Sourdough Pretzels (No Lye Needed)

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👨‍🍳 Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Pretzels:

1. Refrigerate the Pretzels before the Bath:

It’s best to refrigerate shaped pretzels before submerging them in their baking soda bath.
Thirty minutes to an hour in the refrigerator will help the pretzels retain their shape as you transfer them to the bath. Otherwise, they can start to fall apart in the water.
As pretzels can overproof easily, refrigeration will also slow down fermentation.

2. Bake at a High Temperature:

Bake these pretzels at 450ºF (232ºC) for 15-18 minutes.
The high temperature browns the crust and helps the dough rise quickly. The short baking time ensures you get a soft interior!

3. Roll Ropes Out Long Enough:

You can shape pretzels in many different ways. For example, if you like more crunchy parts of a pretzel, you can shape the ends of the ropes to be thinner so they bake faster.
Rolling the ropes out about 30-31″ ensures that the pretzels retain their shape and that the holes between them are visible. Otherwise, the pretzels can look like braided buns once baked.

4. Use Baked Baking Soda:

You can certainly use a regular baking soda bath for homemade pretzels or lye (like bagels) if you’re okay with using the caustic substance. However, most home bakers like me aren’t comfortable using lye in their kitchens. Baked baking soda is a great alternative!
I bake the baking soda for an hour to turn it into sodium carbonate. This process increases the pH of the baking soda to make it more alkaline. A baked baking soda bath is safer than lye, and you still get a dark brown exterior to your pretzels.

5. Add Baker’s Yeast:

So, this tip might be contentious for a sourdough blog. But, I achieved the best pretzel results when I used a teaspoon of baker’s yeast (instant or active dry yeast) in this recipe. I received this tip from one of my baker friends on Instagram, who mentioned that his bakery uses a bit of instant yeast in their sourdough pretzels to help achieve a soft pretzel.
If you do not want to add instant yeast, you don’t have to! Just follow my recipe as is and increase the proofing times.

Why Bake Baking Soda?

Heating baking soda transforms the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has a pH between 8-9. On the other hand, sodium carbonate has a pH of 11, making baked baking soda more alkaline (or basic).

While this might not sound like a significant difference, the pH scale is logarithmic, so sodium carbonate (sometimes referred to as soda ash) is 1,000 times more basic than baking soda.

While not as caustic as lye (pH 14), the alkaline solution speeds up browning and results in a dark brown pretzel. This browning is known as the Mailliard reaction.

That’s a simplistic chemistry lesson, but you can read here for more info about baked baking soda.

Once again, this is an optional and you can just use ½ cup of baking soda in the water bath, but it really does make all the difference!

Sheet pan with baked baking soda — Baked baking soda

🛠 Tools Needed for Sourdough Pretzels:

Click on the toggles below for more information, recommendations, and possible substitutes.

Sheet Pans

This sourdough pretzel recipe makes 12 pretzels. I fit six pretzels on one half-sheet pan.

Baking Scale

I always list ingredients by weight in grams because it is the most accurate way to measure baking ingredients. Use a scale, and your baking will immediately be better!

I love my Escali baking scale and use it every day. The batteries last a long time, the scale is accurate, and it comes in many colors.

Dutch Oven or Large Pot

You will need a dutch oven or large pot for the baking soda bath.

Stand Mixer (optional, but helpful)

A stand mixer helps mix this very stiff pretzel dough. Of course, you can mix and knead pretzel dough by hand, but a stand mixer will make the process easier.

An imprint of sourdough pretzels on parchment paper

🛒 Ingredients Needed for Sourdough Pretzels:

Click on the toggles below for more information, recommendations, and possible substitutes.

Bread Flour

I use bread flour to get the distinctive chew in pretzels. Substitute with all-purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour.

Rye Flour (optional)

Rye flour adds color and flavor to these pretzels. A little rye flour goes a long way, and I use some to feed my sourdough starter and in My Everyday Sourdough Bread recipe.

