These sourdough pretzels without yeast are soft, delicious and easy to make – a great way to use up an abundance of sourdough starter!
Pretzels – who doesn’t love them? Even I will admit that they are hard to pass up – when I make them I feel like stuffing my face silly. The smell just intoxicates the house and the paralyzes everyone that walks into the front door.
Having a great pretzel recipe that you can make with your sourdough starter is a must. While you can make pretzels with yeast if you are in a pinch, there isn’t anything quite as satisfying as maintaining your starter (in this case, ours is named “Sid”..).
A starter needs love and attention on a regular basis. It’s almost like having another person to care for in the house (except a starter is unemployed & lives with his or her parents). 😉
Really though ~ a sourdough starter can help you make popovers, beer bread, bagels & english muffins. The discard can be used to make sourdough crackers (which are delicious with homemade cheese).
Which almost leads me to ask – what can’t it be used for?
Sourdough Pretzels
These sourdough pretzels come together pretty quickly and require a much smaller prep window than the typical sourdough bread.
Add the warmed milk, butter, sugar, sourdough starter and flour in your KitchenAid. Use the dough hook and mix just until a soft ball of dough forms.
Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 2-3 minutes. Then form the dough into a smooth ball of dough and place into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest/rise for 2 hours.
The dough should double in size.
Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Punch the dough down and knead lightly for a brief minute or two.
Then separate the dough into 12 equal pieces.
Roll out each piece into a long strip 26-30″ in length. If you are slow to roll out the pieces, then cover the balls of dough with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
Once the dough strips have been rolled out, shape them into a pretzel (YouTube is great for this!) and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. You will need to use 2-3 cookie sheets to fit all the pretzels nicely.
Once they are all shaped, place the cookie sheets in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. The goal is to allow the pretzels to harden just enough that they can be dunked in the water bath. Though you can bypass the freezer step, it’s quite a challenge to dunk them in the water bath without them coming “undone”.
With the pretzels in the freezer, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Fill a large gallon stockpot 3/4 of the way with water; bring to a strong simmer. Add 1 tbsp baking soda allow to dissolve.
Remove the pretzels from the freezer; add them to the water (4 at a time), and allow to simmer until they float to the top. Gently remove from their bath and place back on the cookie sheet.
Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with your choice of toppings. Bake at 450 degrees F for 14-15 minutes until lightly brown. They will be hard when tapped (but will soften as they cool).
Remove and allow to cool before enjoying.
Enjoy your pretzels with melted cheese or marinara sauce, or simply as-is. Keep them in a large gallon Ziploc bag.
Sourdough Pretzels Recipe (No Yeast)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 C. milk warmed to 110 degrees F
- 1.5 C. sourdough starter* recently fed
- 4 C. all-purpose flour
Water Bath
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
- 12 C. water
Egg Wash
- 1 ea. egg beaten
- 2 tsp sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Warm the milk (to 110 degrees F); add to mixer with butter, sugar, and sourdough starter.
- Add the flour and mix well until the dough forms a soft ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 2-3 minutes. Then form the dough into a smooth ball of dough and place into a lightly-oiled bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest/rise for 2 hours.
- Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Punch the dough down and knead lightly for a brief minute or two. Then separate the dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Roll out each piece into a long strip 26-30" in length. If you are slow to roll out the pieces, then cover the balls of dough with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
- Once the dough strips have been rolled out, shape them into a pretzel and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. You will need to use 2-3 cookie sheets.
- Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. The goal is to allow the pretzels to harden just enough that they can be dunked in the water bath.
- With the pretzels in the freezer, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Fill a large gallon stockpot 3/4 of the way with water; bring to a strong simmer. Add 1 tbsp baking soda allow to dissolve.
- Remove the pretzels from the freezer; add them to the water (4 at a time), and allow to simmer until they float to the top. Gently remove from their bath and place back on the cookie sheet.
- Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with your choice of toppings. Bake at 450 degrees F for 14-15 minutes until lightly brown. They will be hard when tapped (but will soften as they cool).
- Remove and allow to cool before enjoying.
Notes
- Water can be substitue for milk in this recipe.
- Store pretzels in a ziploc bag to keep them fresh. May need to reheat them the next day before enjoying.
Can I use Sourdough Discard?
I haven't tried using discard - but if you want to give it a try, I'd love to know how they turn out for you!If you make these pretzels, tag us on Instagram @RebootedMom to let us know how they turned out!
Loved making these I used discard because I misunderstood next time I’ll use the starter hey they are still good
How did these turn out with the discard?
