Yummy Recipe ~ Soft Pretzels

An update on my 5 year old daughter. She had a sever case of tonsillitis and spent a night in the hospital and a week and a half at home in bed from school. She is doing much better and back to school. Thank you for all your support!
Being a girl from South Jersey orginially I have a thing for soft pretzels!! I have tried so many different recipies trying to find one that I just loved and made me think of those oh so yummy Philly pretzels. Well I finally found one, and it is from non other than Alton Brown. I think that he is amazing and his baking recipies are so percise you can't screw them up, if you do exactly what he tells you, you will have perfection. 

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 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

• Directions

  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.

  
  

  These are so yummy and I love them with mustard! What do you like on your soft pretzels?

  
  

  Recipe taken from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html