Pretzels !

I love Pretzels, do you ?! It is not the easiest of the recipes but please give it a chance and make it, it is very worth it indeed !

Ingredients:
25 gr of yeast
450 grams of all purpose flour
8 dl of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 teaspoons of salt
4 tablespoons of baking soda
some cooking salt


First Step:
In a bowl, add in : the yeast, 200 grams of flour and the sugar.
Mix very well and leave to rest for 20 mins. ( covered with a tablecloth).

Second Step:
To the above mixure add in the remaing flour and the salt. Leave to rise for 1 hour.

Thirt Step:
Take the dough and split it into 8 pieces.
By using your hands, roll out each piece till you get a "very-long-sausage-looking-piece-of-dough" ( nice description eh ?!! ). It should be at leat 35 cm long.
By picturing in your mind a finished Pretzel ( or you'd keep a real picture on your working table!)...try to give it the typical Pretzel shape. It is not that difficult!

Fourth Step:
Boil some water, pour it into a tray with high sides, add in the baking soda. It will start frizzing, it is ok.
Take a Pretzel with the help of a cooking slotted turner and lay it down in the tray with the warm water and soda. Keep it in there for 5-15 seconds. Take it out, lay it down on a tablecloth to absorb the dripping water, afterwards place it on a baking sheet ( buttered or with waxed paper on ).

Sprinkle some table-salt on each Pretzel, or you could use poppyseeds as well.

Bake in a pre-heated oven ( 200 °C) for 20 minutes.