Soft Pretzels

To make dough: Combine 1/4 cup water, malt syrup (or corn syrup) and 3/4 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast and stir until dissolved. Whisk 7 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in another bowl.

Add the remaining 2 cups water, buttermilk and oil to yeast mixture. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix and knead the dough in a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook.)

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until just puffy but not doubled in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes.

Dust 2 baking sheets with flour.

Punch down the dough. Turn out onto work surface and knead several times. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll one piece into a 36-inch rope, lightly flouring work surface if necessary. Shape dough into a pretzel. Repeat with remaining pieces. Place pretzels 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Let pretzels rise, uncovered, at room temperature until slightly puffy, 20 to 30 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, until dough feels leathery, 10 to 15 minutes.

To make browning solution & bake pretzels: Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Coat 2 wire racks with cooking spray.

Combine water and 2 cups sugar in a large bowl, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir in baking soda.

Dip pretzels one at a time into browning solution and place 2 inches apart on prepared racks. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Make a 2- to 3-inch horizontal slash across the bottom of each pretzel with a sharp paring knife.

Place wire racks directly into oven. Bake the pretzels until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, switching position of racks halfway through baking time. Cool on the racks.