Brezeln!

SOURCE: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/08/09/338591194/for-a-proper-pretzel-crust-count-on-chemistry-and-memories

Nina Goebel's Bavarian Pretzels

500 grams flour

1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
200-250 milliliters hot water (almost boiling)
60 grams baking soda
1 liter of water
Coarse kosher salt (for sprinkling just before baking)

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C)

In a food processor with dough-blade attachment, mix yeast, hot water, salt and flour. Place into a bowl and cover with a moist kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for about two hours.

Form dough into pretzels, rolls or whatever shape you prefer. (Note: The actual pretzel shape is really difficult to get right; rolls are far easier)

Mix baking soda into water and bring to a boil. Dip pretzels for 30 seconds to a minute, turn and leave in the solution for another 30 seconds. Take them out carefully with a slotted spoon and dry off, patting with a paper towel. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for about 14-20 minutes, until "nice and brown."

Important: Avoid touching the dough after dipping it into the baking soda mixture, and keep it off of aluminum surfaces. It's not lye, but it's still corrosive.

Traditionally one would use a lye-bath before baking: https://www.rezeptschachtel.de/laugenbrezel_rezept.html

Ingredients for 12 pretzels (2 baking trays):

25 g fresh yeast

350 ml of cold water

650 g wheat flour type 550

12 g or 3 Tl salt

60 g of butter or margarine

500 ml sodium hydroxide, concentration 4% max.

Coarse salt for sprinkling (pretzel salt, hail salt)

Baking pretzels:

The pretzel dough is processed cold, so the lye pretzels form the best. For the pretzels and no Vorteig is necessary.

First prepare two baking trays for the pretzels. Grease the baking trays well or cover them with permanent baking foil. Baking paper is less suitable for pretzels, as the caustic soda attacks the baking paper and the pretzels can be loosened from the baking paper badly after baking. If you coat the baking paper thinly but completely with edible oil on the top, baking paper can also be used quite well.

Put yeast, cold water, flour, salt and butter or margarine in a bowl and knead with a hand mixer (dough hook) for 5 minutes, or better in a food processor for 10 minutes to a smooth dough. The pretzel dough should be relatively firm and not sticky.

Then cut the pretzel dough into 12 equal portions. Cut the dough in half, halve the two halves again, and then cut all 4 pieces into three pieces. Or use a digital kitchen scale to weigh 12 dough pieces of 90 grams each.