Soft Pretzels

**Recipe from Annie's Eats **

Pretzel dough:
* 1½ c. warm water (110-115° F)
* 1 Tbl. sugar
* 2 tsp. kosher salt
* 2¼ tsp. instant yeast
* 22 oz. all-purpose flour (about 4½ c.)
* 4 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
* vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl
For finishing:
* Cooking spray
* 10 c. water
* 2/3 c. baking soda
* 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbl. water
* Pretzel (or kosher) salt
Directions:
To make the dough, combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to dissolve the yeast. Add in the flour and melted butter and mix just until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth and clears the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with oil, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, about 50-55 min. or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot. In the meantime, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll a segment out into a 24-inch long rope. Make a U-shape with the rope and holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and onto the bottom of the U-shape in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time, for 30 sec. Remove from the water with a slotted skimmer and return to the baking sheet. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until dark golden brown, about 12-14 min. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 min. before serving.