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
• Coarse salt and pepper 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 30 minutes to 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 two sheet pans with a non-stick silpat sheet.
• Divide your dough in half, then in half again. Then, each of those halves should be divided into four.
• Roll each small section into a rope. Then fold it in half, and twist, and finally, fold the ends of the twisted rope into the loop on the top. This should create a twisted roll shape.
• Use a slotted spoon to boil and remove about four 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 and pepper. Bake for about twelve to fifteen minutes, until golden brown!