Homemade Pretzels!

In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine 2/3 cup of warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir around. Wait about 5 minutes or until mixture begins to foam. Add in flour and melted butter and mix at low speed with the dough hook attachment until all ingredients are combined. Add in more water if necessary. Then change to medium speed and mix for about 5-8 minutes. The dough has to get smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer into a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a dry and warm place for about 1 hour to 90 minutes.

Now divide the dough into 10 small balls. Roll out each ball into a long rope as thick as your pinky finger. Shape each rope in a pretzel: make a U-shape with the rope and, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other. Then press them onto the bottom of the U.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Bring about 7 cups of water with the baking soda to a boil.

Place pretzels in the boiling water, no more than 2 at a time, and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a flat spatula and place them on parchment paper. Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush the pretzels with the mixture. Sprinkle the surface of each pretzel with pretzel salt, and bake at 220ºC for about 10-15 minutes.

Allow pretzels to cool down, then serve!