Soft Pretzel

Ingredients:
   Dough:
   1 1/2 C    warm water
   2 1/4 tsp  active dry yeast
   2 tbl      brown sugar
   1 1/8 tsp  salt
   2 tbl      butter
   1 C        bread flour
   3 C        regular flour

   Bath:
   2 C        warm water
   2 tbl      baking soda

   Pre-bake coating:
   1          egg (beaten)
   1 tsp      water
   1-4 tbl    coarse salt

   Post-bake coating:
   4 tbl      butter (melted)

Directions:
   Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add
   sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth
   and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour. 

   While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm
   water and 2 Tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has
   risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope* (about 1/2 inch
   or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased
   baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in 450 degrees F oven for
   about 10 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter and enjoy! 

Variations:
   Salt Coated:
   after you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.

   Cinnamon Sugar:
   For Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in
   a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another
   shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Dip the pretzel into
   the butter, coating both sides generously. Then dip again into the
   cinnamon mixture.

Notes:
   * The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie
     Anne's they will be. (Of course I don't have the counter space!) 
   * Sweet butter, not regular butter, is one of her secrets!

Source: 
   http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/352/Aunt_Annies_Soft_Pretzels13849.shtml
