The Best Sourdough Soft Pretzels
Buttery, salty, and topped with pretzel salt, these chewy yet tender, golden brown sourdough discard pretzels are truly the best.
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Bench knife
- 2 Half baking sheet pans
- 1 Slotted spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour about 1 pound 1 ounce by weight
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar roughly ½ ounce or 14 grams
- 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup unfed sourdough starter 4 ounces or 113 grams
- 2 quarts water for boiling
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds and pretzel salt for topping
Instructions
Instructions
- Mix together the bread flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and kosher salt in a big bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir the whole milk and your unfed sourdough starter till smooth and silky.
- Pour the milk-starter mix into the dry stuff. Stir until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring water to a boil, add baking soda. Roll dough into pretzel shapes and boil for 30 seconds.
- Transfer pretzels to baking sheets, sprinkle with sesame seeds and pretzel salt.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Serve warm for best taste. You can store in a non-airtight container for a day or two or freeze for longer storage.