Soft Pretzels

These Soft Pretzels are amazing, they made a great snack and I did not use any of the toppings listed here. I used coarse ground garlic salt. I got this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book.

Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/2 cup flour
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cooking oil (I used canola)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons salt (separate use)
3 quarts boiling water
1 egg white (if rotating)
1 tablespoon water
Sesame seed, poppy seed, or coarse salt

Heat your oven to 475 degrees.

A large mixing bowl stir together 1 1/2  cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, oil, and the 1 teaspoon salt until warm (120 or 130 degrees). Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.   

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into ball, place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Let sit until doubled in size.

When it is risen, punch it down and let it rest for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Grease two baking sheets and put them aside.  Roll dough into a 12x10-inch rectangle cut the rectangle into twenty 1/2-inch strips. Carefully stretch each strip into a rope about 16 inches long and shape into a pretzel.

Place pretzels on baking sheets and bake at 475 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a large pot dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce it down to simmer. Lower pretzels, 4-5 at a time, into the water and let them simmer for 2 minutes, turning over once.

Remove the pretzels from the water and put them on paper towels for just a few seconds or they'll start sticking to the paper towel. (I used a wire rack)

Place the pretzels on the greased baking sheets.

Mix 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water together in bowl. If you're using shelf-only items, just skip the egg white. Brush each pretzel. Sprinkle with salt or whatever you have.

Bake the pretzels in the 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.