If you don’t have rye, substitute it with whole wheat flour or just use more bread flour.

Instant non-fat milk powder (optional)

Instant non-fat milk powder is a secret pantry ingredient that can improve your baked goods. Milk powder adds a touch of sweetness and richness to baked goods and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Milk powder also helps soften bread. I use it in this soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe for all the difference.

Milk powder makes these pretzels even softer, but you can skip if you prefer

Sourdough Starter

Use an active sourdough starter for this pretzel recipe (not sourdough discard).

Learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter and make a stronger sourdough starter with my top sourdough starter tips.

Active Dry Yeast (or instant yeast, optional)

As mentioned above in my tips section, a teaspoon of instant or active dry yeast benefits these pretzels by making them softer and have a more classic yeast flavor. After testing with and without the baker’s yeast, I can confirm that it made a doughy and more classic pretzel.

Skip the yeast if you only want to leaven with sourdough, and increase the proofing times.

Baking Soda

Instead of lye, I dip these sourdough pretzels in a baked baking soda bath. Baking soda is baked on a sheet pan for an hour to make it more alkaline. This results in a darker brown exterior and chewier pretzel.

Pretzel Salt (Optional, but great!)

Pretzel salt contains large, rough salt granules. Sprinkling some on will take your pretzels up a notch!

Substitute pretzel salt with Kosher salt or another large granulated salt.

Water
Granulated sugar
Sea Salt
Unsalted Butter
Egg (optional egg wash)

Ingredients needed for sourdough pretzels including flours, baking soda, salts, sourdough starter, butter, and water — Ingredients needed for sourdough pretzels

🥨 How to Make Sourdough Pretzels:

Follow this visual and detailed guide to help you make the best Sourdough Pretzels.

1. Make Levain (Sourdough Starter):

Mix 40 grams of active sourdough starter, 40 grams of bread flour, and 40 grams of water in a medium-sized jar.

Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about five hours until bubbly and ripe. The levain should at least double in size during this time.

Note: Please refer to my guide on How To Make A Sourdough Starter if you do not have an active sourdough starter and the FAQ section where I explain the difference between a starter and a levain. See my Top 10 Sourdough Starter Tips for Success on how to make a more robust sourdough starter.

2. Mix Sourdough Pretzel Dough:

Set aside 3 TBS (43 grams) of unsalted butter to soften at room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the bread hook attached, mix the following dry ingredients:

380 grams of bread flour
40 grams of rye flour
12 grams of sea salt
2 TBS (25 grams) of granulated sugar

In a separate small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together:

300 grams of water
23 grams of instant non-fat milk powder
One teaspoon of active dry yeast (or instant yeast)

Let stand for about 5 minutes to activate and dissolve the active dry yeast.

Adding active dry yeast to milk in liquid measuring cup — Dry ingredients mixed in mixing bowl

Mixing:

Pour all of the ripe levain (or 120 grams of active sourdough starter) and all of the water/instant milk/yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and begin to mix on low speed with the bread hook attachment.

At first, the dough will be extremely dry and stiff. Increase the speed gradually until the dough mostly comes together after a few minutes. Use a spatula or your hands to bring it together if needed.

If the mixer gets too warm or the motor starts to get caught, turn off the mixer and knead with your hands. Pretzel dough can be very stiff, and you do not want to overheat your mixer!

At this point, turn off the mixer, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This rest will allow the flour to hydrate and become easier to mix.

After the rest, mix on medium speed for five more minutes.

Pretzel dough on dough hook barely mixed and very dry — Starting to mix dry pretzel dough

Initial pretzel dough mixed in mixing bowl — Starting to mix dry pretzel dough

Add Butter:

Continuing to mix, add a tablespoon of the softened unsalted butter one at a time (three TBS in total) into the stand mixer bowl. Mix until the butter is completely incorporated into the dough and clears the sides of the bowl.

At the end of mixing, the dough should be slightly tacky (not sticky), and you should be able to easily hold the dough in your hands.

