Homemade Soft Pretzels

In college, I was known for making cookies and soft pretzels. I loved baking and surprising my friends with a sweet or savory treat—and I still do today!

I would say making homemade soft pretzels is like an intermediate level baking challenge. It requires patience rolling out the dough—which oftentimes I do not have. Thankfully, that's what husbands are for.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk

• 1 package active dry yeast

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/3 cup baking soda

• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Instructions:

1. Warm the milk in a saucepan until it's about 110 degrees; pour into medium bowl and sprinkle the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon.

3. Dice two tablespoons butter and soften; stir them into the mixture.

4. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.

6. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet.

8. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

9. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.

10. Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish.

11. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.

12. Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.

13. Enjoy!

You can also make cinnamon sugar pretzels by mixing cinnamon and sugar and sprinkling it on the pretzels after the baking soda bath.

We have enjoyed dipping our pretzels in spicy mustard and queso sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network.