I made them with discard that I had in the fridge, they turned out great! Will definitely make them again.
My doe is not rising! Can I still make pretzels or Discard doe
You can still use it to make pretzels!
Where’s the recipe for the sourdough starter…
Pat – it’s linked in the recipe. I hope that helps!
Just made these.. they were pretty easy to make and turned out delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad!! They are my go-to for when the kids want pretzels and I don’t want to pay for them at the mall (I think it’s Auntie Annie’s? But it gets expensive with 5 kids!)
I was waiting on my wife to get back from the store before starting these, currently rising but we’re going out tonight. So, I’ll go as far as dividing the portions, wrap in plastic and refrigerate over night. Tomorrow, I’ll let warm to room temperature and then shape and go from there. I hope that works. Love how well this dough is responding so far. I’ll let you know if it didn’t work, but you can do that with pizza dough, so don’t see why not?
Yep you should be able to use the dough to make pizza, too. These pretzels always turn out great for me… the kids tear them up pretty fast.
If you use the dough to make pizza crust then do you still do the water bath?
Lisa, no not at all. Hope that helps.
How did it work leaving them in the fridge overnight and baking the next day?
Hi! Did anyone have trouble taking them out of the stockpot? They fell apart for me? Not all….is there something i did wrong?
Sandy, I always shape mine, lay them on parchment on a cookie sheet and pop in the freezer for 15 minutes while the water bath heats up. Freezing them for a bit helps them retain their shape when they take their “dunk” in the water bath. While you can skip the freezer step, I find that the pretzels are prone to come undone in the bath.
I put them in the freezer for 25 mins and when I took them out if the water I used a wide spatula. Worked like a charm! Now I’m staring in the oven waiting…
Mine completely stuck to the baking parchment
Did you use waxed paper or parchment?
Parchment!
I know from making sourdough loaves that there are different qualities of parchment and some do stick but it’s not the recipes fault. My family LOVES these pretzels, thank you so much for sharing!
Have you tried freezing them? Would you do it after baking them, or keep the dough frozen before doing the stock pot? Looking to make these, but yields more than I can eat. Hoping to have a freezer option instead of splitting the recipe. Thanks!
I haven’t tried that but you can definitely — I would suggest freezing them before adding them to the stock pot. Then pulling them out before you add to the stock pot.
Really great recipe. I have made them twice now and they are a huge hit. Thank you!
Hello! I am having such a hard time getting them to turn brown. I have now made 5 batches of the soft pretzels and this last batch I tried to leave in a little bit longer and ended up burning the bottoms trying to get the tops done. I so use egg on top. Any ideas of what I am doing wrong? They are soooo delicious any way!
The water bath will help with that! If you are putting baking soda in the water bath as noted in the directions, that is the key to them browning in the oven 🙂 Don’t go overboard though with the baking soda because they will absorb the taste of the baking soda, just a little of it (as noted!) in the water bath will do the trick!
If it didn’t really rise does that mean my starter wasn’t good? I am new to sourdough and today was day 5 and the first time I’m trying to bake with it.
The best time to use your starter is about 4-5 hours after you feed it. So if you fed the starter at (say) 8 a.m., then around 12 or 1 pm would be the best time to ensure it is strong and gives a solid rise. Try them anyways.. you might be surprised, and they might turn out fine!
Do you use fed starter or unfed?
Tiffany – use fed starter.
My dough seems dry. Any advice?
I can’t speak for every experience, but get a feel for your dough and add extra starter or liquid as needed. I’m in Phoenix .. so those who are in higher elevations might need to make adjustments to the flour/liquid.
These were really good! Maybe it is the nature of my starter but I didn’t need all 4 cups of flour. Luckily I added 3 cups first and then added a little more to get the dough to the right consistency. With a yeast shortage right now I am glad to find recipes where I can solely use my starter. We put some butter on them and tossed them in cinnamon and sugar..so good!
Did you use the butter/cinnamon sugar after baking?
This recipe was awesome! I tried it out, but I was just wondering this. When I made them they were very chewy-more like a bagel- going without the hot water bath make them softer?
The water bath gives them their dark color when you bake them. 🙂
Hi – any tips if you don’t have a mixer? Can this be done by hand? Thanks!
Yes – it’ll just be a bit more difficult.
I’ve heard that to make them taste like pretzels and have them turn brown (same for bagels) is the diastatic powder in the recipe. Do you know about this?
Can anyone give me the link to the sourdough cinnamon muffins? When I click the link, it sends me to the pretzel recipe.
Thanks.
