Copycat Auntie Anne's Pretzels

Dear Turkey,

I ran ten miles

And then I ate two of these

It was amazing

Copycat Auntie Anne's Pretzels

(makes 6, adapted from here)

Ingredients:

- 1 c milk of your choice (I used oat)

- 3 T brown sugar

- 1 T yeast

- 2.5 c flour (I used white whole wheat)

- 1 t salt

- 2 T butter/solid fat of your choice (I used solid coconut oil)

- 1/3 c baking soda dissolved in about 3 c warm water

- For toppings, I used about 3 T melted coconut oil, large grained sea salt, sugar, and cinnamon, but feel free to go crazy with whatever floats your boat

Instructions:

- In a big bowl, microwave the milk and sugar until it's about 110 F and then add the yeast (if you're using instant yeast, you can just throw everything together without heating it). Add the flour, fat, and salt, trying not to let the salt touch the yeast directly. 

- Knead with your hands until a ball forms and then for about 5 minutes more. Add more flour if things are getting sticky. 

- Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until you can see a noticeable increase in size -- it doesn't have to fully double here. 

- Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll/twist/pinch/pull each one out as thin as you can. No stressing. Form each rope into a pretzel shape, dip it into the water/baking soda mixture, and place them evenly on a parchment-covered cookie sheet.

- Bake at 350 F until golden brown and cooked through (you can rip one apart to make sure it's done inside). This may take up to 45 mins or even more, but start checking after 15 minutes -- it really depends on how thin they are and what kind of flour you used.

- I then painted mine with coconut oil (use a lot and let it really sink in), and then sprinkled them with some salt and a whole lot of cinnamon and sugar.

- Freeze leftovers.

Enjoy,

Tofu