Patch Recipes: Big Soft Pretzel

April is a big month for sports. The first week marked the beginning of the Major League Baseball season. The month also includes college basketball's Final Four, college hockey's Frozen Four and the start of the NBA and NHL playoffs. So, it should come as no surprise that April is also National Soft Pretzel Month.

The big soft pretzel is a staple at American sports venues—coming in a variety of flavors with various fillings and dipping sauces. But for many people, just regular old salt is good enough to make the pretzel tasty. Here's a recipe to make your own old-school soft pretzel from my grandfather Albert Friedman. Enjoy the food and enjoy the games!

Big Soft Pretzel
(makes 12 to 15) 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 5 to 6 cups flour
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 egg beaten and about 2 tsp. coarse salt (for coating)

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water. Blend in three cups of flour, sugar, salt, milk, two beaten eggs and oil. Mix well, adding half a cup of flour at a time to make a soft, but not too sticky, dough. Knead about five minutes until dough is smooth.

Roll pieces of dough into ropes about a half-inch in diameter and about 18 to 24 inches long. Form into pretzel shapes. For pretzel sticks, cut ropes into five- to six-inch lengths.

Place pretzels onto lightly greased baking sheets. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush tops of pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown and crisp.

Note: For a chewier pretzel, drop pretzel-shaped dough into a pan of boiling water. When the dough floats to the top of the water, remove it. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush with beaten egg and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes.