Eight Homemade Soft Pretzels with Baking-Soda Bath

Combine 360ml water at about 41–43°C, 1 tbsp sugar and 7g yeast in a bowl. Stir in 120g flour, 2 tbsp butter and 1 tsp salt.

Gradually add the remaining 360g flour and knead roughly 10 minutes, adding no more than 30g additional flour if very sticky, until elastic.

Cover dough in a lightly oiled bowl and rise in a comfortably warm place for 30–40 minutes until nearly doubled.

Divide into eight pieces; roll each to a 56–61cm rope, make a U, twist the ends once and fold them down to create pretzel shapes.

Preheat oven to 230°C. Boil 2.4L water in a large pot, carefully add 250g food-grade baking soda in portions (it may foam), then dip one or two pretzels at a time for 30 seconds and lift out.

Transfer dipped pretzels to lined trays. If desired, beat one egg with 1 tsp water and brush on; sprinkle about 2 tsp coarse salt across the pretzels.

Bake at 230°C for about 12 minutes until deep golden brown, then cool briefly on the tray.

Serve the eight pretzels warm; once cool, store airtight and warm thoroughly before eating later.