Adapted from https://alexandracooks.com/2022/09/04/buttery-soft-pretzels-easy-no-boil/

Soft Pretzel Knots

• 5 cups (640 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) instant yeast
• 1.5 teaspoons (9 grams) table salt
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups (350 grams) warm water
• 1 T (15 grams) olive oil

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and oil and stir with a rubber spatula until a  dough forms. Knead the dough briefly in the bowl, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and continue kneading until the dough comes together and feels tacky to the touch, about a minute. Or use your stand mixer, which will take roughly 3 minutes total. 
2. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with a towel or bowl cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Longer is fine, too. 
3. Heat oven to 425ºF.
4. Turn dough out onto a work surface and portion into 12 pieces, using flour as needed if dough is sticky. Note: If you want identically sized pretzels, weigh your total dough, then divide by 12. (Each portion should roughly weigh 75 grams.) Don't use too much flour …just sprinkle to prevent the dough from sticking. 
5. Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. You’ll roll each piece longer afterward, but the brief rest will make them easier to roll out later.
6. Once all the portions have been rolled, continue to roll each portion to 22 to 24 inches long. Twist each piece into a pretzel shape and transfer the shaped pretzels to a lightly oiled sheet pan. (Great video for twisting:  https://youtu.be/vkGbUIVIoqI)
7. 1/2 cup (115 g) baking soda
8. 4 cups hot water
9. Kosher salt or Coarse Sea Salt
10. 4 T melted butter
11. When all of the pretzels are shaped, dissolve the 1/2 cup of baking soda in 4 cups of hot water. You can use hot tap water here or boil 4 cups of water.
12. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Working with one pretzel at a time, drop it into the water. Use a spider skimmer to remove it and transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan.  Ensure the top of the pretzel gets sufficiently coated in the baking-soda solution, which promotes more even browning. Repeat until all pretzels have been dipped.
13. Sprinkle pretzels with salt.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. 
14. Remove pan from the oven and immediately brush the hot pretzels with the melted butter. Transfer pretzels to a cooling rack. 

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