Butter on sides of mixing bowl — Butter sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl

Mixed pretzel dough in mixing bowl with butter clear on sides — Butter sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl

3. Bulk Fermentation (First Proof):

Gather the dough into a round ball and place it into a large mixing bowl or keep it in the stand mixer bowl for bulk fermentation.

Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location (75-80ºF is ideal) to proof for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

Proofing is complete when the dough has doubled in size and feels full of air.

Note: If you’re not using baker’s yeast, it will take about 4.5-5 hours for the dough to proof with only sourdough as the leavening.

Sourdough pretzel dough at the start of bulk fermentation in mixing bowl — Sourdough pretzel dough at the start of bulk fermentation

Sourdough pretzel dough in mixing bowl at the end of bulk fermentation — Sourdough pretzel dough at the start of bulk fermentation

4. Overnight Proof:

For the best flavor and easier shaping, refrigerate the pretzel dough overnight or for up to 12 hours.

The overnight proof will slow down the fermentation, enhancing the pretzels’ flavor.

5. Shape:

The next day, prepare two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Oil or spray the parchment paper with non-stick spray so the pretzels will not stick to the paper.

Remove the chilled pretzel dough from the refrigerator and punch it down to degas.

Weigh the pretzel dough and divide the weight by twelve. When I make this recipe, each pretzel is about 94-96 grams.

Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into twelve equally-sized pieces by weight.

How to Shape Pretzels:

There are many ways to shape pretzels, including making pretzel buns or other knotted shapes. Chilled dough makes shaping easier.

My preferred method is to roll the dough into long ropes and do a classic and simple pretzel twist. This results in a three-holed pretzel that is chewy on the outside and soft in the middle. You can follow my pretzel-shaping video, photos, or written instructions below.

To shape the pretzels:

Pat the dough into a small rectangle.
Roll the dough into a cylinder that’s a few inches long.
Use your hands to roll the dough into a long and even rope, about 30″ long.
- The dough shouldn’t stick much to the counter and a little traction is good so the dough doesn’t immediately spring back. If there’s any sticking, lightly flour the countertop.
- Let the dough rest briefly as you roll it out if needed.
- Try to maintain an even rope so your pretzels will bake evenly and uniformly.
- If the dough is not rolled out long enough, you’ll find that the shape will fill itself into more of a bun once baked.
Once rolled out, take the two ends of the rope and make a U shape.
Cross one rope over the other about ⅓ the length of the U.
Tuck under and twist the ends of the rope to create a single pretzel twist or knot.
Lift the two ends of the rope and gently press them down on the bottom of the U to seal the pretzel shape.
Adjust the pretzel holes as preferred and lay them on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining pretzels, with six evenly spaced on each baking sheet.

Shaping a sourdough pretzel shaped into a Uo — 1. Shape the pretzel rope into a U

Crossing sourdough pretzel rope ends when shaping — 1. Shape the pretzel rope into a U

How to Shape Sourdough Pretzels

6. Final Proof and Baking the Baking Soda:

Cover the baking sheets of shaped pretzels with light towels or reusable plastic wrap.

Set aside to proof for 30 minutes until they’ve only risen slightly. Pretzels tend to over proof, so there’s no need to proof these for very long.

Place the pretzels in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or two while you make the baked baking soda. Chilled pretzels retain their shape better when transferred to and from the baking soda bath.

Shaped sourdough pretzel on baking sheet unbaked

How to Bake Baking Soda:

Baking the baking soda will let you make pretzels that taste and look more like lye pretzels without using caustic lye in your kitchen. That said, I still wear kitchen gloves when I handle baked baking soda (sodium carbonate), as it can cause skin irritation.

To bake the baking soda:

Preheat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC).
Place 300 grams of baking soda on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (yes, it’s a lot- about 1 ⅓ cup of baking soda).
Bake for an hour. The baked baking soda will reduce in volume slightly; otherwise, it will still look like baking soda. However, it’s now sodium carbonate!
You can always make and store the baked baking soda in a sealed (and labeled!) container in advance if you prefer.

