Cookbook:Pretzels (Soft)

| Bread

These are soft pretzels.

Ingredients

 * 4 cups flour
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
 * 1 package yeast (¼ oz active dry yeast, 2¼ tsp dry yeast, or one 0.6 oz yeast cake)
 * 1½ cups warm water
 * Egg white (or beaten whole egg)
 * Coarse salt (margarita or kosher salt)

Procedure

 * 1) Dissolve the yeast in the water.
 * 2) Mix in the salt, sugar, and flour.
 * 3) Knead the dough until it is smooth.
 * 4) Roll out (do not cut) a blob of dough until it is a rope about 18 inches long.
 * 5) If a traditional shape is desired: Make a loop with the middle of the dough, crossing the dough over itself at about the 15% and 85% areas. Give this contact point a 180° twist, then flip it (and the ends) over toward the middle of the dough piece so that the ends overlap the more-central part at about the 45% and 55% areas.
 * 6) Brush the pretzel with egg.
 * 7) Sprinkle coarse salt onto the egg.
 * 8) Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.