BUTTER SOFT PRETZELS

Recipe and photo: Enrica Cugno Swanepoel
Butter soft pretzels made these today for the first time they came out a treat. Enjoy. They are really not difficult to make.

4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 ¼ cups luke warm water
5 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup of sugar
1½ teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon oil
½ bicarbonate of soda
4 cups of hot water
coarse salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in some warm water. Allow to forth (about 10 minutes)
In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre, add the oil, remaining water and yeast mixture. Mix and form a dough (I mixed mine in a bread machine)
If the mixture is to dry add a little more water. Knead the dough until smooth. (about 7-10 mins)
Preheat the oven to 240 ºC. Allow you dough to rise to double its size that’s around 1 hour.
When risen turn out onto a floured board and divide into around 14 equal size pieces. Roll each piece out and twist into shape or just make sticks.
Once the dough is shaped take your 4 cups of hot water add the bi-card and dip the pretzels into the hot water bath.
Place onto a lined baking tray and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake in the oven for around 8 mins until browned.
Once they come out of the oven brush the tops with the melted butter. And more salt if required.
If you want a sweet version don’t bake the pretzels with salt when they come out the oven brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.