Chewy and soft sourdough pretzel bites are super delicious and only uses wild yeast to rise, no instant yeast. They are the perfect snack or appetizer.
Pretzel lovers rejoice! Sourdough soft pretzels are baked into the perfect snack sized bite. Serve with honey mustard, beer cheese dip, or even some ranch dressing.
The other day, the kids and I were ranking the months of the year from our favorite to least favorite. And the consensus was the January was consistently ranked at the bottom three by the majority.
Luke on the other hand, doesn’t agree. He loves the winter and finds that it has the best hiking and everything is so clear.
Whatever your take is during the winter months, one thing is for sure, these sourdough pretzel bites will help pass those very short and chilly days.
Serve them as an appetizer or fun snack. Or even with a bowl of hearty soup. They do not dissapoint.
Tips:
- You want to use active sourdough starter so the dough will rise well.
- This is the perfect master recipe that is delicious with just a little salt or you can totally customize with additional delicious toppings.
- Sourdough discard may be able to be used if you let the dough ferment much longer.
- Learn to make traditional soft sourdough pretzels here.
- New to sourdough? Learn how to make a sourdough starter here.
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Sourdough Pretzel FAQ:
Are sourdough pretzels a healthy snack?
Yes. They are the perfect salty snack. Since the dough is fermented, the vitamins and minerals are more bio-available for your body to absorb, and there is less gluten making them easier to digest.
What makes pretzel dough different than bread?
The real main difference is that pretzel dough is boiled in baking soda bath before it is baked. This gives it that yummy crust that is similar to bagels.
Can sourdough pretzels be frozen?
Yes. Freeze after baking in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag. Pop in a warm oven for a few minutes to reheat.
Or freeze the pretzel dough after they have shaped the dough. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for at least 2-3 hours. Transfer into a Ziploc bag or an air-tight container. Allow the dough to thaw completely and then rise for another hour. Boil and bake as directed.
What do you eat sourdough pretzels with?
They can be served with a variety of sauces (like cheese sauce, ranch, pizza sauce, garlic butter sauce, mustard, etc) or eaten all on their own.
Are sourdough pretzels better?
In my opinion, yes. Sourdough pretzels are far superior than regular pretzels. They offer more complexed and delicious flavor while still having all the same delicious texture. Plus, they are healthier since the nutrients in the grain are more bio-available compared
Do I have to boil my pretzels before baking?
You can technically skip this step, but it will not give you that same type of crusty, chewy texture you are used to.
Tools you may need:
Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Measuring cups and spoons
Large bowl
Pot
Slotted spoon or spider strainer
Pastry brush (optional)
Ingredients:
Dough Ingredients:
Sourdough starter – Active and bubbly. There is no commercial yeast in this recipe. The art of fermenting is what gives this authentic sourdough pretzel recipe.
Water – Preferably filtered. Chlorine can inhibit the yeasts and bacteria from working their magic and helping the dough rise.
Honey – Could also substitute with maple syrup
Salt – Sea salt for the dough and course salt to sprinkle over the top.
Unbleached all-purpose flour – Store-bought or fresh milled.
Water Bath
Water
Baking soda – This gives the pretzels that well-known exterior. It is just like making sourdough bagels. The baking soda makes the water alkaline and gelatinizes the outside which prevents it from fully rising during baking.
Brown sugar
Egg Wash
Egg – Gives it that beautiful deep golden color. This is totally optional, and you can still get that golden color without it. You may just need to bake them a little longer.
Other Topping Options:
Before adding toppings brush the cooked pretzels with melted butter.
- Cinnamon and sugar. Pumpkin spice and sugar is a really yummy option for fall.
- Parmesean or cheddar cheese. Bake for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Everything but the bagel seasoning
How To Make Sourdough Pretzels:
Add active sourdough starter, room temperature water, honey, salt and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix the dough on the low speed for 10-15 minutes with the dough hook. You could also knead by hand. The dough should pass the window-pane test. Take a small amount of dough and stretch it between your fingers into a square. If it can stretch it to the point where it’s thin enough to see through, then it is ready.
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 8-12 hours.
Shaping Pretzels
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into about 15” rope.
Cut into equal portions and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper
Cover the dough and allow them to rise for about an hour or two.
Boiling And Baking Pretzel Dough
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bring water in a large stockpot to a boil and add baking soda and brown sugar.
Place a few pretzel bites at a time into the boiling water and allow to boil for 15-20 seconds. I like to do 8 pretzel bites at a time. You don’t want to overcrowd them.
Remove with a slotted spoon or kitchen spider strainer, shaking off excess water and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush egg wash onto each pretzel bite (optional) and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Baking Schedule
10 AM-12 PM: Feed your sourdough starter.
8 PM : Mix the dough together. Cover and ferment.
8 AM the next day: Shape dough and allow to rise for a hour covered. Preheat oven and bring water to a boil.
9-10 AM: Boil and bake pretzels.
Storage:
Place in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Or freeze up to 3 months.
Reheating Pretzels:
To reheat pretzels, gently moisten the pretzels with a little bit of water, and place in a 325°F for 5 minutes until warm.
