Big Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 tblsp dry yeast
• 5-6 cups bread mix
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• TOPPING:
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Blend in 2 eggs and butter. Add 5 cups bread mix. Stir well. Add additional bread mix to make a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth. Roll pieces of dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter and 18 to 24 inches long. Form into pretzel shapes. For pretzel sticks, cut dough into 5 to 6 inch lengths. Place on prepared baking sheets. Preheat oven to 425F. Brush tops of pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately 12 to 15 minutes, until brown and crisp. Makes 12 to 15 large pretzels.

Variation For a chewier pretzel, drop pretzel-shaped dough into a pan of boiling water. When dough floats to the top of the water, remove it. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake about 30 minutes.