Sourdough Pretzels

Mix the active sourdough starter, bread flour, and water for the levain in a medium-sized jar.
Cover and set in a warm location for about 4-5 hours until doubled in size and bubbly.
Alternatively, skip this step and mix 120g of active sourdough starter into your dough.
40 grams Sourdough Starter, 40 grams Water, 40 grams Bread Flour
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 if using.
43 grams Unsalted Butter, 380 grams Bread Flour, 40 grams Rye Flour, 25 grams Granulated Sugar, 12 grams Sea Salt, 300 grams Water, 23 grams Dried Milk Powder, 1 tsp Instant or Active Dry Yeast
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 shaggy 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
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.
Refrigerate the dough overnight, or for up to 12 hours.
The next day, line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly oil with non-stick spray.
Remove the chilled pretzel dough from the refrigerator and punch it down to degas. Turn it out onto a clean work surface and weigh the dough. Divide the total weight 12 and use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Mine are typically 94-96 grams each.
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 (see video and more photo instructionns above if needed).
Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pretzels, with about six pretzels on each baking sheet.
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.
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 a few TBS 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
Arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450ºF (232ºC).
Fill a wide, large dutch oven or pot over a stovetop and bring 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
Beat the egg in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of egg wash to the pretzels and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
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

Equipment

Ingredients

Levain

Sourdough Pretzels:

Baking Soda Bath:

Instructions

Video

Notes