Buttery Soft Pretzels

These delicious treats are courtesy of AllRecipes.com

This is a bonus recipe because it's also a crafty one!

It's a great go-to recipe for the days when you need a little fun. It's also great for play dates...not only is it a healthy snack but it gives the kids something to do!

It's super easy and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. What you may not have is the active dry yeast. You find it in the cooking aisle of the grocery store. It comes in little packets or a jar like this:

Here is what you need:

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. 

When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.(we also sprinkle some of them with cinnamon sugar)

We like to experiment with our shapes

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned. 

Enjoy!