Soft Sourdough Discard Pretzels
These soft and chewy sourdough discard pretzels have all the classic homemade charm you crave, with an easy rise thanks to instant yeast. The dough is simple to handle, perfect for shaping jumbo twists or snack-sized knots, and bakes up golden brown with a chewy crust and tender inside.
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Equipment
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (300ml) warm water
- 2¼ tsp (7g) instant or active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup (125g) sourdough discard (100% hydration, room temp)
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
Baking Soda Bath
- 8 cups (1920ml) water
- ½ cup (120g) baking soda
Pretzel Topping
- salt, kosher salt, or flaky sea salt, or any of your choice of toppings
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add sourdough discard, salt, melted butter, and flour. Mix on low for 2 minutes, scraping sides as needed.
- Knead in the mixer for 5 minutes (or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface). After 5 minutes, if they dough is dry add water 1 tsp at a time. If it’s very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. We want to keep dough soft and slightly tacky. Shape into a ball, cover, and rest at room temp for 15–20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line baking sheets with silicone mats or greased parchment paper.
- Divide dough into 6 pieces for jumbo pretzels or 12 smaller pieces for smaller pretzels. Roll each into a 20–24 inch rope. If the dough resists, rest for 10 minutes and try again. Shape ropes into classic pretzel twists. Take the two ends of your dough rope and bring them together to form a circle. Twist the ends around each other once, then fold the twisted part back down toward you and press it firmly onto the dough to create that classic pretzel shape. Place on baking sheets.
- Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Slowly add baking soda. Boil pretzels, 1 or 2 at a time, for 10–15 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and drain excess water. Sprinkle with pretzel salt or skip salt for cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Serve warm, brush with melted butter if desired. Pretzels are best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Reheat briefly to refresh softness.
Servings: 6 pretzels