Alton Brown's Soft Pretzels

Not my recipe...recipe found HERE

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback



Variations for pretzels....from ANNIES EATS

• *Garlic herb variation: To the basic dough recipe, add in 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons minced thyme, and freshly ground black pepper to taste while mixing/kneading the dough.  Continue with the rest of the recipe as instructed, using a lighter sprinkle of salt on top before baking.
  To make a cheese sauce, combine ¾ cup 2% or whole milk with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk frequently.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer about 1 minute until slightly thickened.  Remove from the heat, whisk in ¾ cup freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat as needed.
• *Cinnamon sugar variation: Make the basic dough recipe as instructed, omitting the sprinkling of salt before baking.  While the pretzel bites are baking, combine ¾ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl.  Mix to blend.  In another small bowl, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  When the pretzel bites are done baking and have cooled enough to handle, dip the top side briefly in the melted butter, then dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to adhere to the surface.  Gently shake off any excess.  Repeat with the remaining pretzel bites.  Let stand 5-10 minutes to allow the mixture to set on the surface of the pretzel.
  To make a chocolate sauce, place 5 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Bring 2/3 cup heavy cream to a simmer, pour over the chocolate, and let stand 2 minutes.  Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms.  Reheat as necessary to keep liquid for dipping. 
• *Make ahead instructions: See the original post on classic soft pretzels for the full details, but the gist is that the best make-ahead option is to proceed with the recipe through shaping (so, cutting into the bite size segments).  Place on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag and store.  When you are ready to make the pretzels, proceed with the recipe as directed, boiling directly from the freezer (no need to thaw).