Soft Pretzels

I found this recipe years ago and am now copying it here from our family cookbook binder. Enjoy!

Soft Pretzels

1 loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed               

Flour, for dusting surface                                       

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup coarse salt

Topping options, see below

Divide dough into 14 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 16-inch rope, and then form into a pretzel shape.  Transfer dough to the refrigerator until ready to boil.  Roll dough thin to help pretzels keep their shape.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add pretzels, 3 at a time, and cook until pretzels rise to the surface, about 2 minutes.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Arrange pretzels 3 inches apart on buttered sheet pans.  Brush with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with coarse salt or *with choice of toppings (be careful with salt, not too much).  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. 

*Toppings:

Garlic Cheese:

½ cup finely grated parmesan

1 tsp. garlic powder

Combine cheese and garlic together.  Sprinkle on pretzels after you coat them with the beaten egg in the step above.  Omit the course salt and bake as directed above.

Cinnamon Sugar:

½ cup powdered sugar

1 Tbl. Ground cinnamon

1-2 Tbl. water

¼ cup honey

Combine sugar, cinnamon and water to make a glaze.  In pretzel directions above, omit the beaten egg glaze and instead cover pretzels with honey.  Bake as directed above, then remove from oven and brush warm pretzels with cinnamon sugar glaze.