Easy Sourdough Pretzels Recipe (Soft & Delicious)
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Soft and chewy and baked until perfectly golden brown, these Sourdough Pretzels are the perfect snack!
Whether you are hosting Sunday Night Football, an Oktoberfest celebration or any gathering with friends and family, this sourdough snack is sure to disappear. Just like my Sourdough Pretzel Bites, we love serving them with honey mustard or warm cheese sauce, but they are also fabulous when brushed with butter and topped with cinnamon sugar.
Prep the dough the night before, then shape, boil and bake the following day for an easy and delicious snack that everyone is sure to love!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Get real pretzel shop flavor at home
A quick dip in the brown sugar and baking soda bath gives these pretzels that deep, chewy crust you’d expect from any bakery that gets it right. They taste just like the ones you’d buy, maybe even better since you pulled them out of your own oven.
It’s a beginner-friendly sourdough
If sourdough has felt tough to figure out before, this soft sourdough pretzel recipe is the perfect confidence booster. The sourdough pretzel dough is simple to work with, and you don’t need any special shaping or scoring skills. Make a quick twist and you’re all set.
You can make them sweet or savory
Brush with butter and sprinkle with coarse salt for that classic pretzel flavor, or roll them in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, churro-like version. Once you’ve nailed the base recipe, it’s easy to experiment with flavors and figure out what you like best.
Easy to Make Ahead
The overnight rise makes these soft sourdough pretzels work well with even the busiest of weeks. Mix the dough after dinner, let it rise while you sleep, and bake fresh pretzels the next morning. No rushing and stress…because planning ahead eliminates them all.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Starter – This recipe uses bubbly and active sourdough starter to help the dough rise.
- Bread Flour–You can use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand, but I really recommend bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise nicely and makes the pretzel bites extra chewy and delicious.
- Sugar – I used white sugar for a touch of sweetness, but you can use other sugars like cane sugar or honey.
- Baking Soda & Brown Sugar – Adding brown sugar and baking soda to the boil bath gives your Sourdough Pretzel the classic dark brown, chewy crust once they are baked. The brown sugar can be substituted with honey or maple syrup. Be careful not to boil the pretzels too long, otherwise the pretzels can taste metallic or be too chewy.
Baking Time For Sourdough Pretzels
DAY 1 | |
|---|---|
|
Time |
Process |
|
9:00 PM |
Mix and knead the dough |
|
9:10 PM |
First rise |
DAY 2 | |
|
9:00 AM |
Shape & second rise |
|
10:00 AM |
Boil and bake |
How to Make Sourdough Pretzels
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the starter, water and sugar. Mix until incorporated.
- To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt. Mix again on low speed until everything is incorporated, then knead the dough on low speed for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the dough, knead by hand 20x and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and wait until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 20 inch long rope and shape into pretzels. Place the pretzel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the baking sheet with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise. The final proof is complete when the pretzels have risen and look all puffy.
- In the meantime, prepare the boil bath (brown sugar/baking soda solution). Boil 2-3 pretzels at a time for 30 seconds. Drain and place on a wire rack. Top with coarse salt, if desired. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
- Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes or until dark brown with an internal temperature of at least 195°F.
- Brush with melted butter and enjoy!
Ways to Enjoy Your Sourdough Pretzels
These traditional pretzels with a sourdough twist are one of those bakes that disappear fast in my house. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve pretzels:
- Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt right before serving. Because nothing beats that warm, salty bite.
- My kids love dunking pretzel bites into honey mustard or warm marinara sauce. Ranch dressing is another go-to in our house.
- A simple cheese sauce turns pretzels into a must-taste comfort snack. Melted cheddar cheese with a splash of milk works too.
- For a sweet version, leave out the salt. Instead, coat the pretzels in melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. They’re warm, soft, and taste a lot like Churros.
How to Store:
We usually eat half the batch of warm pretzels before they’ve even cooled. Absolutely no shame, but you can keep leftover pretzels on the counter in a sealed container or zip-top bag for a couple of days.
They do lose a bit of the softness, but a quick warm-up in the oven at 300°F for 5–7 minutes makes them taste fresh again.
For longer storage, I like to let the pretzels cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and tuck them into a freezer bag for up to two months. Reheat the pretzels straight from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 10–12 minutes.
FAQs
Yes, you can. Bread flour just gives a chewier texture because it has more protein, but all-purpose still makes a good pretzel. If you’ve only got all-purpose in the pantry, don’t let that stop you.
Skip the coarse salt before baking. Once the pretzels are out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and toss in a cinnamon sugar mix while they’re still warm. My kids always go for these first.
Yes, you can. After rolling your dough into ropes, cut into bite-sized pieces instead of twisting, then boil and bake them the same way. If you’re a big fan of bite-sized snacks, you’ll want to try my sourdough pretzel bites recipe. You’ll love them!
