Bread Pretzels
1-1/4 cups 85º water plus 5 tablespoons 1 cake compressed yeast	1/2 teaspoon sugar 4-1/2 cups flour (1/2 wheat flour, 1/2 unbleached)
Let the warm water, yeast and sugar stand for 1 hour. Mix with the flour into the water mixture. Knead for about 7 or 8 minutes. Let the dough rise covered in a greased bowl until double in bulk. Form into sticks of pretzels. Place on a greased sheet. Apply a thin egg wash. Sprinkle lavishly with coarse salt. Allow the pretzels to rise until not quite double in bulk. Bake in preheated oven at 475º about 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen 6-inch pretzel sticks or twelve 6-inch pretzel rings.
Pretzel Rolls
1 cup scalded milk 1/4 cup butter 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 yeast cake	1 egg 3-3/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add butter, sugar and salt to milk; when lukewarm add yeast cake, whit of egg well beaten and flour. Knead, let rise, roll in pieces width of finger and twice the length. Shape into pretzel rings. Let stand on floured board, only until they begin to rise. Drop rings one at a time into shallow pan half full of very hot (but not boiling) water and cook. Must be light, keep shape and not break apart. Bake in hot (400º) oven on thin baking tin until crisp and brown. (Serve as a special treat with Lenten Sunday meals.)
Almond Pretzels or Mandelplaettchen
1 cup sugar 1 cup butter 1 to 2 egg yolks 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder	1/4 cup cultured sour cream 2-1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon rind (grated) Sugar and chopped almonds
Beat butter till soft. Gradually add sugar; beat till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, egg yolks and sour cream. Stir in sifted flour. Add baking powder, cinnamon and lemon rind. Chill dough several hours. Shape dough into long thin rolls and make into pretzel shape. Place on greased tin. Brush with yolk of an egg. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds. Bake at 375º, 10 to 15 minutes. (Surprise the family with sweet pretzels on Sundays during Lent-- Great for Easter also!)
Soft Pretzels (This recipe is easy to make--for youth groups)
1 cake yeast 1-1/2 cups warm water. 1 teaspoon salt	1 tablespoon sugar. 4 cups of flour, (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 unbleached)
Dissolve the yeast into the warm water, then add the salt and sugar. Blend in the flour mixture. Knead dough until smooth. Cut into small pieces. Roll into ropes, and twist into desired shape. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush pretzel with 1 beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake immediately at 425º for 12 to 15 minutes. (For hard pretzels, use only 1-1/4 cups water, and add 1/4 cup melted butter. Make pretzels smaller and bake until brown. These keep well over a period of days.)