Add sugar, yeast, butter, and 1 ¾ cup warm water to the largest bowl you own and mix until combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast has formed decent foam raft on top of the liquid.
Add flour, and salt. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a smooth dough has formed, about 15-20 minutes depending on how fast you work (aka how strong your arm is). Once the dough gets thick and begins to form a large singular mass, I recommend using a press-and-fold motion, scraping the sides every so often to make sure everything is properly combined.*
Knead until the dough is soft and elastic, but not sticky to the touch.
Once you have a decent ball, add light oil along the edge of the bowl and roll your dough so that it is coated. Do not knead the oil into the dough! This is only to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bowl while rising.
Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 1 ½ - 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.**
Preheat your oven to 425F.
Begin boiling 10 cups cold water in a medium sauce pot.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Tear off golf ball-sized chunks of your dough and roll into small balls with your hands.***
Once the water has boiled, slowly add baking soda ¼ cup at a time. It will foam up, so be careful not to burn yourself!
Boil your dough balls in the water/baking soda mixture in small batches for 30 seconds each batch, and remove carefully with a slotted spoon.****
In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs. Brush the tops of your boiled dough balls with the egg. Season each with salt.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, checking every so often to ensure that none are burning. The tops should be a nice golden brown!
Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve while warm!
