Sourdough soft pretzels make for a warm, chewy snack that the whole family will love. Sweet, salty, or dipped in cheese. However you choose to enjoy them, I’m sure they will be delicious. Plus they are super easy to whip up with an active sourdough starter. Bonus points for a freezer friendly snack!
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Why Haven’t I Had This Before?
The summer before my first teaching job, I spent a lot of time at Sam’s Club buying all of the things I needed for my very empty classroom. On one such outing I decided to give a soft pretzel a try. It was heavenly. The next trip, I gave the cinnamon sugar one a go and it was also phenomenal. I think I went back to Sam’s just to have an excuse to eat a soft pretzel every week. How I had made it 23 years and never eaten a soft pretzel is beyond me. Now I make my own sourdough soft pretzels at home so that I don’t have to visit Sam’s Club every week for a bite.
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Why Sourdough?
Sourdough was used by people to leaven bread before they were able to go to the store and by those little yeast packets. Sourdough is the old-fashioned yeast packet.
Grains contain phytic acid, but our bodies don’t really process it well. Phytic acid prevents our bodies from absorbing the nutrients from our food. Fermentation gets rid of most, if not all of the phytic acid, in the grains before we eat them. The fermentation process also helps break down some gluten, so although the bread isn’t gluten free it does have a lower gluten content. This allows people like me, who are sensitive to gluten, to eat sourdough. It also acts like a probiotic, which makes it great for gut health. Sourdough has prebiotic characteristics as well, which simply means that the good bacteria in your gut enjoy eating the fiber.
Sourdough Soft Pretzels Recipe
Ingredients
¼ cup softened butter
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup sourdough starter
1 ¼ cup water
1 ½ teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
Coarse salt
6-8 cups water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- First mix together ¼ of softened butter, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ cup of sourdough starter, and 1 ¼ cups of water. Then add in 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and 4 cups of flour. Knead the dough in your KitchenAid Mixer for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Next, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 10-12 hours. I like to use a disposable shower cap to cover the bowl.
- Then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Using your hands roll them out into ropes about an inch wide. To form the pretzel shape, hold both ends up in one hand to create a U shape. Twist the dough twice. Lay the ends down on the bottom of the U. Press them down slightly. I like to place them on a parchment lined baking sheet at this point.
- Cover the pretzels with a wet towel or some plastic wrap. Allow them to rise until doubled which will take 1-2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- After they have doubled, it is time to boil them. This gives them a chewy texture. In a large pot, boil 6-8 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. When the pot boils, put the pretzels in a couple at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot. Let them boil for 30 seconds on each side. Then use a spider to remove them and place them back on the pan. Repeat this step with all of the pretzels.
- Before baking, create an egg wash using one egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush it over the pretzels using a pastry brush. This is also the time to sprinkle on some coarse salt.
- Bake the sourdough soft pretzels at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack as soon as they come out of the oven.
Serving Sourdough Soft Pretzels
These sourdough soft pretzels make for a great afternoon snack. Try serving them with dipping cheese, melted garlic butter, or basil pesto.
If you prefer a sweet treat, then skip the coarse salt. Instead wait until they come out of the oven to brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I used to get a cinnamon sugar pretzel everytime I went to Sam’s Club.
If you need a quick lunch, add some marinara sauce, pepperoni, and shredded cheese on top. Pop them back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Now you have a pizza pretzel.
If you are trying to fill the freezer, then you can absolutely put some pretzels in the freezer. Flash freeze them before putting them in a bag to prevent them from sticking together. Flash freeze means to lay them out on a parchment lined sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. You can make up a pizza pretzel and freeze it, toppings and all, for a quick lunch down the road. They reheat well in the oven or air fryer.
Sourdough Soft Pretzels
Sourdough soft pretzels make for a warm, chewy snack that the whole family will love. Sweet, salty, or dipped in cheese. However you choose to enjoy them, I’m sure they will be delicious. Plus they are super easy to whip up with an active sourdough starter. Bonus points for a freezer friendly snack!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- Coarse salt
- 6-8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- First mix together ¼ of softened butter, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ cup of sourdough starter, and 1 ¼ cups of water. Then add in 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and 4 cups of flour. Knead the dough in your KitchenAid Mixer for about 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Next, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 10-12 hours. I like to use a disposable shower cap to cover the bowl.
- Then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Using your hands roll them out into ropes about an inch wide. To form the pretzel shape, hold both ends up in one hand to create a U shape. Twist the dough twice. Lay the ends down on the bottom of the U. Press them down slightly. I like to place them on a parchment lined baking sheet at this point.
- Cover the pretzels with a wet towel or some plastic wrap. Allow them to rise until doubled which will take 1-2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- After they have doubled, it is time to boil them. This gives them a chewy texture. In a large pot, boil 6-8 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. When the pot boils, put the pretzels in a couple at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot. Let them boil for 30 seconds on each side. Then use a spider to remove them and place them back on the pan. Repeat this step with all of the pretzels.
- Before baking, create an egg wash using one egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush it over the pretzels using a pastry brush. This is also the time to sprinkle on some coarse salt.
- Bake the sourdough soft pretzels at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack as soon as they come out of the oven.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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