Kosher salt for sprinklinguse pretzel salt if you have it
For the mustard butter:
4tablespoon(56g)butterroom temperature
2tablespoongrain mustard or stone ground mustard
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
Add the flour, salt, and melted butter and combine until ball of dough forms.
Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
When finished rising, punch down the dough and turn it over onto a lightly floured work surface.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
Take the dough and form it into two even length loaves.
Place them side by side (not touching each other though) on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 425 °F (218 °C). In a large pasta pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil then remove from heat. Gently sprinkle baking soda in and stir to mix. Place back on heat to a low simmer and place one loaf of bread in the poaching liquid for 30 seconds then flip over and poach for another 30 seconds. This will seem difficult to do since the loaves are so long - use two slotted spoons to guide the bread in and out of the pot.
Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the other loaf. Take a sharp knife and make slits on the top of the loaves.
Take the beaten egg and with a pastry brush, brush the tops of the bread, sprinkle with salt, then place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. I like the tops of mine extra brown so I left it in there longer. Just watch it so they don't burn :)
In the meantime, take your butter and mustard and mix it together in a small bowl and set aside.
Once bread is done, let it cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing and spreading butter mustard on top :)
Store bread in airtight container for up to 5 days, store butter mustard in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 weeks.