Preheat oven to 475?F and line a large baking sheet or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine yeast with warm water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with hook attachment. Let the mixture become frothy.

Stir in salt and 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Add flour, 1 cup at a time, and knead on lowest setting until a dough forms and is no longer very sticky. Knead dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and pliable.

Form dough into a ball by hand. Lightly grease the bowl and place the dough back in to rest for 15 minutes. Cover with a damp towel.

In a medium-sized pot, boil 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Once dissolved, remove from heat and pour into a shallow dish.

After 15 minutes, flatten the dough slightly. Cut into 8 sections. Roll each section into a long rope, about 19-20 inches long, and shape into pretzel shapes.

Place pretzels in the baking soda bath for 2 minutes, ensuring they are fully covered.

Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt while still wet. Repeat until all pretzels are prepared and placed on baking sheets.

Bake pretzels for 8-9 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with 6 tablespoons of melted butter immediately after removing from the oven.