Soft Pretzels - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 (16 oz.) loaves frozen bread dough
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tsp. water
coarse salt (optional)

Preparation

Thaw bread in refrigerator overnight.
From each loaf, shape 12 (1/2-inch) balls.
Roll each ball into a rope about 14 inches long.
Shape into pretzels by forming a knot and looping ends through.
Arrange pretzels 1 inch apart on well-greased baking sheet.
Let stand 20 minutes.
Brush combined egg white and water on pretzels, then sprinkle with salt.
Place a shallow pan containing 1 inch of boiling water on lower rack in the oven. Bake pretzels on a cookie sheet on a rack above water at 350\u00b0 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.