Soft Pretzels
by Olivia Lam
Yield - 6 pretzels
Ingredients
1 cup 2% milk
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + a bit for kneading
1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking soda + 1.5 cup warm water
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
Directions
In a saucepan, warm the milk until it hits 110​°​F (43​°​C).
In a medium bowl, add warm milk and sprinkle yeast overtop. Gently stir in the yeast
and allow it to soften for 2 minutes. Next, add in the brown sugar and 1 cup of flour, stir
with a wooden spoon. Add 2 tbsp (half of 1/4 cup) softened butter and stir into mixture.
Lastly, add in the remaining flour and salt.
Mix until blended and you’ll have a sticky dough.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Then shape into a ball and
place back into bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise
for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450​°​F and line a large baking tray with
parchment paper.
Gently push down on the dough to deflate and place onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into 6.

 For each piece, roll and stretch into a 20-inch rope. You can do this by holding the ends
of the dough and slapping the middle of the rope on your counter as you stretch
(resembles a skipping rope movement).
Form each piece into a pretzel shape (easiest to shape if you look at a picture to follow
along).
In a shallow dish, dissolve the baking soda with warm water. Dip each pretzel into the
solution, or brush all over.
Place pretzels onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until golden.
Melt the remaining butter in a bowl and brush on top of the pretzels. Sprinkle coarse salt
on top and enjoy!
Tip: Tastes great dipped in a full grain Dijon mustard with a bit of honey.