You can also reheat in the microwave. Cover with a damp towel and reheat in 30 second intervals until warm. This is definitely not the preferred way as the results will leave something to be desired.
Find More Of My Favorite Sourdough Recipes:
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Sourdough Potato Bread
- Rosemary Sourdough Bread
- Easy Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Sugar Cookies
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.
Sourdough Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Water Bath
- 9 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sea salt to top
Instructions
- Add active sourdough starter, room temperature water, honey, salt and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer
- Mix the dough on low speed for 10-15 minutes with the dough hook. You could also knead by hand. The dough should pass the window-pane test.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 8-12 hours.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into about 15” rope.
- Cut into equal portions and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Cover the dough and allow them to rise for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bring water in a large stockpot to a boil and add baking soda and brown sugar.
- Place a few pretzel bites at a time into the boiling water and allow to boil for 15-20 seconds. I like to do 8 pretzel bites at a time. You don't want to overcrowd them.
- Remove with a slotted spoon or kitchen spider strainer, shaking off excess water and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.Brush egg wash onto each pretzel bite (optional) and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
- The dough should pass the window-pane test. Take a small amount of dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can stretch it to the point where it’s thin enough to see through, then it is ready.
- Use an active sourdough starter so the dough will rise well.
- This is the perfect master recipe that is delicious with just a little salt or you can totally customize with additional delicious toppings.
- Sourdough discard may be able to be used if you let the dough ferment much longer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I jumped the gun with this one Lisa… started at 4pm, it is just spring here in New Zealand… will find out tomorrow morning if they were over proofed. Is that a thing for these ?? Could I place in fridge and as a way to pause the time ?? and continue tomorrow?
Yes you can. I usually like to let it rise almost the entire time before popping it into the fridge. Then take it out and let it sit at room temp for an hour or two before shaping. Since it is a very stiff dough, it will help it be more pliable.
You are amazing, thank you. Second try today just placed them into the fridge – was BOLD was did double batch since the kids inhaled the last ones. Feels like I am really testing all the boundaires here with these. Loving the process, and with your guidance this has been such an empowering experience. Really healing journey forsure.
So glad to hear! Thanks for the kind words! Have a wonderful day.
Loved this recipe. First time making pretzels & they turned out great! Thanks Lisa for another great sourdough recipe
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I have mine on a tray puffing up right now. I had tried making the regular pretzels but the dough was so dry that I was having trouble getting them long enough to form. So I turned them into pretzel bites instead. Is it normal for the dough to be really try like this? I’m not sure where I went wrong.
It is definitely a stiffer dough. It shouldn’t be super dry though. If it is, you could always add a touch of water. I like to start at like a teaspoon at a time.
Oh my! These were the best thing ever!! Soooo good. Thank you!
That is wonderful to hear! Glad you enjoyed them.
OMG! These were sooooo good and very easy to make. I love cooking with sourdough. This recipe is perfect!
That is so wonderful to her! Glad you enjoyed them.
These look amazing! We fresh mill our flour. I noticed that you said that all purpose or fresh milled would work. Would you sift fresh milled, or leave the bran/germ in? We have hard white wheat and soft white wheat. Any suggestion on which to use??
Also, in the water bath with the baking soda, can you use honey instead of brown sugar?? Or is there another sweetener choice that would work as well? We don’t have any brown sugar /:
Thank you!
I would recommend hard wheat for this one. You can totally leave the bran in, but it will yield a more rustic (less light and fluffy) result. Still delicious though! I have not personally tried honey, but my hunch is it would work just fine.
Not sure where I went wrong, but this was a bust for me. I’d be interested in hearing thoughts on where it may have gone haywire. My dough, after the 9 hr rise was so light and sticky that it was impossible to cut into 6 segments, much less roll out. I tried and made some stretchy ropes just by pulling it, but when I covered it, the wrap stuck so intensively to the ropes that there was no possibility in salvaging them. I bake sourdough loaves routinely and never have had this happen. Any thoughts? I’ll try again one day. It sounds delicious.
Hmm I am not sure what could have gone wrong, as this is a pretty dry dough. The only thing I can think of is maybe you have a very hydrated starter.
Is the dough supposed to be sticky after the 8-10 hour rise?
I put it back in the bowl to let is sit for longer just in case.
I wouldn’t say they are usually sticky after rising. You may need to dust a clean surface with flour to help get rid of the stickiness.
Will this work with gluten free flour?
I made this yesterday with my gluten-free started and a gluten-free flour mix. They turned out delicious! I didn’t change anything in the recipe expect for adding additional water (which is what I almost always do when turning glutenous recipies into gluten-free recipies).
Do you have any recommendations for any other flours to use besides white flour? Do you think einkorn might work or not enough gluten? Does anyone else have any suggestions/ experience ?… sprouted, spelt…? I have a white flour sourdough culture going and an einkorn sourdough culture? I have a household with multiple food sensitivities so I’m just always looking for ideas.😋
I have yet to experiment with other flours – maybe in the future! Until then, here is a pretzel recipe I found that uses einkorn and spelt. I haven’t tried this personally, but it my be worth looking into! https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/soft-sourdough-pretzels/#wprm-recipe-container-58396