Recipe: Soft Pretzels

This recipe is easy and simple, but for some reason it took me forever to make these pretzels, could have been because it was my first time making them. When I was a teenager, way back when, I use to work at a movie theater and one of our kiosks sold these kind of pretzels. The whole time I was making them I was thinking "oh this brings back memories". I was really hoping the taste would be similar, it wasn't - it was the same! I am so happy I found this recipe, I use to eat these all the time on lunch break, not very healthy I know, but ooooh so tasty. This pretzel tastes slightly sweet without any toppings or dip, so if you want to add savoury toppings or a salty dip to your pretzel I would cut out some of the sugar.

This is what the pretzels look like naked, I brushed melted butter on them and added cinnamon and sugar with cream cheese icing drizzled over top.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
.....
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water

Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with whatever you like.

Enjoy!!!