Soft pretzels

Ingredients:

Pretzels

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 3 tbsp. l. brown sugar
• 2 and 1/4 cups flour + extra for work
• 10 tbsp butter + extra for greasing
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup of baking soda
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. l. brown sugar
• 0.5 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

1. Make pretzels. Heat the milk to 115°F (43°C), pour it into a medium bowl, and sprinkle with the yeast. Let the yeast soften for about 2 minutes, then stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. Cut 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter into cubes, soften it, and stir it into the dough. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour and fine salt and knead into a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary, until smooth but still slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) and grease a large baking sheet. Punch down the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems dense, cover it and let it rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a 75cm (30-inch) rope with your hands, holding it by the ends and tapping the middle on the counter as you stretch the dough. Fold each rope into a pretzel shape.
3. In a shallow baking dish, dissolve baking soda in 3 cups of warm water. Carefully dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution, then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
4. Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. Dip the hot pretzels in the butter, coating them completely, and place them on a wire rack to drain. Serve warm with mustard sauce.