Soft Pretzels

I had the kids this last weekend and of course they wanted to make something. (Lilly especially she's our little cook) so she wanted to make the preztels that she made when she was Activity's Day Camp this last summer. These pretzels turned out good. If you like Costco's soft pretzels or Auntie Annie's pretzels you'll love how simple they are to make at home.

Ingredients

• 3 tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 1 tsp White Sugar
• 1¼ Cups Warm Water
• 4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• ¼-½ stick melted butter
• A topping you'd like (salt, parmesan cheese, or cinnamon sugar)

Directions

(works best if you have a KitchenAid® Standing Mixer)

Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water (make sure water temp is in accordance with the directions on the yeast package, otherwise the yeast won't work). Let stand for 5-10 minutes

To the yeast mixture add the ¼ cup of sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Add flour slowly as you use the kneading hook on your mixer, only mix in mixer until a soft dough forms Then take the dough out of the mixer and on a floured surface knead with your hands for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to over work the dough (I overworked the dough the first time I made it and so the dough was tough and hard to work with so I had to start over again)

Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in to the bowl and turn the dough a couple of times to coat with oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in sized (about 1 hour or so)

After dough is risen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl dissolve ¼ cup of baking soda in 2 cups of hot water

On a lightly floured surface divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape.

Dip each pretzel into the baking soda mixture and place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake pretzels until golden brown (around 8-10 minutes)

After they come out of the oven place on a wired rack with a pan underneath so that it's raised a little bit and brush the pretzel with some melted butter and then sprinkle with what ever topping you chose (parmesan, salt, or cinnamon sugar)