Soft and chewy sourdough pretzels are easy to make with an active sourdough starter. Top them with coarse sea salt and serve with beer cheese dip or honey mustard sauce.
Why you'll love these sourdough pretzels!
I just love a simple, no-fuss, sourdough recipe. Here are a few reasons to make some today!
- Easy overnight recipe: Just like our sourdough bagels and sourdough english muffins, this dough for soft sourdough pretzels comes together in minutes, rises overnight, and bakes up in a flash!
- Versatile: The dough can be shaped into traditional-style pretzels or into pretzel bites and the toppings can savory or sweet!
- Freezer-friendly: The baked pretzels can be frozen for up to 3 months for a quick snack or appetizer.
Get ready for the easiest and best homemade pretzels ever!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Just like our other beginner sourdough recipes, there are only a few ingredients needed to make the best sourdough pretzels!
- active sourdough starter: Feed your starter up to 12 hours prior to mixing the dough. Check our suggested baking schedule below!
- bread flour: For the best texture use bread flour, but, you can use all-purpose flour with great results.
- honey: Any liquid sweetener such as honey, agave, or maple syrup will work.
- salt
- baking soda: A little baking soda in the boiling water helps to give the pretzels that classic chewy texture and golden color when baking.
- brown sugar: Also helps with browning during the baking process.
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 your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly in the morning.
- Friday 8 PM - Mix the pretzel dough, cover the bowl, and let the dough ferment on the counter overnight.
- Saturday 8 AM - Divide the dough, shape the pretzels, cover, and let rise.
- Saturday 8:30 AM - Prepare a water bath with baking soda and dark brown sugar.
- Saturday 9 AM - Boil the pretzels, brush on the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, and bake.
How to make soft sourdough pretzels
Step 1: Feed your starter
Feed your starter to activate it. Make sure to time the feeding so that the starter is at its peak in the jar when you are ready to mix the dough.
TIP: 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.)
Step 2: Mix the dough and let ferment
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.
Step 3: Shape the dough
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into the shape of a pretzel and arrange them on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Each baking sheet can hold 8 pretzels.
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.
Cover the pretzels with a clean towel and let them rise for 30-60 minutes or until puffy in a warm spot in your kitchen.
Step 4: Prepare the water bath
Bring a pot of 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar to the boiling water.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (232°C) making sure that the oven rack is in the center position.
Step 5: Boil the pretzels
Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds on each side, 1 minute total. Use a slotted spoon to place the pretzels back onto the baking sheet.
Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
Step 6: Bake the pretzels
Bake the pretzels for 12-14 minutes at 425°F (232°C) or until the outside is a dark golden brown.
Serve
Soft sourdough pretzels are perfect dipped in a warm, creamy beer cheese dip or honey mustard sauce.
How to store and freeze
Soft pretzels can be stored in a plastic bag, at room temperature, or in the fridge for up to 7 days.
To freeze pretzels, let them cool completely and then wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Insert the wrapped pretzels 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. This should take about 30 minutes. While it's thawing preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Place the pretzel on a baking sheet and bake it for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
If you use the microwave to reheat pretzels make sure to adjust the power to 50% to avoid them from becoming tough.
More easy sourdough recipes
Check out these other sourdough recipes you're sure to love!
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Soft Sourdough Pretzels Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- â…“ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) water
Sourdough Pretzel Dough
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 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
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
Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (The ingredients will create a total of 115 g active starter but, because some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the active sourdough 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. (Or knead by hand for 10 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
- All-purpose flour can be used for this recipe with modifications. Reduce the amount of water by 25 grams in the initial mix. This is because all-purpose flour absorbs less water than bread flour. If the dough feels too stiff after it's rested for the first hour, work in the reserved 25 grams of water, 5 grams at a time, until it feels right. If you end up adding too much water, work a light dusting of flour it into the dough until it comes together.
- 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.
- 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 or in a microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds intervals.
Lucifer San says
I just made these for the very first time AND they are amazing! I'll definitely make them again!
Karen J Dalpezzo says
Just finished making the soft pretzles, we like them alot.. will be making more.
