Bread Recipe #34 - Homemade Soft Pretzels

I have found walking through the Mall one place that is hard to pass by - the pretzel place. Auntie Anne's is my favorite and with so many options it's hard to decide on just one. This recipe isn't quite as good as those made by someone's Aunt Anne, but is much better than the ones you find rotating inside a glass warmer. I made them with the traditional salt, but you could try sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on them, or having them plain. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm (110-115 degrees) water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 package active dry yeast, 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 ounces (1/2 stick)butter, melted, vegetable oil, for pan (or spray), 10 cups water, 2/3 cup baking soda, 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, pretzel salt (I used kosher). Instructions: Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water using a large flat spatula. Proceed with remaining pretzels. Return to the baking sheet, brush the tops of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake into preheated 450 oven until golden brown in color, approximately 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. Makes 8 pretzels. Found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. Was introduced by Alton Brown, 2007. "Rolling in the dough!"