Wetzel Pretzel

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups bread flour (you can also do half whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• 4 quarts water
• ½ cup baking soda

Add yeast, water and sugar and let sit for 10 minutes. Put dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add oil and yeast, water, and sugar combo and mix (use your dough hook attachment). Add more flour if needed. Knead well. Dough should be slightly tacky, but firm. Oil a bowl, and place the dough ball in the bowl and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand until the dough is elastic and satiny. Place dough back in the bowl for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda (if you don’t add it slowly it will overflow).

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently degas it. Form the dough into a challah or any shape you want. Drop the challah into the boiling soda water, and let sit for 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or silpat. Brush with oil or melted butter, sprinkle with kosher salt and bake. Bake the bread for 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.