2 tbsp. shortening, divided
2 (16 oz.) loaves of frozen whole wheat bread dough
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp. water
Salt to taste (opt.)

Grease a pizza plate or large dinner plate with 1 tablespoon of shortening. Place frozen loaves on plate and cover with plastic wrap or large plastic bag. Leave space above the dough for it to rise and expand. Place in refrigerator overnight to defrost and rise.

When completely defrosted, cut each loaf into 12 equal pieces, 24 in total. Grease 2 baking sheets with remaining 1 tablespoon shortening. One piece at a time, roll each piece into a thin 14-inch rope.

To twist pretzels: Pick up both ends of the rope and cross over to form rabbit ears about 1 inch long at the top and a loop at the bottom. Twist the rabbit ears and pull them down to touch the bottom of the loop, leaving a tiny bit of the ends overlapping the bottom of the loop. Place pretzels 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let stand 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine egg white and water and brush each pretzel with mixture. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake 20 minutes or until pretzels sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cool. Makes 24 pretzels. Cool before storing in an airtight container.