Yield: 12 Large Pretzels

Ingredients:

• 1.25 cups warm (85 degree) water
• 1 package (0.25 ounce) active dry yeast
• 0.5 teaspoon sugar
• 3.25 to 3.5 cups flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• coarse or kosher salt

Preparation:

1. In large bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar on warm water and let stand one hour to dissolve and proof.
2. Mix in three cups of the flour until a stiff dough is formed. Turn out onto floured surface and knead about seven to eight minutes, incorporating more of the flour as needed to prevent sticking. Dough should be smooth and elastic at the end of the kneading process. Place the dough ball in a well-greased bowl, turning once to coat completely. Cover with light cloth and let stand in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1.5 hours.
3. Punch down dough and divide int 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to a rope about eighteen inches long. Form into pretzel shape and place on greased cookie sheet.
4. In small dish, mix egg yolk with water; brush mixture on tops of pretzels and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Allow to rise about 15 minutes. Bake at 475 degrees 10 to 12 minutes, until browned and puffed.

Notes:

• We don't bother with the yeast-proofing step. Once the yeast and sugar is dissolved, we dump in the flour and start mixing.
• Since we use bulk yeast, I estimate that 0.25 ounces of yeast is 0.5 tablespoons (1.5 teaspoons). Whether I'm right is another matter.
• Add the flour one cup at a time and mix each in well.
• Don't overgrease the bowl with liquid grease (i.e., olive oil). Go lightly, a shot or two of spray oil is sufficient, some on the bowl, some on the dough. We then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Depending on your "warm place," rising will take more or less time. Our oven is always at 100 degrees thanks to the pilot light; We once used a heating pad and had good results on the low setting in 45 minutes.
• For easier shaping: Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rough rectangle, about 0.5 inches thick. Cut off strips with a knife and roll that into a rope.
• You want the dough to be slightly sticky, so use as little flour as possible when rolling it out.
• Learn to make a pretzel knot. Without the knot, this is just a breadstick recipe.
• The egg glaze is what makes them brown. 10-12 minutes may be a bit short -- the last batch came out brownish on top and bottom, and stayed pale on the sides. A convection oven or baking on wire racks may solve this problem.