Almost famous soft pretzels

1 cup cold milk

1 TB dry yeast

3 TB packed light brown sugar

2 1/4 cup flour

10 TBs butter

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup baking soda

2 TBS coarse salt

Warm the milk in a sauce pan until it's about 110 degrees.  Pour into medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast.  Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes, stir in th brown sugar and 1 cup of flour.  Dice 2 TBs butter and soften; stir into the mix.  Add the remaining 1 1/4 cup flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour in needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about an hour.  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet.  

Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.)   Divide the dough into 6 pieces.  Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30 in rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.  Form each rope into a pretzel shape.  

Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups of warm water in a shallow baking dish.  Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt.  Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.  

Melt the remaining 8 TBs butter  and brush on warm pretzels.    

Serve with peanut butter and honey, cream cheese (the whipped kind is best), nacho sauce, pizza sauce, whatever you want.  

We love the whipped brown sugar cream cheese and nacho sauce.  

From-Food Network Magazine