Sourdough Pretzels Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sourdough Pretzels Recipe

With a shiny, amber crust and a light but chewy texture, you'll love tearing into these delicious Soft Sourdough Pretzels. These are naturally-leavened using sourdough starter and no commercial yeast which makes them even more flavorful than your average pretzel.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Rise Time16

Total Time16 50

Course: Sides, Snack

Cuisine: American, german

Servings: pretzels

Calories: 351kcal

Author: Hannah Dela Cruz

Equipment

Kitchen scale
Safety Glasses
Face Mask
Chemical Resistant Gloves
Food-grade Lye
Silicone Baking Mat
Large Baking Sheet

Ingredients

Dough

75 grams active sourdough starter
14 grams barley malt syrup substitute brown sugar
376 grams water
660 grams bread flour
12 grams salt
42 grams unsalted butter softened

Lye Bath

900 grams cold water
56 grams food grade lye

Topping

pretzel salt for sprinkling

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Day 1

Make the dough: Dissolve the sourdough starter and barley malt syrup in the water.
376 grams water, 75 grams active sourdough starter, 14 grams barley malt syrup
Stir the bread flour and salt into the water mixture. Knead the dough until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should feel dry and it may take some time for your dough to come together.
660 grams bread flour, 12 grams salt
Incorporate the butter into the shaggy dough and continue kneading until it is absorbed.
42 grams unsalted butter
Strengthen the dough: Turn the dough out on a clean work surface and knead for 15 to 20 minutes. Developing gluten is key for chewy pretzels so make sure your dough is smooth before you stop kneading.
Your dough shouldn’t feel sticky, but if it does, coat your hands and work surface with a little bit of oil.
Bulk fermentation: Round the dough into a tight ball and place it in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place, untouched until doubled in volume, about 4 to 6 hours.
Cold proof: Deflate the dough, round it into a tight ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight (8 to 16 hours).

Day 2

Pre shape the dough: The next day, divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
Working with one portion of dough at a time, flatten the dough into a rough rectangle. Fold the edges towards the center, turn the dough over and round it into a tight ball.
Roll the dough tightly into a 6-inch log, place the dough on a baking sheet.
Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out.
Continue pre shaping the remaining portions. Let logs rest for 15 minutes.
Shape pretzels: Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough into a 24 to 28-inch rope with tapered ends.
To roll out the dough, place one of the logs at the top of your work surface. Apply downward pressure as you roll it toward your body, gradually extending it outward. Try not to roll back and forth and don't attempt to stretch the dough since this will cause it to weaken and tear.
Grab the tips and form a U shape. Twist the ends, and flip them over. Tack the ends to the sides.
Transfer the dough a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
Final proof: Let the shaped dough rise covered at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours or until the dough looks puffy, but not doubled.
Transfer the shaped dough to the refrigerator and chill uncovered for 1 to 3 hours. This will allow the the dough to form a skin and help it keep its shape when dipped in the lye bath.
Prep: Preheat your oven to 450 F. Line one 18 by 13 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush a light layer of oil on the parchment, this will prevent the pretzels from getting stuck as they bake. Wipe off any excess, too much oil will fry the bottom of the pretzels.
Lye bath: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, dissolve the lye in water, using a stainless steel whisk to ensure it is fully dissolved. Lye is highly caustic, so handle it with great care and avoid splashing
900 grams cold water, 56 grams food grade lye
Using protective gear, carefully dip the cold pretzel dough in the lye solution and submerge for 15 to 20 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a wire rack and let the pretzels drain for a few minutes.
Place dough on the prepared baking sheet, make sure the pretzels are not touching. They won’t rise or spread much during baking, so you don’t need to worry too much about spacing.
Top the pretzels: Sprinkle pretzel salt on pretzels while the surface of the dough is still wet. Score the dough using a lame or a sharp knife.
pretzel salt
Bake the pretzels for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pretzels are evenly browned and the crust is lightly crisp. Halfway through baking, lift the pretzels from the parchment paper using a frying spatula, this will prevent them from getting stuck to the parchment paper.
Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack.
Enjoy and store: Enjoy freshly baked pretzels warm with butter or sweet brown mustard. These are best eaten the day they are baked, store any leftover pretzels in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Make sure your starter is mature, healthy and active before attempting this recipe.
A whole wheat, rye or white starter will work for this recipe.
If the dough snaps back while rolling, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before continuing.
Use safety gear and avoid splashing as much as possible when working with lye.
Grasp the ends of the pretzel dough to ensure they stay attached and prevent the pretzels from unraveling while dipping them in the lye solution.
Don't dip the pretzels in the lye for too long or your pretzels will end up gummy.
Lye makes the surface of the dough extremely sticky which can cause the pretzels to get stuck to the parchment paper while they bake. To avoid this, oil the parchment paper lightly with vegetable oil or another type with a high smoke point.

Nutrition