Soft Pretzels

• 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)

1. -Combine first 4 ingredients; allow to rest for 5 minutes.
2. -Stir flour to mixture and knead for 5 minutes.
3. -Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
4. -Divide dough into 8-12 equal-size pieces; roll each piece into a rope; shape each rope into a pretzel.
5. -In a shallow dish, stir baking soda into warm water; dip pretzels into mixture (or brush mixture over pretzels); lay coated pretzel onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
6. -Bake in a 550 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. -Brush melted butter onto hot pretzels.
8. 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.

active dry yeast, brown sugar, salt, water, bread flour, baking soda, warm water, butter, toppings

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/soft-pretzels-1272928 (may not work)