Alton Brown's Soft Pretzel Recipe (NOT mine) :)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 pkg yeast

1 TBS sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

4 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat, but it calls for all-purpose)

1/2 stick melted butter

Vegetable oil ( to coat the dough and baking pans)

10 cups water

2/3 c baking soda

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water

Pretzel or kosher salt

Parchment paper

Put warm water, sugar, 2 t salt and yeast in a bowl and let sit until foamy (5 mins). Add flour and butter and knead until it all comes together. Coat bowl with vegetable oil and let rise for an hour under saran wrap (or an upside down bowl) until doubled.

Boil water and baking soda. Cut dough into 8 even chunks and roll out into pretzels. Drop pretzels in water with a slatted spatula and boil for 30 seconds, one at a time. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut paper to fit cookie sheets and coat with vegetable oil. Place pretzels on the pan and brush lightly with egg yolk/water. Sprinkle with salt and bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes).