Legit Soft Pretzels Just Like Auntie Annes Recipes

Steps:

• Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about one and a half minutes, to about 110º.
• Stir the yeast into the milk and let it sit for about 3 minutes.
• Add the butter and sugar to the milk and stir to mix.
• Add the flour to the milk, about 1 cup at a time and add the fine salt as you add the flour. Mix w/ a spoon.
• Knead for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand.
• Put kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.
• Let rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 450º.
• Punch down dough and divide into 12 lumps -- this is easiest if you divide it in half, cut each half into three lumps, then cut each lump in half.
• Combine the warm water and baking soda in a shallow dish (e.g. and 8x8 baking dish); stir/whisk until the baking soda is as dissolved as possible.
• Roll all 12 lumps of dough out as thin as you can -- they will shrink up quickly so getting the thinnest ropes possible is key.
• Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then quickly dip in the baking soda water. I found this works best when you roll out 2-3 pretzels, dip them, then put them on the baking sheet.
• Place rolled, dipped pretzels on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned.
• Dip each in the melted butter while hot.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast in medium bowl. Blend well.
• Heat 1 cup water and Crisco in small saucepan to 100 - 110 degrees.
• Add liquid to flour mixture and blend at low speed until moistened.
• Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
• Stir in by hand an additional 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups of flour or until dough pulls cleanly away from sides of bowl.
• Knead in 1/2 - 3/4 cup flour, on a floured surface, until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Put dough in greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a cloth towel.
• Let rise in a warm (80-85 degrees) until light and doubled in size. About 45 minutes.
• Spray 2 cookie sheets with no-stick spray.
• Punch dough down and seperate into 12 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a 16-inch rope.
• Form into pretzel shape.
• Place on greased cookie sheets and cover.
• Let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
• Adjust oven rack to top position.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine 6 cups water and baking soda in a shallow saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Slowly drop pretzels into water, one at a time, cooking 15 seconds on each side.
• Remove from water with a slotted spoon and return to greased cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with pretzel salt, sesame seeds, etc.
• Bake for 8 minutes.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Bake an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from cookie sheet and brush generously with remaining butter.