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–+ servings

Soft Sourdough Pretzels

Servings 6 large pretzels
Calories 401
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Resting Time 15 hours
Total Time 15 hours 42 minutes
soft sourdough pretzels

INGREDIENTS

Feed Your Starter

  • 10 g sourdough starter healthy; ideally, fed within the last 24 hours
  • 50 g water
  • 50 g bread flour

Pretzel Dough

  • 236 g water
  • 95 g active sourdough starter that you made, from above
  • 10 g sugar
  • 25 g unsalted butter softened or melted and cooled
  • 510 g high-protein bread flour see Recipe Notes
  • 15 g non-diastatic malt powder optional
  • 11 g sea salt

For Boiling

  • 6 cups water
  • 1/2 cup baking soda

After Boiling, Before Baking

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • Pretzel salt shake on pretzels to taste

Equipment

Instructions 

  1. Feed your starter: In the morning, in a medium glass jar, stir together 10 g sourdough starter and 50 g water. Mix in 50 g bread flour until smooth. Loosely cover and let ferment all day, 10–12 hours at 68–75°F (20–24°C).
  2. Mix the dough (before bed): In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 236 g water, 95 g active sourdough starter (that you made earlier), 10 g sugar, and 25 g unsalted butter (softened or melted and cooled). Add 510 g high-protein bread flour, 15 g non-diastatic malt powder, and 11 g sea salt. Mix on low speed (usually Speed 1) until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed slightly (usually Speed 2) and knead 6–8 minutes, or until smooth. The texture of this dough is just like bagel dough, which is firm and smooth yet pliable – not sticky or tacky.
    To mix by hand: combine all of the pretzel dough ingredients in a large bowl. Once you have a rough dough ball, turn it out onto a clean, unfloured counter and knead 10–12 minutes, or until smooth.
    pretzel dough after about 8 minutes in the zacme mixer
  3. Bulk ferment: Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and cover. Let ferment on the counter overnight, 8–10 hours at 68–75°F (20–24°C). In the morning, the dough should be roughly doubled to tripled in size (there is flexibility here).
    pretzel dough before and after bulk fermentation
  4. Divide and shape: Turn dough out onto a clean, unfloured surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces, about 150 g each.
    divide pretzel dough into six pieces
  5. Working one piece at a time, roll each piece into a cylinder about 6 inches long and pinch the seams on each end.
  6. Using your palms, roll each cylinder into a rope, keeping the center slightly thicker than the ends. The gluten will tighten quickly — roll each rope as far as it'll go, then move to the next one. Rotate through all the pieces, rolling a little further each time, until all ropes reach 24 inches long.
    rolling pretzels into a rope
  7. Shape into a pretzel: form a U shape, cross the two ends over each other twice to create a twist, then fold the twisted ends down onto the bottom curve. Place a small drop of water where the dough meets itself, then press firmly to seal.
    how to shape sourdough pretzels
  8. Note: if desired, you can do a "double loop" by crossing the loop a second time before folding the ends down onto the bottom curve.
  9. Second proof: Place each shaped pretzel on its own small square of parchment paper. Set on a half sheet tray. Cover loosely and let rise on the counter until the pretzels are about 50% larger and feel puffed up, which takes about 3-6 hours.
    pretzels before and after second proof
  10. Optional cold proof: For a tangier flavor profile and potentially easier digestion, place the shaped pretzels in the fridge for 12–36 hours. You can do this before or after the second proof — just make sure the pretzels are fully puffed up before you boil them.
  11. Preheat and prep the boiling water: When ready to bake, position one oven rack in the center and one at the very top. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) convection or 475°F (250°C) conventional. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine 6 cups water and 1/2 cup baking soda before turning on the heat (adding baking soda to already-boiling water will cause it to foam up and overflow). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  12. Boil the pretzels: Working one at a time, lower each pretzel into the baking soda water using the parchment to help transfer it — peel away the parchment once the pretzel is in the water. Boil 30 seconds total, flipping once at 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and hold it over the pot for a few seconds to let the excess water drip off before placing on the parchment-lined sheet tray.
    boiling pretzels
  13. Top the pretzels: Brush all of the boiled pretzels with 1 tbsp unsalted butter (melted). Sprinkle with Pretzel salt to taste.
  14. Bake: Place the sheet tray on the center rack and bake 10 minutes. Move the pan to the top rack and bake an additional 1-2 minutes, or until pretzels are a deep mahogany brown — watch closely, as they can burn. Total bake time: 12 minutes.
    sourdough soft pretzels out of the oven looking deep mahogony brown
  15. Serve warm, ideally within the first hour of baking. Pairs well with mustard or a warm cheese dipping sauce.
    Pretzels are best the day they are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, cool completely, then wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–8 minutes.

Notes

  • Bread flour: Bread flour works best for pretzels – its higher protein content gives them a nice chewiness. I’ve tested this recipe with Central Milling High Mountain bread flour (13.5% protein). Another great option is King Arthur unbleached bread flour (12.7% protein). If you use a lower-protein flour, such as Costco’s all-purpose flour (11.5% protein), add 1 tbsp of vital wheat gluten to help it perform like a higher-protein flour, or decrease the water in the dough by about 10-15 g.
  • Non-diastatic malt powder: This is optional but highly recommended – it keeps the pretzels soft for days and enhances flavor and browning. If you only have diastatic malt powder (or non-diastatic is out of stock), toast it at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes first to deactivate the enzymes. Those enzymes would speed up the fermentation, which is not ideal for an overnight fermentation recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Soft Sourdough Pretzels
Serving Size
 
1 pretzel
Amount per Serving
Calories
401
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
7
g
11
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
 
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
15
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
723
mg
31
%
Potassium
 
114
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
71
g
24
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
Vitamin A
 
171
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
23
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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