Can I use oil instead of butter to make them dairy free?
Can I use oil instead of butter to make them dairy free?
Sure, I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Thank you for contributing! Appreciate any social shares and comments! Nettie https://parade.com/1034350/nettiemoore/best-sourdough-starter-recipes/
Do you use melted butter, room temp, cold?
Sorry for not being more clear. Use butter at room temp. Thanks!
These were amazing! I did not have a mixer but the dough came together just fine when I stirred the flour in a little after each cup I added. These were way easier than making bread. My pretzels weren’t the most consistent looking, but they all baked well.
CC – That’s great to hear! They are a favorite in my house!
Great recipe! Easy and definitely my go to for pretzels. Thank you!
So glad! It is my favorite sourdough starter recipe!
I used the leftover starter from my very first attempt at sourdough ever, and I wasn’t sure any of it was right, but they turned out so great! I also don’t have a stand mixer, so I mixed by hand…the dough felt a bit dry and I was worried it wouldn’t work, but it did! I also didn’t stretch the dough strips to the full 30 inches because it was causing the dough to tear in various spots (probably because it was a bit dry), so my pretzels were short and fat. this resulted in a slightly denser texture in the very center of the pretzel (but again, they tasted great, so I’m calling it a success!) I guess my point is, the recipe is obviously very forgiving! My pretzels were delicious and I’ll maybe aim for a slightly more moist dough next time so I can really stretch my pretzels out to be large.
I only baked three of them and left the rest of the batch in the freezer. I’m going to see how they do if I try to make them from “hard” frozen over the next few days. Super excited that my first sourdough recipe turned out so yummy!
That is so great to hear, Monica!!! It took me a LONG time to actually feel “successful” at anything involving sourdough… I remember way back when I first started, I was super discouraged and many things didn’t result in anything close to what they should have. I kept at it though.. and persistence is the key! Sounds like you are way ahead of the game (and much better than I was!!!!) That’s so wonderful! Keep going now.. there are so many fun ways to use sourdough. Sourdough English Muffins are one of my BIG favorites, I have them on this blog, too!! They are SO easy!!
So great! I’m learning and live sourdough this was a great first time pretzel recipe!! My pretzels stuck to the parchment paper though. Do you use the same parchment paper from freezing three and then back into the oven? Wondering if they were too wet from the water bath and that caused them to stick? Thoughts? Thanks!
So easy to make, and I actually used discarded starter. Very Happy with end product
Mark, that’s so great to hear!
Has anyone tried making a spiral and turning it into a pretzel bun? We may try that next. We LOVE this recipe! Definitely better with milk than water in our experience, even skim milk.
I agree.. I am a big fan of milk too. Everything is better with milk 🙂
Looking to try making this recipe – my daughter hates it when we throw out starter because it is overflowing! Just wondering if you had the ingredients by weight as we find that the volume varies so much.
Thanks!
Jennifer.. I don’t, but I’ll try to update the recipe tonight with the weight in grams!
Delicious! Made a half batch today because I didn’t know how they would be. I used almond milk because it was all I had, and I melted the butter in the saucepan before I added it. Pretzels stayed together in the water and baked beautifully! I will be making a double batch for the holiday!
So glad they turned out well for you!
I’m making these right now and they are delicious! I skipped the freezing step and sure enough, some of them totally fell apart, but none of us care and my kids are loving them. I was so happy to find a recipe that really didn’t use yeast since I barely have any. I lost count on the flour and think I might only have used 3 cups and a little bit, but that has been my experience with pretty much all the sourdough recipes I’ve tried – I always need a lot less flour. Thanks for this delicious recipe to add to our quarantine baking!
You are so welcome Julia!
I never knew pretzels could be fluffy or melt in your mouth, but these do!! New go-to pretzel. Definitely going to check out your other sourdough recipes, after that. Easier to shape than other pretzel recipes I’ve tried too, though I still sometimes cheat and just make pretzel balls. 🙂
Hey, can I use sourdough starter discard to make this? I made pizza dough with my discard and its rising nicely – doubled in 6 hours
You might be able to. I haven’t tried. I make everything with discard but haven’t done the pretzels with discard.
Success! I used Amish Friendship bread starter and it worked like a charm. I replaced 1C with whole wheat flour, and let the dough rise for 4 hours before putting it in the fridge overnight. I took it out about 2 hours before prep and made pretzel nuggets. Delicious!
Sounds amazing!