Definitely. After shaping, you can pop the pretzels in the fridge overnight, covered, and bake them the next day. Simply take the shaped pretzels out of the fridge, boil, and bake when you’re ready.
Sourdough Pretzels Recipe
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Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
Sourdough Pretzel
- 150 grams active sourdough starter 3/4 cup
- 250 grams water, warm 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon
- 500 grams bread flour 3 1/2 cups
- 40 grams sugar 2 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons
- 11 grams salt 2 teaspoons
Boil Bath
- 2400 grams water 10 cups
- 200 grams baking soda 2/3 cup
- 15 grams brown sugar 1 Tablespoon
Toppings
- coarse salt, if desired
- 57 grams salted butter, melt 4 Tablespoons
- 100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
- 4 grams ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons
Instructions
Make Dough & Bulk Rise
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add all of the ingredients and mix again on medium-low speed for 5-6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and tacky to the touch. You can also mix and knead the dough by hand.Reminder: The temperature of the warm water was 110 degrees F. Any hotter can kill the sourdough starter.150 grams active sourdough starter, 250 grams water, warm, 500 grams bread flour, 40 grams sugar, 11 grams salt
- Remove the dough and knead until smooth. Do so by folding a portion of the dough towards the center and pressing down with the heel of your hand. Repeat about 20 times, then place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and wait until it doubles in size.In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took 12 hours, but this greatly depends on the temperature of your dough and environment.
Shape
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a clean work surface. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and lightly greasing the parchment paper (this prevents the pretzel dough from sticking). Set these aside.
- Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 75 grams each).
- Roll each piece of dough into 20-22 inch long ropes. Taking one rope at a time, place the rope in the shape of a large “U”. Taking both ends, cross them over each other twice, then taking the two ends, fold them down to the bottom of the "U" to create the traditional pretzel shape. Place the pretzel on the prepare baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ropes of dough.Refer to the shaping photos above.
Second Rise
- Once all of the sourdough pretzels are shaped, cover the baking sheets with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise, about 30-60 minutes. The final proof is complete when the pretzels have grown in size and look puffy. Don't rush this step! Otherwise, the pretzels will bake up dense and gummy.
Boil
- Just before the second rise is complete, prepare the boil bath. Bring the water to a boil, then add the brown sugar and baking soda. Stir until both are completely dissolved. Boil 2-3 pretzel at a time for 30 seconds. The pretzels should float while boiling. If not, then the dough was most likely under or over proofed. Dunk the pretzel completely under water to ensure the water bath has reached all areas of the dough.2400 grams water, 200 grams baking soda, 15 grams brown sugar
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pretzels from the water and place them on a wire rack. Immediately top the pretzels with coarse salt while they are still damp, if desired. Repeat with the remaining sourdough pretzels.Skip the coarse salt if you plan to make cinnamon sugar pretzels.coarse salt, if desired
- Once all of the Sourdough Pretzel have been boiled, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bake
- Bake the pretzel for 12-15 minutes or until dark brown with an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees F.
- While still warm, brush the pretzel bites with the melted butter and enjoy plain or with your favorite dipping sauces! Enjoy!57 grams salted butter, melt
- For a sweet cinnamon sugar version, skip the coarse salt before baking. Once baked, brush the pretzels with the melted butter. Then sprinkle each pretzel with a cinnamon sugar mixture and mix again until evenly coated.100 grams sugar, 4 grams ground cinnamon
Notes
Refer to the Sample Baking Schedule above in the blog post.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough Starter – This recipe uses bubbly and active sourdough starter to help the dough rise.
- Bread Flour–You can use all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand, but I really recommend bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise nicely and makes the pretzel bites extra chewy and delicious.
- Sugar – I used white sugar for a touch of sweetness, but you can use other sugars like cane sugar or honey.
- Baking Soda & Brown Sugar – Adding brown sugar and baking soda to the boil bath gives your Sourdough Pretzel the classic dark brown, chewy crust once they are baked. The brown sugar can be substituted with honey or maple syrup. Be careful not to boil the pretzels too long, otherwise the pretzels can taste metallic or be too chewy.
Tips:
- If you prefer to skip the shaping and instead make Sourdough Pretzel Bites, refer to my recipe here!
- These pretzels are incredible plain, but they are also delicious with honey mustard, a warm cheese sauce, marinara and ranch!
- Skip the coarse salt and top the pretzels with everything but the bagel seasonings, Parmesan cheese or even ranch seasoning!
Such a delicious and easy snack idea that the whole family will love! My kiddos especially love them with cinnamon sugar on top.
These were so good! My first time attempting soft pretzels and they were perfect!
This is so lovely to hear! So glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing!
What’s the difference between active sourdough starter and discard?
Great question! Active sourdough starter is fed and bubbly and used to help dough rise, while sourdough discard is unfed starter that’s usually past its peak—still full of flavor, just not strong enough to leaven bread on its own.