Pretzels!!

I've always loved pretzels and although they were the cause of some serious weight gain, they are still my #1 choice when it comes to bread. I found this recipe which I tried out today and it turned out delicious! Almost as good as store bought. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttery-soft-pretzels/

A minor note: I used instant yeast instead of active yeast (same quantity as in recipe below) and the warm water wasn't enough to make the dough soft and homogenous, so I kept adding water until it felt right. Not sure exactly how much though..

Also, I made a few with sesame seeds, one with olives, and another with olives and oregano.

Ingredients:

• tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cupkosher salt, for topping

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.