Using the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, salt, sugar. Then sprinkle the yeast on the top and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
Add the flour and butter to the bowl and mix it all with the dough hook on the slowest speed to combine the ingredients
Crank the mixer up to a medium speed and kneed the dough until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Coat a large bowl with oil or non-stick spray and put the dough in it and roll it to coat it with oil. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free area. Allow the dough to double in size (about an hour)
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 F.
Using a large saucepan, heat the water to a boil. Then stir in the baking soda.
While the water is heating up, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8-12 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 2 feet long. Twist the ropes into a pretzel shape and put them onto parchment paper.
Put the pretzels into the boiling one at a time for 30 seconds and transfer them to a parchment sheet covered cookie sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush the top of each pretzel with the egg mixture. Then sprinkle coarse salt over them.
Bake the Pretzels in a 450 F oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown