Do you love sourdough soft pretzels? Check out our other magnificent Bread Recipes! And don’t forget, you can make your own sourdough starter from scratch!
Today I’m sharing the best sourdough soft pretzels recipe. Chewy and tender with a golden brown crust, these pretzels are finished with crunchy pretzel salt and toasty sesame seeds.
The sesame adds a subtle nuttiness that pairs wonderfully with melted butter brushed over the warm pretzels. Try one and see if you can resist repeating!
Sourdough pretzels are less labor-intensive than sourdough bread and require less attention to your starter. This recipe uses unfed sourdough starter straight from the fridge, so you don’t need to time feedings around your bake.
That ease makes sourdough pretzels a great introduction to sourdough baking. Beyond convenience, they’re simply delicious and in many cases I prefer them to sourdough loaves.
They’re an excellent snack on their own and also pair beautifully with soups, stews, chilis, and salads.
Sourdough Soft Pretzels
This recipe uses unfed sourdough starter. You can use discard from when you feed your starter or a neglected starter pulled from the back of the fridge. Stir it, measure out 1/2 cup for a standard batch (or 1 cup for a double batch), and continue with the recipe.
If you don’t have a starter, you can ask a friend for some discard or purchase a starter from reputable sources. Using freshly fed starter is possible, but the flavor will be milder and the dough will rise faster, so keep an eye on it.
If your dough is dry and crumbly, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes workable. Starter hydration and dough feel vary, so pay attention to texture rather than strictly to volume.
I prefer whole milk in this dough because it adds richness to an otherwise lean mix. Low-fat milks (skim, 1%, or 2%) will still work if that’s what you have.
As you mix and knead, if the dough resists smoothing or has crumbly bits, knead in a tablespoon or two of water. Wait to flour your work surface until you turn the dough out — if it’s only slightly sticky you’ll need very little flour.
When you boil the pretzels, aim for a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. A calmer simmer gives a better crust without overworking the dough.
I like using a mix of black and white sesame seeds for visual interest, but plain white sesame seeds work perfectly well.
For the finishing salt I prefer coarse pretzel salt because it melts more slowly and gives that classic pretzel bite, though kosher salt will do in a pinch.
Use these to make the Best Sourdough Soft Pretzels:
- stand mixer
- bench knife and/or dough scraper
- silpats
- half baking sheet pan
- slotted spatula
Sourdough Discard Pretzels
Rebecca Lindamood
Equipment
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stand mixer
-
bench knife and/or dough scraper
-
silpats
-
half baking sheet pan
-
slotted spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients for dough:
- 4 cups bread flour 1 pound 1 ounce by weight
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 ounce or 14 grams by weight
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter 4 ounces or 113 grams by weight
Ingredients for pretzel boil:
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
Ingredients for toppings:
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- pretzel salt
Instructions
To Make the Dough by Hand:
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Stir in the milk and sourdough starter until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead for about 15 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. The dough should be fairly slack, slightly tacky, and smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp towel, and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled and puffy, about an hour.
To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast and mix on low for 30 seconds. With the mixer still on low, add the milk and sourdough starter and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Remove the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled and puffy, about an hour.
To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
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Add the milk, sourdough starter, flour, sugar, and yeast to your bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” cycle and allow it to finish.
To Form the Pretzels:
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Line three half-sheet pans with silpats and set them near your work area. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface.
For Traditional Pretzel Shapes:
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Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces with a bench knife. Roll each piece into a rope about the thickness of a pencil. Shape each rope into a U, twist the ends twice, then fold them down and press to secure. Place the pretzels on the prepared pans with plenty of space between them. Cover with towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy, about 20 minutes.
To Form Pretzel Rods (Easier Option):
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Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a rope about the thickness of a pencil. Place on the lined pans with room to expand. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 20 minutes.
To Cook the Pretzels:
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Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Bring 2 quarts of water to a simmer in a non-reactive pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons baking soda. Gently lower the pretzels into the simmering water, a few at a time without crowding, and simmer about 45 seconds per side. Use a slotted spatula to drain and return them to the pans.
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Sprinkle each pretzel with about a teaspoon of sesame seeds and pretzel salt to taste. Bake until golden brown, at least 18 minutes; for a deeper color bake 22–24 minutes depending on your oven.
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Allow the pretzels to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm. Store at room temperature in a non-airtight container (a bowl covered with a clean towel or a paper bag) for a couple of days and reheat briefly if needed.
Notes
The dough should be firmer than most bread doughs but not crumbly. Use the descriptions here to guide you—if needed, wet your hands slightly and work the dough until it reaches the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the actual ingredients you use if precise values are needed.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so I can see your creations!
Are you a big fan of sourdough soft pretzels? Try these sourdough and pretzel recipes:
- Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule
- Everything Soft Pretzels
- Pretzel Bagels
- Giant Garlic Butter Soft Pretzel Rods
- Making a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Blender Pancakes
- Baked Brie in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
