Homemade Mall-Style Soft Pretzels

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Evenly
sprinkle the baking soda over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 1
hour. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Meanwhile, pour one cup of warm water into a large bowl. Whisk in
the granulated sugar until dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the water
and let it sit until the yeast becomes frothy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt
and the 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Add the flour, stirring in a bit at a time, until a dough forms and loses
most of its stickiness. Knead the dough until smooth, then lift it from the
bowl and oil the bowl with vegetable oil. Place the dough back into the
bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm spot until doubled in
size, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove the baked baking soda from the oven and set it aside. (Make
Sure, not to breathe it in or handle it with your bare hands, as it can be
irritating.) Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment
paper and set aside.

Spray nonstick spray on your counter or large cutting board, or use
parchment paper to cover. Pour out the risen dough.

Cut the dough into strips approximately 1-1/2” wide and 8” long. Then,
stretch and roll the dough strips until they are long, thin ropes, about 36."
each.Shape the ropes into the classic pretzel shape (as demonstrated in
the video above).

Pour 3 cups of hot tap water into a large, non-reactive bowl. Whisk the
baking soda into the hot water until dissolved. Briefly dip each
pretzel, one at a time, into the baking solution and then place on the
prepared baking sheet. You should be able to fit 6, barely touching, 
pretzels on the sheet. Sprinkle the pretzels with pretzel salt.

Bake for 8 minutes, turning the tray 180° halfway through. Melt the remainder of the butter.

Brush the freshly baked pretzels with melted butter and serve warm.