German Pretzels - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 cups unbleached flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preparation

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, then add salt & sugar to the yeast mixture.
Blend in the flour & knead the dough until smooth, about 7 or 8 minutes.
Cover & let dough rise for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until double in bulk.
Grease several cookie sheets, then punch dough down & cut it into 12 pieces.
Slightly beat the egg & set aside.
Roll each piece of dough into a thin rope about as round as your little finger, then twist each into pretzel shapes before placing them on a greased cookie sheet.
Using a pastry brish, coat the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg & sprinkle with coarse salt, before allowing the pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F & bake the pretzels for 10 to 15 minutes, or until browned.
Best if eaten while stlil warm, but if allowed to cool, store in an airtight container.