Nothing can beat a fresh, soft pretzel from Philadelphia. The best ones come from "the Sale," which is a cross between a flea market and a farmer's market and also happens to have a lot of Amish people selling outrageously tasty food. Going out to find the perfect pretzel is not always convenient, however, and a homemade pretzel can be a good alternative. Not only is the the taste to look forward to, but the pretzels are easy and fun to make. Another kid friendly recipe, you can let your kids help to shape all the pretzels after the dough is risen. A second rise is not necessary when making these, as it helps them stay chewy.

Soft Pretzels
1 cup warm water (110F), divided
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 package)
2 tbsp honey
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

2 tbsp baking soda
1 cup cold water

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the warm water with yeast. Stir to combine and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. Stir in the rest of the water, honey, 1 1/2 cups flour and salt, mixing until smooth. Add remaining flour a few tablespoons at a time, stirring until the dough comes together into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, until doubled in size, about 60 minutes in a warm room.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dissolve baking soda in cold water in a medium bowl and set aside.

Gently deflate dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a "snake" about 16-18 inches long. Twist into a pretzel shape as shown in the photo below.

Dip each formed pretzel in baking soda solution and place on prepared baking sheet. When all the pretzels have been dipped, sprinkle with coarse sea salt or coarse kosher salt and slide into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until dark golden brown.

Eat hot out of the oven, or freeze for later when cooled. Reheat at 375F for 5 minutes to re-crisp from frozen.

Makes 8 pretzels.

[Photos by Nicole Weston]