sheet.
 
Using clean hands or a paint brush coat each in melted butter.
 
Sprinkle surface of each with salt.
 
Bake for 10-12 minutes until a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and paint once more with melted butter.
 
Serve warm solo or with your favorite dipping sauce as a sidekick.