Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Name: Sourdough Soft Pretzels
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 12 large pretzels
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup unfed sourdough starter; ¾ cup lukewarm water, or more as needed; ¼ cup powdered milk; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon instant yeast; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups water; 3 tablespoons baking soda; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon water; 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt; 4 tablespoons butter, melted

12 Ratings
11 Reviews
8 Photos

Soft, buttery hand-rolled and twisted soft pretzels made with the tang of sourdough. For more tried and true recipes, please visit my blog: Jennifer Cooks.

By JenniferCooks

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Recipe Summary

prep:

25 mins

cook:

25 mins

additional:

1 hr 5 mins

total:

1 hr 55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

12 large pretzels

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Combine flour, sourdough starter, water, powdered milk, butter, brown sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until dough comes together. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if dough is dry.

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Step 2
Remove dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Clean and dry bowl; grease lightly. Return dough to the bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 3
Turn dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Fold and shape into a rectangle. Divide equally into 12 pieces. Keep pieces covered with plastic wrap while working. Roll out 1 piece at a time into a rope about 18 inches long.
Step 4
Loop and twist 1 rope into a pretzel shape. Place on a baking sheet while you finish rolling out and shaping the remaining pretzels.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Step 6
Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in baking soda until dissolved. Lower 1 pretzel into the boiling water bath for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through. Remove using a large flat spatula and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
Step 7
Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water to make egg wash. Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Step 8
Bake in the preheated oven until dark golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each pretzel with melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note:

Substitute bread flour for the all-purpose flour, if desired.

Editor's Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of sodium in baking soda. The actual amount consumed will vary.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

225 calories; protein 6.3g; carbohydrates 33.3g; fat 7.4g; cholesterol 33.5mg; sodium 1715.7mg. Full Nutrition

Jack Bartx

12/10/2019

My first time making pretzels so I followed the recipe exactly, except at the end I only buttered half of them. I think I prefer them without butter but they are delicious either way. What a great way to do something productive with my sourdough starter discards! Great recipe, thanks!

12 Ratings

5 star values: 9
4 star values: 3
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

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Jack Bartx

12/10/2019

Lynn Weege

07/30/2019

I substituted malt powder instead of the sugar and topped it with pretzel salt that I purchased on Amazon.

Becky Jordan

05/13/2019

They didn’t come out pretty, but are delicious. I used my own starter and evaporated milk.

Robert Brown

03/26/2020

Added 2 Tbsp of vital wheat gluten and used super active fed starter and let it rise for about 3 hrs. Turned out awesome.

jdevola

05/07/2020

I made these, but without the egg topping; sprinkled salt just before baking, brushed lightly with butter after baking. They were absolutely awesome!

Rebecca

04/17/2020

These were absolutely fabulous!!! I used Diastatic Malt Powder in place of half of the brown sugar. Added gluten in place of some of the flour and Bakers Special Powdered Milk in ADDITION to the powdered milk. They were even better than the soft pretzels in the mall!!! I am going to make them again, only THIS time I will ALSO add some potato flour in place of some of the flour. EVERYONE loved them! I also made them into pretzel bites--personal preference--and I will use a little less salt (I used coarse sea salt).

Sophia Redler

01/24/2021

Couldn't stop eating these soft, salty, browned Pretzels. Don't skip putting them in the baking soda, that makes them have the shiny brown characteristics. Also, you can shape them in any shape you would like knots, letters, hearts, or just the traditional pretzel twist! Have fun!

Claire Grover

11/24/2020

Awesome pretzel recipe. 12 minutes was plenty in my oven. Texture was perfect. Just out of the oven I dipped some of them in butter and then cinnamon sugar. Both sweet and savory versions were devoured!

INAE7997

06/22/2021

Happy to leave a review, because this is my go-to recipe for pretzels. Love that I can make the whole thing in my Kitchenaid. Watch the timing - too long, too dark. Excellent directions, delicious pretzels.

Helen Johnson

03/10/2022

The Pretzels were delicious. Soft and so fluffy. I will be making again.

Shnitzel

03/27/2021

Great! I made half a batch and wished I had made more. Hint - You need to roll the dough out into 2 foot sections before forming.

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Sourdough Soft Pretzels

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Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Note:

Editor's Note:

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (11)

Most helpful positive review

All Reviews for Sourdough Soft Pretzels

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Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Cook's Note:

Editor's Note:

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (11)

Most helpful positive review

All Reviews for Sourdough Soft Pretzels