The Otter Club's World-Class Pretzel Recipe

Makes eight big, fat, delicious, beautiful pretzels! (or ten smaller ones)

2 packages of dry yeast
2 cups of warm water
æ teaspoon of salt
4‡ cups of flour
6 teaspoons of baking soda

Using a wire whisk, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the salt and flour gradually. Knead thoroughly and let the dough rise for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a soda solution in a 2 quart pot: 6 teaspoons of baking soda in 1‡ quarts of water. Heat the solution on the stove to near boiling. Start preheating the oven to 450 degrees.

When the 15 minute rise is completed, divide the dough into eight (or ten) equal balls. Then make 3 pretzels for the first batch by rolling the dough balls into 3 round strips æ" thick and 2 feet long. Twist them into a pretzel shape on an unfloured work surface, fastening the crossover point and ends of each pretzel by pinching. This is important to keep the pretzels from unraveling when they are put into the soda solution.

Bring the soda solution to a boil and toss in 3 pretzels for one minute. They should puff up and rise to the surface. Place them on a greased or non-stick cookie pan, sprinkle with salt (to your personal taste) and put the pan into the oven. Bake the pretzels for about 15 minutes or until they turn a light golden brown. Take them out and allow them to cool.

Continue with the next batch, making 3 or 4 pretzels at a time.

Eat 'em!Baked Pretzels
1 cup beer
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups white flour* 2 3/4 cups Canadian)
3/4 tsp. yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. water
coarse salt or sesame seeds 1. Measure first 6 ingredients in the order listed into Baking Pan.
2. Insert Baking Pan into oven chamber, twist to secure. Close lid.
3. Select: Dough / Pasta Setting
4. Press Start There will be a 25minute preheat delay before mixing begins.
5. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Roll into a 14" x 9" rectangle. With sharp knife, cut into eighteen 14" x 1/2" strips. Gently pull each strip into a rope 16 inches long. To shape into pretzels: Curve ends of each rope to make a circle; cross ends at top. Twist ends once and lay over bottom of circle. Place on greased baking sheets. Do not let rise.
6. Combine lightly beaten egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush on pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame seeds. Bake at 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes or until done. (For even browning when using two sheets, switch positions halfway through baking.) Remove from sheets; cool on wire rack.

Makes 18 pretzels