A soft sourdough pretzel recipe that yields a dark chewy crust with a light and springy center.
They are incredibly easy to make with our overnight recipe!
Oops we did it again! We are sharing another super easy sourdough recipe that you are going to love!
Just like our sourdough bagels and sourdough english muffins, this recipe for soft sourdough pretzels comes together in minutes, rises overnight and bakes up in a flash!
Get ready for the easiest and best homemade pretzels ever!
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Sample baking schedule
Before we dive into the details, let's take a brief look at the baking schedule I use to make these pretzels! (My kitchen is 68°F.)
- Friday 8 AM - Feed starter to get it ready for dough.
- Friday 8 PM - Mix pretzel dough, cover and let ferment on counter overnight.
- Saturday 8 AM - Divide dough, shape pretzels, cover and let rise.
- Saturday 8:30 AM - Prepare water bath with baking soda and dark brown sugar.
- Saturday 9 AM - Boil pretzels, brush on egg wash, sprinkle with salt and bake.
Step by step instructions
1. Feed your starter to active it. Make sure to time the feeding so that the starter is at its peak in the jar when you go to mix the dough.
2. Because this is a very stiff dough, it's helpful to use a stand mixer with a dough hook, to knead the dough. (If you don't have a stand mixer, knead on a clean surface for 10 minutes.)
- Place the ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let rest on the counter for 10-12 hours at room temperature.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into shape of a pretzel and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes or until puffy.
4. Put a pot of 6 cups of water on to boil. Add 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar. Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) making sure that the oven rack is in the center position.
5. Boil each pretzel for 1 minute total, flipping halfway. (30 seconds on each side.) Place the pretzels back onto the baking sheet.
6. Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 450°F (232°C) or until the outside is a dark golden brown.
These soft pretzels are perfect for dipping in beer cheese dip, honey mustard or just plain!
How to shape a pretzel
- Working one piece at a time, roll the dough into a long rope shape and set it on a clean surface in the shape of a "U".
- Lift the ends of the rope and twist 2 times.
- Fold the twist over and press the ends on the dough.
How to store and freeze
Soft pretzels can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 7 days.
To freeze pretzels, let cool completely and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Insert into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
How to reheat pretzels
If your pretzel is frozen, allow it to thaw at room temperature. While it's thawing, about 30 minutes, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Place the pretzel on a baking sheet and bake 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
Microwaving a pretzel is not recommended as it can cause it to become too chewy.
Check out these other sourdough recipes you're sure to love!
We would love to know if you made this sourdough pretzels recipe. Let us know in the comment section below. And don't forget to rate the recipe!
Soft Sourdough Pretzels Recipe
Ingredients
Sourdough Pretzel Dough
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter (active)
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (255 g) water
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey (or sugar)
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 g) bread flour (see notes)
Water Bath
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten in a small bowl)
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Prepare the starter so that it is active when you mix the dough. To a clean jar add 15g starter + 60g water + 60g flour. Let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. (about 10-12 hours at 68°F) Once your starter has risen to its peak, you are ready to mix your pretzel dough.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the starter, water, honey and salt with a spatula. Add the bread flour and use your hands to bring the ingredients together as best as possible. The dough will be very stiff. Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 16 equal pieces.
- Working one piece at a time, roll the dough into a long rope shape and set it on a clean surface in the shape of a "U". Lift the ends of the rope and twist 2 times. Fold the twist over and press the ends on the dough. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes or until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) making sure that the oven rack in the center position. Boil the water in a large stockpot and add 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar.
- Boil the pretzels, 3-4 at a time, on both sides for 30 seconds each, making sure not to crowd the pot. Use a mesh stainer to remove the pretzels and place back on the parchment paper. Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake the pretzels at 425°F (218°C) for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- If you don't have stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes.
- Bread flour is ideal but all-purpose flour can be used and still yield a nice result.
- Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
- I will be testing this recipe with whole wheat flour and update the recipe with the results when I have them.
- Store cooked pretzels, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Storing in the fridge is not recommended.
- To freeze baked pretzels, let cool completely. Wrap pretzels individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let thaw before reheating.
