Just another day in paradise...: I got bored again

In my house, people know that if I get bored they are going to EAT. And I mean.... eat and eat and eat. I made dinner, but I also was seriously lacking some snacks. So, after googling (a word that is no longer allowed on some college campuses) snacks, I found this wonderful recipe for soft buttery pretzels. OHMYGOSHNESS, they are scrumdidilyumptious. Eric helped form one or two. I made just shy of two dozen, and as of right now, there are 5 left. I'm pretty sure that by bedtime they will all be gone.

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

4.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda

4 cups hot water

1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

I let them rise a little after forming them, brushed them with melted butter and enjoyed. Wowzers. Super awesome.