Ingredients:

• 4 cups AP Flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 3 Tbsp softened butter

Soda bath

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 2 quarts of water

Optional ingredients (toppings)

• coarse salt
• everything but the bagel seasoning
• cinnamon sugar mixture

Start off by dissolving your yeast in your warm water. While that’s doing its foamy thing, mix flour and salt together in your stand mixer bowl. Form a well in the center and sprinkle your sugar in it. Pour your yeast mixture in the well and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Add your softened butter and mix on low until a ball forms. I ended up having to add an additional tablespoon or so of water since it was a tad too dry. Let your dough rest for 30 minutes.

Time to make the pretzel shapes!! Divide your dough into 12 equal parts..or if you’re like me, 11 and then realize your mistake and hastily make 12. Pretend you’re making playdoh snakes. You want at least 18-20″ to play with. You can really make any sort of shape that makes you happy, but the traditional shape starts with a U and then cross the ends over twisting twice and bring the ends down to the bottom of the U shape. You can also try to emulate the people at Auntie Anne’s in the mall and flip it around hastily and hope for the best!

I placed my twisted pretzels on my handy-dandy silpat lined baking tray, but you can place them on a parchment paper lined try. Either way, place them uncovered in the fridge for about an hour. At least. This will help them create a nice crust. Seriously, don’t skip this. It’s a very satisfying crust.

After the hour is up, preheat your oven to 400F.

Fill a large pot with your 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Bring your pretzels out of the fridge. Add your baking soda to the boiling water little by little. Its going to bubble up so seriously don’t add it all at once. The bubbles with subside and now you can start to add your pretzels. I did them 2 at a time since you have to keep an eye on them. Using either a large slotted spoon or some tongs, you’re going to drop them into the water and cook for 10 seconds on each side and then place back on the tray. Repeat until all have had their bath.

Using a razor blade or a very sharp knife, score one side of your pretzel. I don’t know why, but in traditional pretzels, this is what they do..so..do it.

Now, if you’re doing plain salt or the everything seasoning, this is where you add it to your pretzel. If you want cinnamon sugar, you’re going to bake them plain.

Mine baked in 15 minutes, but depending on how deep you’d like your coloring, you may bake for 20 minutes.

If you want your cinnamon sugar pretzel, melt some butter to brush on your cooked pretzel and just dust it on. Super simple and fucking delicious!

That’s it. Its a super simple and delicious snack and perfect for when you have a house full of snacky people.

10/10 recommend.