Lunch: Caraway Twists

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. table salt
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. kosher, coarse, or sea salt

Instructions

In large bowl, stir yeast and sugar into 1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F); let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.
With wooden spoon, beat caraway seeds, table salt, and 2 cups flour into yeast mixture until well blended. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups flour to make soft dough.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead about 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic, working in enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour just to keep dough from sticking.
Shape dough into ball; place in greased large bowl, turning dough over to grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) about 30 minutes or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. In small bowl, whisk baking soda with 1/2 cup warm water until soda dissolves.
Punch down dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and cut into quarters. Working with 1 quarter at a time (keep remaining quarters covered with a clean cloth towel), cut dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a 5" by 1" rope.
Dip ropes in baking-soda mixture to coat. Place ropes, 1 inch apart, on prepared cookie sheets, twisting once to form a spiral and pressing ends against cookie sheet to prevent twists from uncurling. Repeat with remaining dough.
Sprinkle twists with kosher salt. Bake twists on 2 oven racks 16 to 18 minutes or until browned, rotating sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking. Transfer twists to wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in tightly covered container up to 3 days.