Ingredients
1½ cups water
1 tbsp yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
5 cups flour
½ cup milk
5 tbsp baking soda
Butter, melted, as needed
Sea salt, for topping
Preparation
In a large bowl, add the water and yeast and stir.
In a separate bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and flour.
Once the yeast has completely dissolved in the water, combine with the flour mixture and milk. Mix evenly with a stand mixer.
To let the dough rise, place it in a greased bowl and cover it with a wet towel. It should rise to twice the size after an hour.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Smash the dough back down and divide it into 10 equal sections.
Roll the pieces out into long ropes. Longer ropes mean larger, thinner pretzels, while shorter ropes mean smaller, thicker pretzels.
Twist the ropes into pretzel shapes, pressing down the ends to secure them. Let them sit out for 15 minutes to rise again.
In a saucepan, bring some water and baking soda to a boil. Place the pretzels in, one by one, leaving each in for 30 seconds.
Place the pretzels on a baking sheet and brush them with the melted butter. Top with sea salt and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Roll them in cinnamon if desired, or serve with mustard.
