Do you love sourdough soft pretzels? Check out our other magnificent Bread Recipes! And don’t forget, you can make your own sourdough starter from scratch!
Today I’m sharing The Best Sourdough Soft Pretzels Recipe with you and I am thrilled about it. Chewy and tender, these golden brown sourdough soft pretzels have classic crunchy pretzel salt on them, but they also have toasty sesame seeds.
The sesame adds a super subtle nuttiness that plays beautifully with the butter lavished on the fresh-from-the-oven pretzels. Just see if you can resist!
Sourdough pretzels are far less labour intensive than sourdough bread, and require less baby sitting of your sourdough starter. You use unfed sourdough starter directly from your refrigerator or crock.
Because you don’t have to judge when to feed your starter in respect to when you want to bake, this makes sourdough pretzels them an ideal foray into sourdough baking. Besides all that, they’re just plain divine and I honestly prefer them to sourdough bread in many circumstances.
They make the ultimate snack, of course, but don’t stop there. Serve the best sourdough soft pretzels with soups, stews, chilis, salads, and more.
Sourdough Soft Pretzels
As I mentioned above, I use unfed sourdough starter for this soft pretzel recipe. That means you can use discarded starter when you FEED your starter OR the sourdough starter you neglected and shoved to the back of your fridge!
Simply stir it, measure out half a cup for a standard batch or one cup for a double batch of soft pretzels, and proceed with the recipe. You can also feed your starter and then promptly forget about it again.
I’m all about minimizing work. Need a sourdough starter? Ask a friend for their excess when they feed their starter or buy one from King Arthur Flour or amazon.com.
Speaking of unfed starter, I’m sure someone wants to know whether they can use freshly fed starter. The short answer is yes, but it won’t have as pronounced a sourdough flavour and you’ll need to watch it because it will rise faster.
If your dough is dry and crumbly, please keep adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until it is more workable. Because sourdough starters can have different levels of viscosity and liquidity based on a a whole host of variables, it is important to remember to pay attention to the feel of the dough.
I prefer to use whole milk as the milk component in these pretzels. It provides a little richness in an otherwise lean dough. If all you have is skim milk, 1%, or 2%, though, it’ll work!
As you mix and knead the dough, if you find it to have trouble becoming smooth -for instance, if it has a lot of crumbly bits that won’t incorporate easily- knead in a tablespoon or two of water.
Most recipes call for turning the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Hold off on the flour for this until you’ve turned your dough out.
If it is still slightly sticky, you can lightly flour the surface. You may find the dough doesn’t stick, though, in which case extra flour is totally unnecessary!
Despite it being called a “pretzel boil”, you’re really looking for more of a simmer with your water. This is one occasion where more is not better.
I love the look of using black and white sesame seeds on the pretzels. It’s not strictly necessary, it’s just fun. If all you can find is white sesame seeds, go with it!
Regarding salt. You can certainly use kosher salt, but I prefer to use the slower-melting, coarser pretzel salt for the job. That can be found in bulk foods stores, King Arthur Flour’s online catalogue, and amazon.com.
Use these to make the Best Sourdough Soft Pretzels:
The Best Sourdough Soft Pretzels
Rate RecipeIngredients
Ingredients for dough:
- 4 cups bread flour 1 pound 1 ounce by weight
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 ounce or 14 grams by weight
- 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter 4 ounces or 113 grams by weight
Ingredients for pretzel boil:
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
Ingredients for toppings:
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- pretzel salt
Instructions
To Make the Dough by Hand:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and sourdough starter until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, for 15 minutes adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack, a little tacky and soft, yet smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:
- In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix on low about 30 seconds, or just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and sourdough starter. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.
To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:
- Add the milk, sourdough starter, flour, sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.
To Form the Pretzels:
- Line three half sheet pans with silpats. Set next to your work area.
- Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface.
For Traditional Pretzel Shaped Pretzels:
- Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of a Kindergarten pencil (or your index finger.) Lay the snake of dough in a u-shape. Twist the two ends together twice, keeping the base of the “u” open, then fold the twisted ends down onto the base of the “u” and gently press in place. Transfer the pretzels onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between them. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.
