These soft Sourdough Pretzels are the perfect appetizer or snack for parties and gatherings. They have a dark, shiny crust and chewy interior and are made without lye. Follow this recipe and my visual guide for tips, substitutions, and detailed photos of each step for making the best sourdough pretzels.
300gramsBaking Soda, about one cup for baked baking soda, or use ½ cup baking soda
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Levain:Mixthe active sourdough starter, bread flour, and water for the levain 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.
Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients:Set aside the unsalted butter to come to room temperature. Mix the bread flour, optional rye flour, granulated sugar, and sea salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.In a separate bowl, whisk the water, instant milk powder, and active dry yeast. Let stand for five minutes to activate and dissolve the yeast.
Mix Pretzel Dough:Pour all of the levain and water mixture into the stand mixer bowl with the dry ingredients. Begin to mix on low speed with the bread hook attachment.Increase the speed gradually until the dough comes together in a few minutes. It will be dry and stiff. Use your hands to bring it together if needed.At this point, turn off the mixer, cover the bowl with a towel, and rest for 10 minutes to hydrate the dough.After the rest, mix on medium speed for five more minutes.Continuing to mix, add a TBS of the room temperature butter at a time. Mix until the butter is completely incorporated into the dough and clears the sides of the bowl. The dough should be tacky.
Levain
Bulk Fermentation (First Proof):Cover the bowl and place in a warm location to proof for 1.5-2 hours.* Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough has doubled in size and feels full of air.
Overnight Proof:Refrigerate the dough overnight, or for up to 12 hours.
Preshape:The next day, prepare two half-sheet pans with parchment paper and oil with non-stick spray or oil.Remove the chilled pretzel dough from the refrigerator and punch it down to degas. Weigh the dough and divide by 12. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces by weight. Mine are typically 94-96 grams each.
Shape:Pat each piece of dough into a small rectangle. Roll the dough up into a cylinder and then roll it out into a long rope, about 30 inches long.Make a U shape with the dough, cross one rope over the other, twist the ropes, and bring them down to the bottom of the U to form the pretzel shape.Place on the prepared baking sheet.Repeat with the remaining pretzels, with six pretzels evenly spaced on each sheet.See my shaping photos and video in the post on how to shape pretzels, along with other pretzel shaping tips.
Final Proof:Cover the baking sheets and set aside to proof for 30 minutes until they've risen slightly. Place in the refrigerator for an hour or two to chill while you make the baked baking soda.
Bake the Baking Soda (optional):Preheat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC).Place the baking soda on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake the baking soda for one hour. You won't notice much of a visible change, except it might reduce in volume. Baking the baking soda will transform the sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate and help you get dark brown pretzels. Feel free to make baked baking soda ahead and store in it a dry container.If you prefer, you can also skip this step and add ½ cup baking soda in the baking soda bath. The pretzels will not brown as well, but you'll still get delicious results.
300 grams Baking Soda
Baking Soda Bath:Add 4 cups of water (946 grams) in a large dutch oven or large pot over a stovetop. Bring the water to a warm temperature (not hot). Gently whisk in all of the baked baking soda (or ½ cup of baking soda).Wearing kitchen gloves, gently drop 2-3 pretzels at a time into the bath for about 30 seconds. Dip underwater to ensure all sides are covered.Gently lift individual pretzels out of the water (still wearing gloves) and let any excess liquid drip back into the bath. Lay the pretzels right side up onto the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
Water
Bake:Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450ºF (232ºC).Beat one egg in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of egg wash to the pretzels.Sprinklepretzel salt onto the pretzels.Bake the pretzels for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. When done, the pretzels should be dark brown and shiny.Let cool on wire racks and serve warm or at room temperature.
1 Egg, Pretzel Salt
Video
Notes
*If you opt not to use active dry yeast or instant yeast, extend the proofing times by at least double.Review the How to Make Sourdough Pretzel recipe guide and visual walkthrough for more detailed steps and photos.
Tried this recipe?Rate the recipe above, comment, and follow/mention @sourdoughbrandon on Instagram