Add all the ingredients for the bretzels, in the order listed, in a bowl except the coarse salt which will be used later.
Start mixing the ingredients together with the spatula. Then when a dough is starting to form, knead with your hands for 5-6 minutes.
Cover the dough and place the bowl in a warm place for an hour.
After an hour, get the dough (it should have double in size) and knead a little to release the air from the dough.
Put 2 liters of water in a pot, add the baking soda and bring to boil.
Preheat the oven at 200°C
Cut the dough in 8 even pieces. Roll the dough until it is get thin enough to form the famous bretzel knot (the dough should be arround 35 cm long).
Form the bretzels and repeat the above step for all the other dough pieces.
Once the water is boiling, add the bretzels in the pan (as many as your comfortable at once, then repeat the process) and let it simmer for 30-45 seconds (the longer it stays the chewyer it will be). Remove from the water and place it on a baking tray that can go in the oven (parchement paper can be used to cover the baking tray or grill).
Add the coarse salt on top of the bretzels.
Bake in the oven at 200°C for 12 minutes.
