Homemade Pretzels!

This was my first attempt at making pretzels. They came out very well. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the tops but I think next time I'm going to try cinnamon and sugar to make them a sweet treat.

Buttery Pretzels
Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 cup warm water

Topping:

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons baking soda

coarse salt

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well-combined. Knead dough by hand or with the dough hook for 5 minutes or until soft,smooth, and quite slack.

Flour the dough, place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500˚F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying with vegetable oil spray.

Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl. Make sure the baking soda is dissolved completely.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 inches long.) Twist each rope into a pretzel shape.

Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash ( this will give the pretzel a nice golden-brown color), and place on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse salt. Allow the pretzels to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake pretzels for 8-9 minutes, or until they are golden brown.(Reverse the baking sheets half way through baking time.) Remove the pretzels from the oven. Brush pretzels with all the melted butter. Serve warm or reheat.