Alton Brown's Soft (Or Crunchy) Pretzels

Soft and traditional, or rolled into rods, Alton Brown's recipes will delight you.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 8 pretzels

Ingredients

• 2  ounces butter, melted
• 1 1⁄2 cups water, heated to 115 degrees Farenheit
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons fast rising yeast or 1 (7 1/4g) packet fast rising yeast
• 22  ounces all-purpose flour or 4 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10  cups boiling water
• 2⁄3 cup baking soda
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt or 1⁄4 cup  pretzel salt

Directions

1. Combine yeast, sugar, salt and water.
2. In the bowl of a large mixer with the hook attachment, combine flour, dry ingredients and melted butter Mix until all ingredients come together. Knead on medium speed for 4-5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and form into ball. Lightly spray or oil bowl, return dough and cover with a tea towel for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
4. Separate dough into 8 equally sized pieces.
5. In a large, wide pan, combine 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 2/3 cups of baking soda.
6. Lightly wet hands to help with formation of "logs" of dough. Roll each piece into a 24" piece. Form into a traditional pretzel shape - or any shape you wish. Place onto baking sheet and cover with a barely damp towel.
7. Two at a time, "bathe" pretzels in the water and baking soda mixture for 30 seconds and remove back to the baking sheets.
8. Beat an egg and brush each "boiled" pretzel with the glaze, then sprinkle with salt.
9. Bake for 14-15 minutes, until mahogany brown. Remove and cool. Delicious hot, warm or cooled.
10. For crunchy pretzel rods, use the same ingredients EXCEPT increase the water in the dough to 1 3/4 cups and ELIMINATE the butter. Proceed as above but cut risen dough into 36 equal pieces and roll out to 14" and boil in plain water, then bake for 15 minutes.