Note: You can skip the baked baking soda if you prefer and just add ½ cup baking soda to the water bath in the next step. The pretzels will not brown as well, but you’ll still get great-tasting pretzels.

7. Baking Soda Bath:

Add 4 cups (946 grams) of water in a dutch oven or large pot over a stovetop. Bring the water to a warm, but not hot, temperature. If the water is too hot or boiling, the pretzels can lose their shape.

Gently whisk in all of the baked baking soda until dissolved.

Wearing kitchen gloves or plastic food handling gloves, gently drop 2-3 pretzels at a time into the baking soda bath for about 30 seconds. Dip the pretzels underwater if needed to ensure all sides of the pretzel are covered.

One at a time, gently lift the pretzels out of the water, letting any excess water drip off into the bath.

Lay the pretzels back onto the parchment paper and repeat with the remaining pretzels.

Dispose of the baking soda bath. I flush down a toilet.

Note: I do not rinse the pretzels in a second water bath. However, some do this if they find that their final pretzels have a soapy-tasting crust. This has never been an issue for me, though.

Whisking baked baking soda in a dutch oven with water

Dipping sourdough pretzel into baking soda bath

8. Bake the Sourdough Pretzels:

Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450ºF (232ºC).

For a shiny crust, apply an optional egg wash to the pretzels. Beat one egg in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of egg to the pretzels.

Sprinkle coarse pretzel salt onto the pretzels.

Bake the pretzels for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through to ensure even browning. When done, the pretzels should be dark brown and shiny (if egg-washed).

Let cool on wire racks and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sourdough pretzels with egg wash and pretzel salt before baking — Sourdough pretzels with egg wash and pretzel salt

Sourdough pretzel on cooling rack — Sourdough pretzels with egg wash and pretzel salt

What to Serve with Sourdough Pretzels:

This sourdough pretzel recipe produces 12 soft pretzels, making them perfect for Super Bowl snacks, an Oktoberfest gathering, or an appetizer with friends and family.

Stone-ground mustard, melted butter, and beer cheese are three of my favorite servings with these pretzels.

The pretzels are excellent with beer and, of course, many other German and Bavarian foods such as sauerkraut, bratwurst, or another type of sausage.

If you prefer a sweeter pretzel (think Auntie Anne’s airport or mall pretzels) or are looking for a dessert pretzel, skip the pretzel salt and bake the pretzels with cinnamon sugar.

Platter of soft sourdough pretzels with mustard

How to Store Sourdough Pretzels:

You can store sourdough pretzels at room temperature for a few days in a brown paper bag, linen bag, or bread box.

You can also keep the pretzels in a bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. Then, reheat them in a toaster oven for a couple of minutes.

Additionally, freezing pretzels is easy! Keep the baked pretzels in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for months. Thaw the pretzels overnight in the refrigerator. Finally, reheat in a toaster oven or conventional oven.

❓ Sourdough Pretzels FAQs:

Is pretzel dough the same as bagel dough?

While similar, bagels are typically made with barley malt syrup and sometimes boiled with it for color and a slight sweetness. Bagels are often denser than doughy soft pretzels as well.

Additionally, butter is often added to pretzel dough.

How many pretzels does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 12 large pretzels.

How do I make vegan sourdough pretzels?

Yes, replace the unsalted butter with an equal amount of neutral oil or vegan butter, and skip the instant milk powder.

How do you make sourdough pretzel bites?

You can easily make sourdough pretzel bites with this recipe. Follow the same instructions, but cut the ropes during shaping into bite-sized pieces.

How do I make hard sourdough pretzels?

Lower the water in this recipe and skip the instant milk powder. Follow the same instructions and bake for a few more minutes.

You could also use my recipe for Hard Sourdough Pretzel Rods.

Hand holding a soft sourdough pretzel with coarse pretzel salt

What Questions Do You Have About Sourdough Pretzels?

Leave your questions or comments in the discussion below.

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