Pretzel Bread

     The star of our late winter meals is a new find - pretzel bread. We've always loved big soft pretzels from the mall kiosks and more recently, the pretzel rolls that have become popular in restaurants and market bakeries. These homemade loaves were simple for an experienced bread maker; the only extra step was, of course, dropping them into boiling water for thirty seconds before baking. Light in texture and easy to slice, the bread is a great accompaniment to soup, stew or salad, and makes a heavenly grilled cheese with cheddar and provolone. There is something about the slight saltiness and the soft buttery crust that really pleases the palate. A second baking was quick on the heels of the first and shared with family and co-workers.