OMG these were amazing still warm from the oven! Perfect crunch on the outside, soft on the inside. I didn’t do a good job wrapping them and they turned hard though. I will wrap them next time. I also wonder if they would get their crunch back days later (if wrapped in the meantime) if I reheated then in the oven. They were so amazing when fresh, I want to keep that longer next time!
Can you make them in nugget shapes nstead of the folded pretzel shape to skip the freezer part?
sure!
Just made these today, followed the recipe exactly and they were amazing. All held together, lightly browned and the texture was perfect. Delivered most to friends to cheer the spirits. I dipped them in mustard to eat – Yum! I’ll make another batch tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
So glad they turned out well for you! They are a favorite here too… my oldest is a mustard lover! Have a great week, Christine.
So fun to make, thanks for a great recipe! I used discard just because I didn’t want to feed and have that much more starter haha. Added 1 teaspoon of instant yeast, and used skim milk powder and warm water in place of milk.
My pretzel pieces were about 75 to 80 grams each if I remember correctly, easier to work with a quarter batch at a time, and keep rest covered. I also found it MUCH easier to roll the strips on an un-floured counter.
Like others, I did find they didn’t get dark brown, even though I did the soda water bath, and brushed with egg. Still great. The freezing worked perfectly so they held their shape in the bath.
FYI, I used 300 grams of starter and 500 grams of flour, and measured the rest as per recipe.
Sounds like you nailed them! Some of mine got brown, and some didn’t, which is usually what happens. I have heard that you can use lye to dunk the pieces but… I’m not too sure I want my food in lye.
I’m glad to know they worked for you with sourdough discard… that’s super! Sometimes I don’t feel like feeding mine either, so next time I’ll use mine for pretzels instead of having to feed. Thanks for coming back and letting me know how they turned out!
This looks so yummy and delicious. Thanks, Sheryl for sharing the recipe
I made a half recipe of these on the 4th of July because I only had a scant cup of starter, due to an earlier AM pancake request. Mine’s pretty much discard, too, as I don’t time my feedings on a schedule. Sometimes I’ll let the starter “feed” on part of the flour and liquid in a recipe before fully mixing the dough. A half batch came out to 97-98 g each. We had to leave to buy fireworks right after the shaping step, and they froze solid while we were gone. I partially thawed them, boiled them, and they turned out beautifully. They all 6 browned nicely, (maybe because I used an egg from my own backyard) I took them out of the oven, went to change clothes, and walked back into the kitchen to find an empty baking sheet! Some kids didn’t get one, so I was told that pretzels are today’s sourdough item, as well! I’m making the full recipe, so maybe I can try them, too. Definitely a hit for us, thanks for sharing the recipe. ( P.S. My starter is named Sophie)
I’m so glad you loved them! My kids do the same thing!
Sheryl,
Update: I made these yet again, (addiction, anyone?) and I found that you get a lovely, Auntie Anne’s professional browned pretzel if you cook them in the air fryer after boiling. I did 10-12 minutes at 350, but may need to play with the time and temp, as air fryers are all different.
ooh. I think I need an Air Fryer! I haven’t gotten one yet. It is that “one” purchase I’ve been… hesitating on!
Seriously, get one. It’s a game-changer! We’ve had failures, but now we know what is likely to work or not. We make grilled cheese in ours. Best. Sandwich. Ever. Also it saves money because you can turn old bread into croutons in 7 minutes, including mixing time.
I might have to take your advice on that. I’ve been on the fence for far too long.
Is this recipe to be made with discard or fed starter? It would be helpful for the recipe to clarify.
Fed starter; but many have used discard successfully. They always turn out wonderful.
AWESOME 👏🏼👍🏼♥️Thank You FOR Sharing! And THANK You For ADVICE about Almond Milk!! That’s ALL WE DRINK 👍🏼 I Would RATHER Print It SO I don’t Have to Look on my Phone AND try To MAKE THEM 😱 !!G-d♥️Bless😊
These were amazing, thank you for the recipe. Worked first time! 🙂 Could you freeze them completely once first shaped (before the water bath stage) and then just defrost at room temperature when required to cook?
You definitely can!
These are SO good! My 14 year old daughter made them today…delish!
Glad you enjoyed them!
These turned out great on my first try! Love the idea for freezing pretzel before the bath. They kept their shape as promised!
So glad they worked out for you!
I made pretzel dogs! A bit tricky and a little wonky looking but they were delicious! I also used half of the dough to make cinnamon sugar pretzels. Next time I would roll a bit of cinnamon and sugar into the pretzel as they were a little bland.
