Spooky Pretzel Bones Recipe 445

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; divide into 12 portions. Roll each into a 14-in. rope; tie a knot at each end., Preheat oven to 425°. In a large saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Place 1 pretzel at a time into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. , Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Brush with egg; sprinkle with desired topping. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Give it a stir and let it sit untouched for 10 minutes until foamy. Add the melted butter and then slowly add 3 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix until thick on medium speed. If the dough is still sticky, add 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and you can poke it with your finger and it bounces back. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place into a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave in a warm area for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. With a sharp knife, cut the ball of dough in half and then cut each half into 8 equal pieces, totaling 16 in all. On a clean counter top or unmoving surface (no parchment paper)!), take one dough ball and start rolling it into a long rope by placing your hands in the middle and rolling outwards and away from each other. Do this until the top is approximately 12-14 inches long. When you get to the ends, roll them out a little thinner leaving the middle portion of the pretzel rope thick. Tie each end into a knot, pulling the end all the way through the loop to create the bone shape. Set aside and roll out the rest. Boil 9 cups of water with 1/2 cup baking soda. Once it is rapidly boiling, drop several of the bones into the water and let them sit for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. To make the cheese sauce, heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until you see bubbles starting to form. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms, 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the warm milk to the flour mixture and whisk constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. It should be thick but still pour-able. Remove from heat and add the cheese, whisking until melted. Add the Sriracha and mustard, whisking until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove pretzels from the oven and serve with cheese sauce. Pretzels will remain fresh up to 3 days in an airtight container, although they will lose some of their softness.