This recipe is from my niece, Lisa, and from what my sister, Janet, tells me, it’s fabulous. Thanks for sharing, Lisa! – JM Farro
LISA’S SOFT PRETZELS
2 tablespoons Hot Water
1 package Active Dry Yeast
1 1/3 cup Warm Water
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
4 cups all-purpose Flour
Coarse Kosher Salt (I use sea salt)
Baking Soda
Butter (to grease cookie sheets)
Vegetable Oil (to grease counter)
1 Egg, beaten + 1 tablespoon Water (to brush the pretzels with before baking)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons hot water and 1 package active dry yeast until the yeast dissolves.
Stir in the 1 1/3 cup warm water and 1/3 cup brown sugar and continue stirring until the brown sugar dissolves.
Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring the mixture until it is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
To continue by hand: flour the counter lightly, and flour your hands. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth.
Lightly oil your counter. Grease your cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening. It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets well! Sprinkle greased cookie sheets with kosher salt.
Using a liquid measuring cup, fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water you add, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
Divide the dough into 10 even pieces. Roll each into a rope, then shape them like a pretzel.
Bring the water and baking soda in the saucepan to a gentle boil.
Using a spatula, gently lower each pretzel into the water one by one, counting slowly to 30 before removing the pretzel from the water and placing it on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all pretzels are done.
When all pretzels have been boiled, lightly brush each pretzel with the egg + 1 tablespoon water mixture, then sprinkle with more kosher salt.
Bake for 8 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden.