Auntie Anne's Copycat Pretzels

Total Time: 1 hr 8 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2/3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup bread flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2/3 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon honey

Recipe

• 1 grease a baking sheet.
• 2 sprinkle yeast onto lukewarm (about 115 degrees) water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve.
• 3 add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve.
• 4 add flour and knead dough (in bowl) until smooth and elastic.
• 5 cover and let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• 6 mix the bath of warm water and baking soda in a shallow bowl and stir often.
• 7 divide dough and roll into a long, thin rope, the thinner the better. 1/2" thick is great if you have the skill and patience. this gets easier with practice.
• 8 shape into a pretzel (make a u-shape, twist, then bring ends down to form shape), dip into water bath and place on greased baking sheet.
• 9 allow pretzels to rise again (i prefer to keep them covered during the rise).
• 10 bake in a preheated, 450 degree oven for about 8 minutes. bake only until just golden. if they are overcooked, they are tough.
• 11 while they are baking, melt butter and whisk a little bit of honey into the butter (i use about a tablespoon for 4 pretzels but you can use whatever you prefer).
• 12 when pretzels are almost done, brush each one with the butter/honey mixture and return to the oven for about a minute.
• 13 you can sprinkle on cinnamon sugar just after brushing on the butter, or skip the honey and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, garlic salt, coarse salt, or whatever topping you like.
• 14 these can also be made into tasty pretzel sticks.