To Form Easier Pretzel Rods:
- Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of a Kindergarten pencil (or your index finger.) Transfer the pretzels onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between them. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.
To Cook the Pretzels:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water simmers, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzels or pretzel rods one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil. Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute. Use a slotted spatula or spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.
- Sprinkle each pretzel with about a teaspoon of sesame seeds and pretzel salt to taste. Place pans in oven and bake the pretzels at least until golden brown (at least 18 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown which is my preference (closer to 22-24 minutes in my oven.)
- Let stand for at least 5 minutes before eating. These are best enjoyed warm, but can be stored in non-airtight container such as a bowl covered with a clean tea towel or a paper bag that is cinched or clipped shut at room temperature for a couple of days. They can be quickly reheated prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
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Are you a big fan of sourdough soft pretzels? Try these sourdough and pretzel recipes:
- Roasted Garlic Rustic Sourdough Boule
- Everything Soft Pretzels
- Pretzel Bagels
- Giant Garlic Butter Soft Pretzel Rods
- Making a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Blender Pancakes
- Baked Brie in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
Reader's Thoughts...
Lisa says
Fantastic recipe! I used cashew milk and AP flour as that is what I had on hand.
My dough wasn’t exactly ‘slack’, so I did up adding some water, but I would still say it was on the firmer side.
No matter – the pretzels came out fluffy with a nice chew to them, nicely browned and a bit crisp on the bottom.
(400 degrees F, 20 minutes in my oven)
Since my husband prefers his pretzels sans sesame seeds, I did half the batch without.
I love them with the seeds, and it’s going to be tough to ensure there are any left by the time my hubs gets home.
haha
Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Lisa! I’m so glad!!
DEBBIE says
CAN I MAKE THESE WITHOUT YEAST? I FORGOT THE BUY SOME.
Rebecca says
Hi Debbie- I have not made these with pure sourdough/no yeast yet… I know that it’s possible, but I don’t have instructions to alter the recipe. I can say for a certainty, though, that you’ll want to start by using sourdough starter at its peak activity- not discard!
Please let me know how it goes for you if you give it a whirl!
Lori says
Use ripe starter…. Not unfed. It will help it rise though it will take longer as with all sourdough. 🙂
Alane says
OMG Rebecca! I was totally just saving recipes that looked good, now that I’m using sourdough and didn’t realize I saved your recipe!!! Miss you! Hugs to the family.
Rebecca says
Oh Alane!!! Miss you, too! I’m so glad you found me and the recipe!
Dennis says
My first attempt:
Perhaps I used too much starter – maybe (3/4 C) , pretzels were too bread like and lacked the fine texture I was wanting. Also used a blend of 1 1/2 C whole wheat plus 2 1/2 C white flour.
I used baker’s yeast dissolved in 1/2 C warm water.
Pretty much followed the recipe details per amounts and prepping.
Pretzels were unexciting and more bread like.
Sort of dull.
So I know I goofed it up. Your take would be helpful.
Traci H says
I was worried because the recipe states the dough shouldn’t be firm but my dough was even after I added a touch more milk but I kept going and I’m so glad I did! They turned out awesome! Soft and chewy, just delicious! I was pleasantly surprised!! So don’t give up, just keep going and you might just be surprised like I was! Great recipe!
Dana says
These were delicious!!! I used soy milk, whole wheat pastry flour, aquafaba for an “egg” wash, and sprinkled with TJ’s Everything Seasoning. Yum! Making them again tonight to spoil my sister. Going to roll them just a little thinner to maintain shape. Thank you for sharing and totally LOVED your response regarding sourdough! I’m a complete geek and feel responding with a lot of data stands a slight chance of changing minds and educating…slight being the key word. Cheers!
Amy says
WOW! These are great! I subbed homemade oat milk for regular milk and they turned out fine.
The directions were very straight forward and they came out delicious even for a novice baker. Shaping them takes practice but even messy looking ones taste just as good!
My young son helped me roll the dough and sprinkle the seasonings—and he loved them for a snack once baked!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you loved these, Amy! I truly appreciate it!
