To make pretzel bread, in a bowl mix warm milk, sugar and yeast and set aside till it froths.

Combine all of the dough ingredients to yeast mixture, mix it well.

Cover the mixture and leave it for 10 minutes.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 200°C

Combine water and baking soda and bring to a boil.

Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal pieces.

Form each piece into a tight, smooth ball.

Boil each ball in the solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute.

Remove loaves from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking sheet.

Brush with milk and sprinkle poppy seeds generously on top.

Bake for 15 minutes at 200°C then reduce the temperature to 175°C and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the loaves are evenly browned.

Brush with melted butter immediately after removing from oven.