Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Pretzels not only taste good, they also look good especially when you decorate your Oktoberfest table with them. For something a little different shape pretzels into rings before baking them to form a novel napkin ring for your Oktoberfest guests. You can also attach blue and white ribbon to regular shaped pretzels and hang them in windows or from the ceiling.

1 package active dry yeast
1/8 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups flour
Coarse sea salt
Water, baking soda
TO SERVE:
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
FOR VARIATIONS:
cubed bacon
German butter cheese or Bavarian Emmental

Dissolve yeast in 1/8 cup warm water. Stir in 1 1/3 cups warm water, 1/3 cup brown sugar and flour. Beat until smooth. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.

Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle the bottom of a baking sheet with coarse salt.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan adding 2 tablespoons baking soda for each cup of water used.

Tear off some dough and roll a pencil shape with your hands. Pick up both ends, cross to form rabbit ears and then twist the ends and pull them back to the rest of the loop.

Place twisted pretzels in water/baking soda mixture for 15 seconds until the pretzel dough is golden or yellow in color.

Remove the pretzels from boiling water and place onto salted cookie sheet. Salt the top of pretzels with course ground sea salt.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until pretzel is golden brown.

VARIATIONS

FOR MEAT LOVERS:
Add cubed bacon while kneading the dough and bake together until pretzel is golden brown.

FOR CHEESE LOVERS:
Do not salt the pretzels, but place a layer of German butter cheese or Bavarian Emmental on top and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cheese will turn golden brown.

TO SERVE:
As an accompaniment to your pretzels try this creamy dip.

HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE:
5 oz Creme Fraiche
3 tablespoons German honey
2 tablespoons German mustard
Salt and sugar to taste

Stir creme fraiche, honey and mustard until creamy. Add sugar and salt to taste.

Source: the German Agricultural Marketing Board