Soft N Salty Pretzels

Photo: Katrin

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water, warmed to 110 degrees F

1 package dry active yeast

1 teaspoon brown sugar

4 cups bread flour

4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 tablespoon dark corn syrup

2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg white

1/4 cup baking soda

coarse salt for sprinkling

Preparation

Coat a large bowl with olive oil and set aside.

In your mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.

Stir until yeast dissolves, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add in the flour, butter, corn syrup, and salt.

Mix on speed 2 until ball forms on the dough hook - about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes. Have some flour on hand as you may need it if it becomes too sticky.

The dough should be smooth and elastic once complete.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to the oiled bowl, coating all sides.

Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume - about 1 hour. I usually put mine in the stove.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead for 5 minutes. Divide it into 15 two-ounce pieces. Form each piece into a ball, roll each ball out to a 1/2-inch-thick "rope", and twist each rope into a pretzel shape.

Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg white, 1 tablespoon water, and the remaining salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Bring 4 cups of water and baking soda to a boil. Poach pretzels 2 at a time for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer pretzels to a parchment-lined baking pan, brush lightly with the egg-white mixture, and sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Bake until golden -- about 15 minutes.

Try to avoid eating them straight from the oven, you may receive third degree burns to the roof of your mouth if you don't wait a few minutes - from experience