Mmm... Pretzels....

Easy, easy, easy. Seriously, so easy, I decided to take pictures in black & white.
Let the yeast proof. It's done about 2 minutes AFTER when this picture is taken. It only takes 5 minutes or so - just long enough to crack open a beer! Or drink Sprite from McDonalds.
The dough - after HAND KNEADING. Seriously, I don't have enough money for a KitchenAid stand mixer! I only use that in my dreams!
This is my right hand in the middle of kneading, I had to take pics with my left. I think there's still some flour on my camera. Oops, oh well!

Give it another good knead. Keep your hands nicely floured - don't worry about using too much flour, I got 4 cups into this baby. Plus you'll let it rise for a whole hour.
Then, separate into 8 equal pieces, roll out into 24 inch lengths and MAKE A PRETZEL SHAPE.
The boil for 30 seconds in the baking soda & water bath.
Don't forget to use your Good Cook pastry brush to brush your egg wash on.
And voila! But don't be like me - I accidentally forgot to spray the pan with Pam with Flour. Oops. My friend Ben and I ate them straight from the pan.

Mmmm... Pretzels.....

Homemade Soft Pretzels

By Alton Brown

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt

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 to 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 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. In the meantime, 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 half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

PSH