- To reheat pretzels, bake in oven at 400°F for 5 minutes or until heated through. A microwave is not recommended.
Amy says
Wow! Absolute family favorite! And easy!
Heather says
I have made these once before and they were a huge hit! I was thinking of trying to adjust to make them bigger; like 8 or 12 pieces instead of the 16. Do you have any suggestions on how to adjust the boil/bake times? Thank you for your great recipe and assistance!
Amy Duska says
Hi Heather, the boil time should be about the same. I would probably bake them a few minutes longer but not much!
Amy says
So delicious and so easy!
Kimberley Pilkington says
Made these today, it was my first time making (and eating) pretzels, so I wasn't sure how they would turn out. They are delicious and amazing, everyone who tried one thought that they were lovely. I did make them double the size because I was having a hard time doing the shaping, but I don't think it affected the results. I'm a pretzel convert!
Lauren says
I made bite sized pieces instead! Came out amazing! I've made them 3x now! Thank you so much.
Patricia J O'Toole says
My dough was very dry and didn't come together will kneading. Let it for 12 hour separated and try to roll to make the pretzels and it separated. not sure why?
Amy Duska says
Hi Patricia, can you tell me more specifically what you mean by "separated"?
Lisa says
Amazing! I used 100g of whole wheat flour and 400g white flour. I upped the amount of water a little because the ww flour sucked up more moisture. They are so delicious. Thank you for your awesome recipes.
Michelle says
These tasted so good! But I was extremely frustrated trying to shape, the dough would not roll thin and stretched back on itself so much and they turned out more like pretzel shaped bagels. Any advice?
Amy Duska says
Hi Michelle, sometimes this happens to me too. When it does, I let the pretzel dough that I am trying to shape rest a little to allow the gluten to relax and then I twirl it like a jumprope to help it to stretch out. If you can watch the video, I show the technique. I hope this helps!
Luke says
I followed the ingredient weights in the recipe and ended up with an almost liquid dough. I’m pretty sure I followed the recipe right, but maybe I didn’t. Anyone else have a similar issue?
Maia says
That happened to me as well. Not sure what to do
Lisa Albrecht says
Made this recipe today and they came out great! It was a little difficult to work with the small pieces of dough when forming the pretzel, but I eventually was successful. I love the step-by-step videos... so helpful to actually see what you're doing. Thanks, Amy!
Elizabeth Walldorf says
Is it possible to start these at night, refrigerate them, and then bake them after work the next day?
Amy Duska says
Yes, let them ferment overnight and then place in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
Becky says
So fun to make and soo yummy! Thank you!!:D
M says
I've made these a number of times they are excellent! I made them into the shape of buns and filled them with roast beef along with the beer cheese dip, AMAZING!!!
I did want to mention that the recipe and the step by step instructions show 2 different oven temperatures. I've used the 425 and kept it in longer to get them darker, I will try the 450 next time to see how it goes.
Thanks for all the work you do putting these excellent recipes together!
Jena says
These are so easy to make, and taste like real pretzels! Can't wait to make them again and play with different flavour combinations.
RITA says
Looking forward to making these!! Has anyone tried to substitute the egg wash to make these vegan?
Amy Duska says
Hi Rita, you can use a non-dairy milk wash instead of eggs!
Stef says
I made this recipe twice and it is delicious!!
Fatima oraskanin says
Just received starter from a friend can’t wait for my first loaf
Bonnie says
First soft pretzel recipe that I have tried that actually tastes like soft pretzels rather than a bread twist. I had to bake them longer than 14 minutes to get them brown but flavor and texture were spot on.
Murial says
Delicious
Emily G says
These worked great! I made them with half WW and half white bread flour. Fun project to do with a 5-year-old! Texture was great and flavor was yummy. We wanted ours a little bigger, so we made 8 bigger ones.
I did an autolyse with the flour and water when I fed my starter. That helped activate the gluten, but it did take some serious kneading to incorporate the stater and salt. Worked fine (I don't have a stand mixer) to do by hand, but I did have to keep at it for about 10 minutes.