Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set aside two baking sheets covered in parchment paper or a silpat mat.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Stir and let sit for 1 minute. Stir in the sugar and salt.

With a wooden spoon, slowly stir in the white whole wheat flour. Continue to combine and stir in just enough whole wheat flour until the dough comes together and it’s too sticky anymore.

Knead in the same bowl with a little more flour for 5 minutes until you have a nice looking ball.

Cut the ball with a knife into 3 equal parts. Then, cut those three parts into three parts. Then cut each of those in half, to make 18 pretzels. But, feel free to cut them into any amount you wish for smaller or larger pretzels.

Roll each piece into a long snake, about 15″ long. Roll into the pretzel shape.

In a bowl, beat the egg and teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Dip each entire pretzel into the egg wash.

For salted pretzels: Lay the egg washed pretzels on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.

For cinnamon sugar pretzels: Dip the egg washed pretzel into the cinnamon sugar to coat. Then, lay on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then broil on high for just a few seconds until golden brown.

Enjoy them warm or wait until cooled.

For cinnamon sugar second coating: Melt some unsalted butter. Using a pastry brush, paint the butter onto the pretzels. Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Shake off excess cinnamon sugar.