Pretzel/bagel recipe - Success of my 1st try

It has been long time I haven't tried to knead the dough myself and shape the dough, it is because of lots of failures I had... 

The dough usually can't be shaped because I didn't knead enough, they look flat :'(
Failures discouraged me to make it. Oh, I ain't brave enough to face the challenge!

Today I can tell you, I'm successful! I feel proud to overcome this difficulty and I made it! and I think I manage to knead the dough to the right texture - well, I'm still discovering the technic though :)

Another factor is that the humidity and the room temperature are crucial for the dough to rise. I will try it in different weather condition later - haha it's like doing experiments!

I can't wait to share this recipe with all of you today - Pretzel!
You can of course shape it to something else if you don't like the shape of pretzel :)

Oops, I just realize that the middle of the pretzel is not twisted haha. It's too late to take another photo because they are now all gone :s

I made it as bagel - so yummmmmm :)

Actually pretzel and bagel share more or less the same recipe, so I use it for both :p


Ingredients
1cup milk
7g active dry yeast
3tbsp brown sugar
2 1/4cups flour (You can use 1cup whole wheat flour & 1 1/4cup all-purpose flour)
2tbsp butter
1tsp salt (fine)

1/3cup baking soda
2tbsp salt (coarse)

8tbsp butter

Instructions
1. Warm milk (luke) & add yeast inside and wait for 5 mins

2. Add brown sugar and 1 cup flour, mix well
Note: I added sugar in the first step because sugar flavors the yeast to be more active

3. Add in 2 tbsp butter, and then 1 1/4cup flour & fine salt

4. Flour the working surface, knead the dough for 20-30mins (machine:7-10mins) and add more flour if needed
Note: kneaded by hand until the dough is flexible enough when you pull a bit of the dough

5. Grease the bowl; shape the dough into ball, put it in the bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap. Let it rise for about 1h or until the size is doubled

6. Preheat the oven to 230°c. Punch the dough when the size is doubled. Divide it into 6 pieces, then roll out the dough to a long rope (30" long) to form the pretzel shape

Here is the instruction how to shape the pretzel :)

7. In another bowl: mix baking soda with 3 cups warm water
Notes: I didn't use the given quantity because you won't be able to use up it at the end, so I only use 1/3 of the quantity given in the recipe

8. Line the baking sheet on the tray; dip the dough on this baking soda mixture and then put it on the tray, sprinkle the surface with coarse salt

9. Bake for 10-12mins. Take out the pretzels when it's ready, dip them in melted butter. Let it cool down

Enjoy!