Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups warm water (around 125 degrees)
• 2 tbs. brown sugar
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 6 tbs. melted butter
• 2 ½ tsp. salt
• 4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
• 2 quarts water
• ¼ cup baking soda (that’s right, a whole quarter cup!)
• 1 egg beaten with a little water
• Course salt for topping

Instructions

• -If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. If not, a hand mixer will work. In a large bowl, mix together warm water, brown sugar, yeast, and melted butter. Let stand for about five minutes.
• -In the meantime, mix together the salt, and 4 ½ cups flour
• -Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and combine until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky, so use more flour if needed.
• -Knead the dough on a flat surface for about five minutes, and form into a ball. Grease a medium bowl with a small amount of oil. Toss the dough in the bowl, flipping to coat the top. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
• -Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, bring two quarts (eight cups) of water to a boil. Add the baking soda to the boiling water quickly and be careful because it might splatter!
• -Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. I found that I could fit the entire batch onto one baking sheet, but if you don’t have a huge sheet pan, you may have to do this in a few batches.
• -Divide your dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a long snake, and then cut off one inch pieces either with kitchen shears or with a knife.
• -Use a slotted spoon to boil and remove about ten pieces at time, for about 30 seconds each. You can put the boiled pieces directly onto your prepared sheet pan.
• -Then, brush the pieces with your beaten egg mixture and immediately top with salt. I topped mine with coarse salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for a little more flavor. Bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes, until golden brown!