Gluten-Free Pretzels

For four large pretzels:

• In a large bowl, add the flour and mix with the dry ingredients. Then add the milk and knead until you have a dough that doesn't stick. Add the softened butter and knead well until it's incorporated and the dough is elastic. Let it ferment for an hour in a warm place without drafts.
• After an hour, knead again to degas the dough and cut it into four pieces. With each piece, make churros that are about forty centimetres long, with the centre of the churro slightly thicker than the ends. Once stretched, intertwine the ends several times and fold until they touch the centre of the pretzel. Moisten the tips to stick them to the thicker part and leave them on a tray to ferment for thirty to forty minutes. To check if they are well fermented, see if their volume has almost doubled.
• When they have reached the optimal point of fermentation, bring a pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add the bicarbonate and then the pretzels one by one. Keep them for about fifteen seconds on each side.
• At the same time, preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Once the pretzels are boiled and on a tray with baking paper, sprinkle coarse salt over the surface. Lower the oven temperature to 170°C and bake them for fifteen minutes or until golden. As an option, you can help this browning by brushing the surface with beaten egg, but always after boiling and before sprinkling the coarse salt on top.