Buttery Soft Pretzels

Mix and knead the dough. Whisk together the warm milk, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Then sprinkle the yeast on top and wait about 5 minutes for it to get foamy and activate. Add the flour and melted butter. Then either use a wooden spoon to combine the dough, and knead it by hand for about 4 minutes until smooth. Or if you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook to knead it for about 4 minutes until smooth.

Let the dough rise. Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rise until doubled.

Heat oven. To 450°F, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Prepare the boiling water solution. Combine the water and baking soda in a stockpot or very large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Form the pretzels. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into an even 20-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, then cross the ends over each other and press then onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.

Boil the pretzels. Very carefully, use a spatula to transfer the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for about 30 seconds each. Use the spatula to transfer the pretzel to the parchment-lined pan, and repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Add egg wash and salt. Finally, brush the top of each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt.

Bake. Bake until the pretzels reach your desired level of golden brown color, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve warm. These pretzels taste best the day they have been baked, and even better hot out of the oven. So serve warm — brushed with extra melted butter if you would like — and enjoy!