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1
In the bowl of stand mixer, combine water and sugar. Sprinkle with yeast and let sit 10 minutes, until foamy.
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2
Add salt and 3 cups of flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
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3
Using the dough hook, beat on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. If the dough is still sticky after 1 minute, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Continue beating, adding more flour if necessary. When you're finished, the dough should just be able to hold a ball shape on its own.
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4
Transfer dough to a bowl coated with oil or cooking spray, turning the ball over to cover all sides with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
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5
Preheat oven to 450u00b0 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut away a palm-size piece of dough. Roll dough into a rope, about 1-inch thick (or however big you want your bites). Cut the rope into 2-inch pieces and transfer bites to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
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6
Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly add the 1/4 cup baking soda (it will bubble up) and reduce to a simmer. Working in batches of about 10 bites, transfer pretzels to the water and let them simmer, about 30 seconds per side (1 minute total). Giving them a good stir halfway through is usually enough to make them flip over and get evenly coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bites.
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7
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly.
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8
In a small bowl, whisk cinnamon and sugar to combine. In a separate bowl, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Coat each bite in the melted butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can just dip the pretzels in butter, but I found the easiest way to avoid butter-drenched pretzels was to put 10 to 12 bites in a bowl, brush them lightly with butter, roll them around to get an even coating, and then roll them in sugar. This provides a light enough butter coating that the sugar will not clump or melt.
