Lunch: Soft Ball Pretzels

Homemade soft pretzels that are delicious with spicy or sweet mustard.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, (about 98 °)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups water
5 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine water and yeast and when dissolved, add in 1/2 of sifted all-purpose flour, butter, salt, sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky. Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll the pretzel pieces to about 18-inches long. On a greased cookie sheet, shape each length into a pretzel shape. Let rise again until almost doubled.
Boil 4 cups of water and baking soda in a large dutch oven (non aluminum). Using a large spoon, gently lower pretzels into water a few at a time and boil for about 1 minute, or until they float. Return the pretzels to the cookie sheet and brush with melted butter then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until browned, about 12 minutes at 500 °. Serve hot with mustard.

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