The Best Soft Sourdough Pretzels

Chewy and soft sourdough pretzels are like the classic recipe, but with that flavorful sourdough tang. Top them with salt, cinnamon sugar, or some fresh parmesan cheese for a delicious snack.

Is there a more comforting snack than warm homemade soft pretzels topped with coarse salt? Well, yes, these long fermented sourdough pretzels. Talk about taking a classic recipe and bringing it up a notch.

With more than 80 sourdough recipes on the blog, I’m constantly trying to find creative ways to use up my sourdough starter and bring more recipes to your home. 

I’m often asked if I ever don’t want to cook or get stuck in a food rut. 

Truth be told, making food from scratch has been a passion of mine for a long time, and there is just no contest between store-bought and homemade. I absolutely adore being able to provide my family with these delicious recipes.

I’m thankful I get to bring them into your home as well. Being creative in the kitchen and coming up with these recipes also helps me keep the food spark alive. 

Tips:

• You want to use active sourdough starter to make this light and fluffy.
• 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 can be used instead of active sourdough starter, but you may have to let the dough ferment longer.
• You don’t need to be confined to just creating the pretzel shape, you can also shape these into buns, knots, twists, and rolls.
• If you are new to sourdough, you can learn how to make a sourdough starter here.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Sourdough Pretzel FAQ:

Are sourdough pretzels a healthy snack?

Yes, most definitely. 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 water with baking soda before it is baked giving it that yummy crust.

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. 

You can also freeze the pretzel dough after the bulk fermentation and after you have shaped the dough. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours or until completely frozen. Then transfer into a Ziploc bag. Allow the dough to thaw completely and then rise for another hour. Boil and bake as directed.

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

Large bowl

Pot

Slotted spoon or spider strainer

Bench scraper

Baking sheet

Ingredients:

Dough

Sourdough starter – Active and bubbly

Water – Preferably filtered

Honey – Could also substitute honey with maple syrup

Salt – Adds so much flavor to the dough, and bread without salt is bland.

Unbleached all-purpose flour – Store-bought or fresh milled

Water Bath

Water

Baking soda – This gives the pretzels a deep golden color, cracked outside, and chewy inside. You will find it is very similar to making sourdough bagels. This is because the baking soda makes the water alkaline and gelatinizes the outside which prevents it from fully rising during the baking process, giving it chewy texture.

Brown sugar

Egg Wash

Egg – Gives it that beautiful deep golden color.

Coarse salt – Is there anything better than a salty pretzel? You want to use coarse sea salt so it stays nice and chunky.

How To Make Sourdough Pretzels:

Add active sourdough starter, water, honey, salt and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix the dough on the lowest speed for 5-10 minutes with the dough hook. You could also knead by hand for 10 -15 minutes. The dough should pass the window-pane test.

Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

Shaping Pretzels

Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces.

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. 

Cover the dough and allow them to rise for about an hour.

Boiling And Baking Pretzel Dough

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bring water in a large stockpot to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Boil the pretzels for 30 seconds on each side, I like to do 4 pretzels at a time, so that they aren’t overcrowded.

Take out with a slotted spoon or kitchen spider strainer, shaking off excess water and place on a parchment line baking sheet.

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

Bake 15 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 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.

Pretzel Topping Ideas:

Before adding toppings brush the cooked pretzels with melted butter.

• Course Salt
• Cinnamon and sugar. You could also use pumpkin spice
• Parmesean cheese
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Top with shredded cheese and place in a 350 degree oven until just melted. Serve with some warm pasta sauce to make pizza pretzels.

Find More Of My Favorite Sourdough Recipes

• Sourdough Brioche
• Sourdough Banana Bread
• Fluffy Sourdough Donuts With Vanilla Glaze
• Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

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.