Sourdough Pretzels
This soft pretzel recipe is spiked with sourdough discard before being boiled in a baking soda bath and egg-washed for that traditional chewy pretzel goodness. You'll love this sourdough discard recipe!
Ingredients
pretzel dough:
- 3/4 cup warm water ~90 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 4 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups bread flour *See NOTE
baking soda bath:
- 9 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
eggwash:
- 1 egg beaten
- coarse kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine 3/4 cup warm water, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow mixture to sit for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1 cup sourdough discard by hand, then install the dough hook on your mixer.
- Add flour, starting with 4 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups bread flour, and knead on low speed for 4-5 minutes. If the dough is too wet, and refusing to pull away from the sides, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a sticky ball.
- Cover the bowl and set aside to rise for 45 - 60 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough to gently deflate. Cut the dough into 12-14 pieces. Keep the pieces of dough you're not working with covered with a kitchen towel until ready for use.
- Roll each piece into a long rope, about 20-22 inches. Fold the rope into a pretzel shape. Place on lined baking sheet.
- Place the prepared pretzels into the freezer to chill for 15- 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425f and prepare the baking soda bath by bringing 9 cups water, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons baking soda to a strong simmer.
- Prepare the egg wash by vigorously beating an 1 egg in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
- Once the oven has reached the temperature, remove the pretzels from the freezer and dip each into the simmering baking soda bath for 30-45 seconds. Remove the pretzels from the water bath with a spider spoon, shake the excess water off, and return them to the baking sheet.
- Brush the pretzels with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse kosher salt to taste.
- Bake at 425f for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire mesh rack before enjoying your sourdough soft pretzels!
Notes
** FLOUR: measure your flour via the scoop and level method. Stir the flour in your container or bag, then gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup before leveling the measuring cup with the back of a butter knife. Avoid packing in the flour!
Batch:
This sourdough discard pretzel recipe makes around 16 good-sized pretzels. It can be doubled or halved depending on your desired outcome.Storage:
Wrap each pretzel individually in plastic wrap then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 3 days. For best enjoyment, refresh your sourdough pretzel in the toaster before devouring! These pretzels can also be frozen. Wrap each once individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Allow your frozen pretzels to thaw at room temperature and reheat in the toaster if desired.variations + substitutions
- Sweet pretzels: sprinkle the pretzels generously with cinnamon sugar instead of kosher salt after the egg wash
- Everything pretzels: Sprinkle the pretzels with everything bagel seasoning instead of kosher salt
- Plain pretzels: don't add any herbs or spices after the egg wash
- Pretzel bites: Instead of wrapping the rolled dough, boil the dough in the baking soda wash before chopping into bite-sized bits. Reduce baking time to approximately 15 minutes.