Just made these delicious pretzels. Thank you so much for the yeast free version! FYI for others – I used my starter (fed the day before) straight from the fridge and they turned out great. I will definitely make these again!!
I just made a 1/2 batch in case (sometimes recipes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be), they are amazing! Excellent recipe
Beverly, I’m so glad you loved them! I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much for your recipe and share it with us. This is my second time I do it and every time I conquered the stomach of my husband.
So happy you love it!
Made these exactly as the recipe calls for. Every thing worked as you said. I found that the pretzels were a bit on the sweet side. I will make them again but will use half the sugar called for. My wife and enjoyed them very much. I didn’t use enough salt on them. Will use more next time. Would like to have the ingredients in gram. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Bob!
Here’s the ingredients that I used, converted to grams. Turned out good, but I thought a little bland. Will start a new comment about that, but wanted to respond to your request for weights:
2 Tbsp butter (28 g)
2 Tbsp sugar (25 g)
1 C milk warmed to 110 degrees F (240 g)
1.5 C sourdough starter (300 g)
4 C all-purpose flour (480 g)
These pretzels are absolute yummy! I am on salt restriction, so I used Everything Bagel Seasoning vs salt. Really good with just enough salt & more garlic on top. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You are so welcome!
Great recipe. I used yeast discard and it worked out well. Took about three hours to rise (cold day) but everything else went according to plan! Froze some dough to see if it will work in a few days. Fingers crossed.
Amazing. Made these from leftover starter and they were wonderful. Made some with salt, some with EBTB, some with butter and cinnamon sugar. They were all incredible.
Made exactly as the recipe except used leftover starter I had saved in the fridge.
Sharese — sounds delicious! I think I need to be your neighbor!
Made them and they turned out fantastic. Doing it again today but making beagles this time.
As I commented on another thread above, I made these and they turned out good, just a little bland for me. I noticed that there is no salt at all in the dough. Why is that? I assume you’re using salted butter, but in 2 Tbsp, there is very little salt. Next time, I would probably add some salt inside the dough to ramp up the flavor, and not rely on having so much salt on the outside.
Hi Keith – no salt is my personal preference. You can use salt though if that’s what you prefer, go ahead! In my personal experiences making sourdough, I hold back sometimes on salt because I have found that it decreases the elasticity of the dough. That’s just my experience though – it might be different for others. I keep the salt out so as to allow others to do what works for them, because what might work for one person, might not work for another. Since I have a harder time with dough elasticity when I do use salt, then I am going to communicate the recipe without. Others can feel free to alter it to their wish. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the pretzels!
Oh, and I forgot to add: I made some half size. Rolled out the strip to about 15″ long. Baked the same time. Turned out just as good.
Loved these pretzels. Very easy and they came out perfect. Going to try the cinnamon sugar next time.
Glad you loved them Jeff. Warning: Cinnamon Sugar are addictive. 🙂
PRETZEL BITES
Love this recipe and the bagel one too!
I often opt for making these into pretzel bites. One batch will make around 100-150. When I do this I skip the freeze step. I’m trying my hand at making them into buns today for burgers!
Oh how exciting! Let me know how it turns out for you 🙂 I love the pretzels too.. and my kids the same. My kids literally tear them up.
Thanks so much for giving us the recipe! I was curious if you had one for crusty/ hard pretzels — or tips to adjust this recipe? My family members like to crunch! Now that it’s football season again, we’ll all be munching along. – Cathy P.S. Do you really need to add sugar for crusty pretzels???
Hi Cath – I haven’t made crusty/hard pretzels – my kids will only eat them if they are soft (like the mall pretzels!); they have pretty “strict” requirements, my kids. I would suggest maybe cooking them a bit longer perhaps?
And to answer your question – sugar is not required. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much for getting back — I’ll have to try it!
Ok I forgot to come back and report, the pretzel BUNS are and were out of this world!!! Great for burger buns or just heated up. They take a little longer to bake, but it’s just depending on the oven you use. I made 8 pretzel buns by weighing them out and tying them in knots and coating with egg wash and seasonings.
SO glad you loved them and that they turned out well. Good to know! I will have to try that myself! Have a blessed Christmas!
I just used your recipe and made pretzel nuggets, and did not discard any of my starter, and they turned out delicious.
That’s awesome, Debbie!
Absolutely AMAZING!!!!! Sorry for the caps but I cant stress enough how awesome these are. You are now my favorite go to baker for a pretzel recipe.. My family and I love them they are harder on outside until they cool then they are so soft on the inside… Mmmmm Great Job on this recipe thank you!!