Susan says
Do you think it would work to substitute an unsweetened nut milk for the dairy?
Rebecca says
Hi Susan- I’ve never tried it personally, but my educated guess would be that it would work but be just slightly different. 🙂 If you give it a go, please let me know how it works out!
Jo says
Something is wrong with the measurements, the dough came out very dry and was a mess like others who have commented. I measured everything by weight. I suggest u double check the weight measurements and update this recipe.
Rebecca says
Hi Jo- I make this recipe almost weekly (referring to the recipe as written here) and the weights are correct. I am at a loss as to why it works so well for myself and others and not at all for some!
Janine says
When I did the baking soda water bath, my pretzels fell apart. So I only did a few and then the rest I am just going to bake… I used whole wheat flour, bc that’s all we had. Is that maybe why?
Rebecca says
Hi Janine- Whole wheat is much tougher to work with than all-purpose flour. That definitely contributed. 🙂
Deb W. says
I love this recipe!!! Have made many, many times for family and friends who rave about the flavour. Like others in this comment thread, I find the dough a bit stiff, but it doesn’t seem to affect the final product. Note – I add an egg wash before adding salt, poppy seeds etc. Gives them a deeper brown, glossy finish. I also divide the dough into 16 (50 gram) pieces rather than 8 as I serve them as appetizers. They are always perfect.
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you love it, Deb! I do encourage folks to soldier through despite the stiff dough. I love these pretzels madly.
Brea Ashman says
amazing!!!
Rebecca says
Thanks, Brea!!
Marlow T. Rigby says
Unfortunately, this is fake sourdough. It uses instant yeast and rests for only two hours total—which, if you have ever used sourdough before, you know does nearly nothing at all for the sourdough. The leavening here is 100% from the commercial yeast and the sourdough does not contribute at all. If you want actual sourdough pretzels, go find a recipe that does not use any yeast and that sits at least 8 hours. this is laughable.
Rebecca says
Hey Marlow- I bet you’re fun at parties when you break out these factoids. Unfortunately, you’re not correct in this case. These pretzels are made with sourdough discard which makes them no less sourdough pretzels. While they are not leavened by sourdough, the presence of the discard makes them sourdough pretzels. But if you want to take your stand on this hill, please also contact the King Arthur Flour Baking Company and complain about their use of the term for their recipe, and get on the phone with Snyder’s of Hanover and be righteously indignant with them, too.
Or, ya know, you could just use live starter, omit the yeast, develop your own recipe, let it go for 8 hours, and eat a sourdough leavened sourdough pretzel.
dylan says
stop being a karen… the pretzels are good.
Rob Long says
Hi there! I’m getting ready to make this recipe using non dairy milk, so I thought I’d check the comments for others that have tried (looks like I can…yay!). Then I came across your reply to Marlow, and I laughed out loud! Your response was priceless 🙂
Thanks!
– Rob
P.S. even though I haven’t made it yet, I’ve rated it at four stars, because I’m sure it’ll be good!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much, Rob 🙂 I hope that after you try it you’re able to come back and rate it 5 stars. 🙂 And yes, the dough will be stiff and you’ll be concerned it’s dry, but it makes darned good soft pretzels!
Lisa says
Can I use dry active yeast? And if so, does it need to be fed before adding to the dough?
Rebecca says
Hi Lisa- You certainly can use active dry yeast. Do you mean does the sourdough starter need to be fed? If so, no. Or are you referring to blooming the yeast first in hot water? In which case, also no. 🙂
Caroline says
Rebecca! These are amazing! I had a jar full of discard and wanted to try something fun. These were so easy and super flavorful. I love the sesame on top! We froze the leftovers….but ended up pulling them out to reheat the next day! 🤣 This is going to be my go-to pretzel recipe! Thanks so much!
Wendy Coyle says
It looks delicious! Can you use a non-dairy milk like almond milk?
Thanks.
Rebecca says
Hi Wendy- Thanks! I haven’t personally used non-dairy milk in these, but I have seen a few commenters say they’ve had pretty good luck with it!