In a small saucepan, slowly warm the milk with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved then set aside.
In the bowl, mix flour, yeast, and fine salt until well combined. Form a well in the mixture and gradually add the warm milk and butter mixture. Knead everything by hand until the dough is smooth (about 5min).Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot so it can rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Dust with flour your work surface to work the dough so it doesn’t get too sticky. Shape the dough into a log, then cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece and stretch them into ropes (about 20-25 inches long).
In a large pot or baking dish, mix the baking soda and warm water. Dipping the pretzel dough in a baking soda solution gives the pretzels a nice golden-brown crust. Gently dip each rope into the soda solution. Let any excess liquid drip off. On the baking sheet, form the pretzel shape: form the letter U and take both ends to cross them over each other twice, forming a twist in the center, over the bottom curve of the U.
Sprinkle the pretzels with the coarse salt and bake 8 to 12 minutes until they are golden. Once out of the oven, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to brush on the baked pretzels. Enjoy them while they are warm!
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