Sourdough Discard Pretzels

Sourdough discard pretzels are a super easy and quick way to get homemade pretzels on the table for a snack or appetizer. This soft sourdough pretzel recipe will become a family favorite for gatherings or just snack time. Serve with your favorite dip or top with cinnamon sugar for a fun treat.

I love making these soft sourdough pretzels. Not only are they pretty easy to make, but they are also fun. The kids love helping. From mixing to shaping the dough they are all in. 

And it is one of those recipes that you probably have everything already in your pantry.

So if you are anything like me at all, then when Monday morning rolls around and you are completely out of groceries, and you haven’t fed your sourdough starter, at least you have the basic pantry staples to make some sourdough soft pretzels.

You just need a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time and you will be on your way to this yummy recipe.

They are soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious. I hope your family loves them as much as ours.

Why you will love this recipe:

Great way to use extra sourdough discard. Rather than just tossing out the extra discard, use it for recipes. You can find over 35+ sourdough discard recipes here.

Perfect healthy snack or appetizer. Great for a party or just an afternoon snack. Serve with some beer cheese dip, honey mustard, or some homemade kefir ranch dressing.

Sourdough flavor: The sourdough discard adds that delightful tangy sourdough flavor without having to wait hours for the dough to rise and ferment. 

Tips:

• Make sure when shaping the pretzels, to pinch the dough together well. If it isn’t, the dough may come apart during boiling.
• This recipe uses commercial yeast to give the dough rise, which then allows you to use discard rather than active starter.
• New to sourdough? Learn how to make your own sourdough starter here. This recipe will work great if you are just starting to make your sourdough starter and don’t want to just throw it in the trash when feeding it. The only downfall is that it will not have as much of a tangy flavor compared to a mature starter.
• Sensitive to baking soda? You can substitute the baking soda for just brown sugar. It will still give you that yummy chewy skin that pretzels are known for.
• Depending on the hydration of your starter, it could make the pretzel dough more or less stiff. I use a starter that has been fed equal parts flour and water. If you feed your starter something different, then the amount of flour may need to be adjusted. 

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Discard Sourdough Pretzel Dough Ingredients:

Active dry yeast – Commercial yeast gives this recipe rise. This is the reason you can use discard rather than active sourdough starter. We are not relying on the sourdough starter to rise the dough. The only problem is that since this is more of a quick recipe, the sourdough doesn’t have enough time to really ferment the grains.

Water – Warm the water around 95 degrees. Be careful that the water isn’t too hot or else you could risk killing the yeast.

Sourdough discard – This is an unfed sourdough starter or starter that may have been fed, rose, and then fell again. You technically could use an active sourdough starter or a new starter that isn’t very mature yet, but it may not have as much of that tangy sour flavor.

Honey – Could also substitute for maple syrup.

Salt – I like using unrefined sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.

Unbleached all purpose flour – Could also use bread flour without an issue.

Baking Soda Bath

This gives it that “skin” that pretzels, like bagels, are known for.

Water

Baking soda

Brown sugar

Egg Wash

Egg yolk

Water

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Large bowl

Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Sharp knife

Large pot

How To Make Sourdough Discard Pretzels

Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. It should get nice and bubbly. If it doesn’t get bubbly you may have old yeast or the water may have been too warm and killed the yeast.

To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the sourdough discard, honey, salt and flour. 

Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 5-10 minutes. It is a fairly stiff dough.

Place the dough in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased. 

Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, a beeswax wrap, plastic wrap, or a wet tea towel. This keeps it from drying out on top and developing an unpleasant skin.

Let the dough rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size. The amount of time can depend on how warm your kitchen is.

Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces.

Create The Pretzel Shape

Roll each piece into a 18” rope and then create a U-shape.

Take the two ends of the rope and create a twist with the dough.

Twist it twice and then press the ends of the dough into the bottom of the U-shape. Make sure to pinch the dough together well to prevent the dough from unraveling during the boiling process.

Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 30 minutes to one hour, or until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Boil The Pretzels

Bring water in a large stockpot to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Add the pretzels to the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side, being careful not to overcrowd.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzels and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt or pretzel salt. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Another option is to bake and then once they are done baking, brush with melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar. Yum.

Turn them into sourdough pretzel bites:

Once you roll the dough into a long rope, cut into 1 inch pieces and allow to rise for 30 minutes covered with a towel. 

Boil the pretzels for 30 seconds on each side in a water bath with baking soda and brown sugar, being careful not to overcrowd.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.

Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Storage:

Store in a paper bag or linen bag at room temperature for 3-4 days or in an air-tight container (like a freezer safe ziploc bag) in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pretzel Topping Ideas:

Before adding toppings brush the cooked pretzels with melted butter.

• Coarse Salt
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Cinnamon and sugar. For a fall twist, you could also use pumpkin spice rather than cinnamon.
• Parmesan cheese
• Top with shredded cheese and place in a 350 degree oven until just melted. Serve with some warm pasta sauce to make pizza pretzels.

FAQ

Find More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

• Sourdough Discard Bagels
• The Easiest No-Knead Sourdough Discard Bread
• Sourdough Discard Scones
• Sourdough Discard Focaccia
• The Easiest Sourdough Discard Pizza Recipe Ever

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.

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