Pretzels

4 teaspoons yeast                                                                4 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar                                                                 1/2 cup baking soda
1 ¼ cups warm water                                                          kosher salt for sprinkling
3 ½-4 ½ cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt                                                               kosher salt for sprinkling
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1.         In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes.

2.         In your KitchenAid bowl, combine 3 ½ cups flour 1/2 cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix with dough hook. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Knead 3-4 minutes.

3.         Cover dough with plastic wrap, and set in on a greased plate in proofing oven to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes.

4.         Gently punch down dough. Before shaping, start preheating the oven to 425 degrees, using convection bake setting.

5.         Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each one until it’s about 15-inches long and the thickness of your finger. Twist each into a pretzel.

6.         Mix water and baking soda. Bring to a boil.

7.         Dip each pretzel in boiling soda water for 5 seconds. Place on greased baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cut each pretzel in half before serving. Serve with mustard.