I used these two recipes as a guide: https://www.bitememore.com/easy-recipes/pretzel-bites-honey-mustard-dip-recipe and https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-homemade-soft-pretzels/

I did add add lemon juice to the dough, which just a basic dough, and that makes for a fizzy reaction in the baking soda and water boil, even neutralized the solution at one point. It did make the pretzel bread really tasty but not sure it's worth the extra effort. No egg, did use butter in the dough. And instead of a giant vat of water with a ton of baking soda I scaled it down to a small pot with just enough water for one pretzel at a time. Still uses a lot of baking soda. That's what creates the brown pretzel exterior when it's baked.

Don't boil them for longer than 30 seconds. Drain well. Then you just bake in an oven at 400F -- one recipe has 420, but the important thing is it has to be hot enough for the maillard reaction to occur, for 12 to 15 minutes.