Soft Pretzels

1: Combine all dough ingredients except for butter. Knead until no dry spots remain. Then incorporate the butter and knead until smooth.

2: Shape the dough into a ball, place it into a bowl, cover, and let it proof for 1-2 hours or until almost doubled in size.

3: Divide the dough into 6 equal sections and shape them into balls. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

4: Doing one at a time, shape each dough ball into a long rope. Mine was roughly 28” long, but this is up to you.

5: Place the shaped pretzels onto individual sheets of parchment paper, cover, and proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until they are noticeably puffy.

6: Preheat the oven to 425F. Meanwhile, in a well-ventilated area, whisk the water and lye together in a large metal or plastic container until the solution turns clear.

7: Using gloves, submerge each pretzel into the lye bath for a couple of seconds, then transfer the pretzel onto a lined baking sheet.

8: Score each pretzel and top with coarse pretzel salt.

9: Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pretzels are a deep golden brown color.