Sourdough Discard Pretzels are a thing of the past!
Start using your active starter in your sourdough baking and harness the power of sourdough because it is a ferment and wants to naturally ferment and leaven your baked goods.
These sourdough pretzels admittedly are process in that you need time BUT the reality is, mix everything together in just a few minutes and walk away and forget them.
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These pretzels were cold fermented for at least 24 hours and are delicious up to 72 hours in the fridge. You can probably cold ferment longer, I just usually need the dough by then!
If you’re using sourdough, harness the sourdough power and let it ferment.
These pretzels do not taste sour whatsoever even with being cold fermented for 72 hours.
Do you have to let them ferment this long? NO! I just got ahead of my baking to do list and mixed them up.
How to create a starter
If you need a starter, you will need to make a starter or buy a starter.
For a step by step guide, I refer to my friend Meg as I don’t have a guide written yet. HEAD HERE to learn how to make a starter
You see my starter has been passed down from my great grandfather to my dad and now to me. I do offer the ability to purchase my starter if that’s something you are interested in. If so, you can PURCHASE A STARTER in my shop.
Additionally, you may choose to invest in some other useful sourdough tools and equipment. Read my blog post pertaining to these essential items.
How to Prepare your Starter for Baking
Remember, I do the Cowboy Way Method of maintaining my sourdough starter, which means I do not feed & discard daily. This is how my great grandfather taught us to make and maintain our sourdough starter. READ MORE HERE
To make an active starter, the night before you mix your dough, feed your quarter cup of starter that has been in the fridge, 1/2cup each water and flour. Lid (just placing lightly on top) and let rest over night. I practice the CowboyWay method for sourdough, which means I do not discard and my starter lives in the fridge unless I am actively baking. READ MORE HERE
Useful Equipment for Making this Recipe
- Bosch Mixer (use code FLOURING to save): This dough needs to be kneaded. When using a mixer, you will use LESS flour which produces a moist and chewy pretzel
- Baking Sheets and silpat mats
- Slotted Spoon to help strain the pretzels from the boiling water
Ingredients
1 cup ACTIVE sourdough starter
2TBSP Sugar, maple syrup or honey
1 1/2 cup water
3 1/2-4 cups flour
2 TBSP Oil (butter, olive oil, avocado oil)
1 tsp salt
For the Boil: baking soda and/or honey. The baking soda is a must! but when you add some sugar it helps to sweeten the exterior crust. Someone asked me about Lye. For food safety, I do not recommend you boiling anything in lye.
Flaky Salt for dusting when the pretzels are finished baking
Directions and Steps
- Mix your water, sugar and sourdough starter together until “milky”
- Add dry ingredients together and mix
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix. You know you have enough flour when the mixture starts to pull away from the bowl. The dough will look shaggy
- Dump contents of bowl onto the counter and knead until smooth about 8 minutes OR use your bosch mixer to do all the kneading for you. You’ll want to watch the bake along videos for this tutorial.
- Place into a bowl with cover and into the fridge for 24 hours
- After at least 24 hours, place the bowl on the counter to warm up for 2(ish) hours.
- Divide the dough into 12 and shape as desired (pretzels or rolls work well)
- bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully add 1/2 cup baking soda (this will bubble so be careful!!!)
- working one at a time, gently place pretzel into boiling water. Dip for 30-45 seconds, strain & remove from water and onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all are dipped.
- bake 425 15-20 minutes
- drizzle with butter and salt
- ENJOY!
Other delicious combinations: bake with shredded cheese and/or pepperoni, butter with cinnamon and sugar is perfection too! I often make these during summer but instead of pretzel twists, I make them into buns for burgers.
For cinnamon and sugar, I would roll in a cinnamon and sugar mixture (like this one from my snickerdoodle recipe) as soon as they can be from having been boiled and before baking. Once removed from the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar.
PROTIP: add your salt last and in with your flour. Salt will disrupt your sourdough activity if mixed prior (straight into your liquids & stater) it can stunt the growth and cause denser bread. I only use THIS SALT for baking. Use code FLOURING to save
Bake Along Videos
- Mixing your starter in preparation for baking
- Mixing your pretzel dough
- Fermentation: Bulk and Cold Proofing
- Shaping: Rolls
- Shaping: Pretzel Twists
- Boiling
- Baking
- Storage
- Youtube Playlist
JUMP TO THE PRINTABLE RECIPE
Long Fermented Sourdough Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 cup ACTIVE sourdough starter
- 2TBSP Sugar, maple syrup or honey
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 3 1/2-4 cups flour
- 2 TBSP Oil (butter, olive oil, avocado oil)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
1️Mix your water, sugar and sourdough starter together until “milky”
2️Add dry ingredients together and mix
3️Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix. You know you have enough flour when the mixture starts to pull away from the bowl. The dough will look shaggy
4️Dump contents of bowl onto the counter and knead until smooth about 8 minutes
5️place into a bowl with cover and into the fridge for 24 hours
6️After 24 hours, place the bowl on the counter to warm up for 2(ish) hours.
7️Divide the dough into 12 and shape as desired (pretzels or rolls work well)
8️bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully add 1/2 cup baking soda (this will bubble so be careful!!!)
9️working one at a time, gently place pretzel into boiling water. Dip for 30-45 seconds, strain & remove from water and onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all are dipped.
bake 425 15-20 minutes
10 drizzle with butter and salt
ENJOY!
Notes
PROTIP: when mixing your dough, add your salt last and in with your flour. Salt will disrupt your sourdough activity if mixed prior (straight into your liquids & stater) it can stunt the growth and cause denser bread.
Recommended Products
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Other Useful Resources
- High Hydration Long Fermented Sourdough Bread
- how to make long fermented sourdough cinnamon rolls
- The Best Sourdough Snickerdoodle
- Useful Equipment Needed for Baking Sourdough at Home
Tag me in your recreations!