Gaby says
Hi! I have more of a question than a review right now. I started making this before realizing it needed more time to prove after putting the dough together. Can I let it go longer than 8 to 12 hours?
Amy says
I would transfer the dough to the fridge after 8 hours and let it cold ferment until you are ready to proceed with the next step.
Eliza says
Made these today and we finished them all in one meal! The dough was super easy to mix up in my Kitchen Aid. I made them into nuggets. The dough was sticking a bit, and my pretzel attempts looked like big blobs. But they tasted great!
Sarah says
This recipe made delicious bagels! Even after increasing the baking soda in the bath and swapping the egg wash for a post-bake butteing, they didn't "pretzel up" like other recipes I've tried. They are definitely very good, though, and I'll be saving the recipe for when I want to make bagels!
Alicia Nott says
My family loves these with home made cheese sauce! Another spot on recipe from little spoon farm!
Jen says
These were absolutely amazing! I made them on the larger side so only got 7, but this is probably the best pretzel recipe I've tried! so soft and fluffy! The only thing "different" I did was let the dough rise for about 24 hours after mixing the dough. Will definitely be keeping this recipe for all my future pretzels!
Sandra says
How and where did you let the dough rest for 24 hours please? Was it at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Was it after you made the dough then rest for 24 hours then shape and then let them rise again for the second time? Please if you could let me know? Do you think they were softer then?
Sandra says
Ashley I would like to make these for myself and the boyfriend. But i need to make them soft for me and very HARD AND CRISPY for him like in the stores like Snyder's pretzel. I was thinking in order to get that extreme HARDNESS I would not over bake them but put them in the dehydrator Like on a temperature that you would make like dough ornaments. What do you think of that? Or can you recommend a better way for his to be extremely crunchy but not burnt? I would believe they would keep alot longer at room temperature stored on a shelf then cuz they would already be dried out. If other people have a thought or idea I would really like to read it. PLEASE AND TTHANK YOU. I am from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA🔔🇺🇸💖😊
Caroline says
Bake yours to your desired stage, remove from oven. Reduce the oven to "warm", and leave his in, as you would when making oven baked croutons. The dehydrator would work, too, but may take longer. They would crisp up faster if you made them in nuggets or small rods.
Kayla says
Tasted amazing! Your recipes are on it girl!
Amy says
Thank you Kayla! 🙂
Sarah says
My family loves this pretzel recipe but I make them as pretzel nuggets because my dough is too sticky to form it into twists like you do. Do you know why my dough would be sticky?
Amy says
The dough may be a little over-proofed. You can try a shorter rise time and see if that helps. Also, don't be afraid to use flour when shaping them to help avoid sticking.
Pika says
First time baking with this recipe. They turned out amazing! Followed recipe exactly as stated, except didn't do the egg wash. Instead I brushed with butter and sprinkled toppings after they were baked. They browned beautifully. One question, with the dough being stiff, the ends didn't stick to the pretzel. Any idea on how to manage that?
Amy says
You could try adding a dab of water to the ends to help them stick together.
Micah says
These are amazing! I’ve had trouble with mine molding after a 2-3 days. The coarse salt melts on the pretzels after I bag them up. Maybe that is why? How do you store yours? I’ve just been using plastic bread bags and twist ties. I also have sold some so that’s the kind of packaging I need to use.
Amy says
I would put them in the freezer after the 2nd day if that is happening. They will stay good for up to a month.
Laurel says
I am wanting to make these next. My starter is very active, for a regular artisan loaf it tends to be bulk proofed in about 4 hours rather than the typical 8ish (I use your recipe and don't let it double and my loaves come out perfect every time). For these pretzels, am I to look for them to double (rather than 70%ish?). Overnight sounds like a fairly long proofing time compare to what I am used to. Is it considered an enriched dough or something? Or is it because there is no cold proof stage? Considering my loaves ferment is shorter, I wonder if the pretzels may be as well due to my lively starter?
Amy says
If your starter is that active you will want to reduce the rising time. Is your kitchen warm?