Golden Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees f/43 to 46 degrees c)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, or as needed

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 55 mins


• dissolve yeast and sugar in 2 cups warm water in a large bowl; let stand until bubbling, about 10 minutes. beat butter, egg, and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture until smooth. mix in 2 cups flour to make a wet dough. stir remaining flour into dough, 1 cup at a time, to make a stiff dough. form dough into a ball.
• grease a large bowl and turn dough around in greased bowl to coat. cover lightly with a kitchen towel, place in a warm area, and let dough rise until doubled, at least 1 hour. punch dough down.
• preheat oven to 400 degrees f (200 degrees c). grease baking sheets.
• divide dough in half; cut each half into 8 pieces. roll pieces out on a floured surface into ropes about 1/2-inch thick. shape each rope into a pretzel.
• bring 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan and dissolve baking soda in the boiling water. boil pretzels, a few at a time, in the baking soda water for 10 minutes. arrange pretzels on prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
• bake in the preheated oven until pretzels are shiny and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.