My sourdough smooth pretzels are made with lively, bubbly sourdough starter and dunked in a lye tub for a basic, old school taste (with notes on find out how to use baking soda as an alternative for those who’re not comfy with lye!). They’re smooth, chewy, and surprisingly easy to make! Recipe features a how-to video tutorial!
Completely Unbelievable Sourdough Pretzels
At first look, these sourdough smooth pretzels might look like an intimidating endeavor, however can I take a second to guarantee you that they’re really fairly easy and hands-off?
As is the case with most sourdough recipes, the dough does take its candy time rising and fermenting. Be ready to make the dough sooner or later, after which roll, dip, and bake the subsequent. You positively want persistence, however the precise effort required is comparatively low and the wait is price it.
Sourdough smooth pretzels style miles higher than something you’ll discover on the mall. They’ve a stunning golden brown coloring and refined, sourdough-y depth of taste. This recipe and my sourdough pizza crust are two of my all-time favourite methods to make use of my sourdough starter, when you’ve got a jar sitting round all lively and bubbly, it is a nice strategy to put it to work!
Issues to find out about this recipe
- Genuine, conventional pretzel taste and look, due to old school approach and a lye tub. Notice that lye have to be dealt with correctly. It’s protected for those who take the correct precautions, nevertheless it’s not one thing to let the children deal with. In the event you’re not comfy with it, I do supply an alternate within the recipe card.
- These are true sourdough pretzels, not sourdough discard pretzels. I desire utilizing the pure yeast from sourdough (identical to when making sourdough bread or my sourdough dinner rolls) reasonably than utilizing discard and supplementing with yeast.
- It takes a little bit of advance planning. The dough will rise at room temperature for at the least 5 hours, after which might want to ferment within the fridge in a single day. I like to recommend beginning the dough within the morning or early afternoon.
- It’s versatile. Make smooth pretzel bites as an alternative by reducing the dough ropes into bite-sized items as an alternative of twisting. Season them classically with pretzel salt, or make a candy cinnamon sugar model by brushing the baked pretzels with melted butter and sprinkling with cinnamon sugar.
What You Want
- Bread flour. Utilizing bread flour offers our sourdough smooth pretzels a softer, chewier texture than all-purpose flour would yield. It’s a key ingredient right here and in my artisan bread recipe. You can substitute all-purpose flour if it’s all you’ve, the pretzels simply received’t be as chewy.
- Sourdough starter. You could use lively sourdough starter for this recipe–don’t use sourdough discard. When you’ve got sourdough discard you wish to use, strive my sourdough chocolate chip cookies or sourdough crackers.
- Honey. A contact of honey feeds the yeast within the sourdough starter and provides taste with out making the pretzels too candy. Alternatively use gentle brown sugar.
- Butter. This helps to complement the dough and provides the pretzels the correct taste.
- Lye. Whereas usually used to make soaps and when cleansing, lye additionally has a conventional place in pretzel-making; it supplies that golden brown shade and basic pretzel style. We’ll rigorously dunk our sourdough smooth pretzels in a lye tub earlier than baking them to golden perfection. A be aware of warning: you have to be VERY cautious when working with lye. Please learn this publish and the recipe completely earlier than starting! In the event you’re not comfy utilizing lye, I additionally embody directions to dip the pretzels in a baking soda tub as an alternative.
- Pretzel salt. It is a coarse salt that could be a basic smooth pretzel topping. I hyperlink to the one I take advantage of beneath, however you possibly can additionally use a rough kosher and even sea salt. Or, change issues up and use all the pieces bagel seasoning!
SAM’S TIP: If consuming lye-coated pretzels scares you, don’t fear; baking the lye neutralizes it and makes it protected to devour. Or you’ll be able to all the time use baking soda instead–hold studying for directions on this.
Bear in mind, that is simply an outline of the components I used and why. For the complete recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the publish!
How you can Make Sourdough Tender Pretzels
Make the pretzel dough
- Combine collectively the moist components, salt, and half of the flour till mixed.
- Add extra flour as wanted: use dough hook and blend on low pace whereas regularly including extra flour. Chances are you’ll not want the entire flour, or you could want extra. Search for visible/tactile cues to know that your dough is prepared; it would start to stay to itself and draw back from the bowl, and for those who poke it with the pad of your finger it shouldn’t persist with your finger.
- Knead the dough with the dough hook till it’s easy and elastic. This often takes about 5-10 minutes for me. I don’t actually suggest kneading this dough by hand; it’s simply manner too smooth by design and you would need to add an excessive amount of flour to virtually be capable of deal with it.
- Place in a evenly oiled bowl, cowl and let rise in a heat spot till virtually doubled in dimension. How lengthy this takes will fluctuate, however for me it’s often between 5 and seven hours.
Form the pretzels
- As soon as the dough has risen, place it within the fridge and let sit in a single day.
- Divide the chilled dough into 10 equal items.
- Roll each bit into a protracted rope.
- Kind right into a “U” form and cross the ends over one another as soon as.
- Twist the ends over one another once more.
- Flip the ends down and press into the underside of the “U”.
Don’t really feel dangerous in case your pretzels aren’t the prettiest form, it took me a very long time to even get this far with mine and irrespective of how they appear, they’ll style wonderful!
SAM’S TIP: This dough is smooth and it have to be chilly to be manageable, so that you’ll use it proper out of the fridge. If it will get too heat, merely pop it again within the fridge till you’ll be able to deal with it once more.
Lye Tub & Bake
- Rigorously put together the lye tub and line your baking sheets with parchment. I speak about find out how to safely do that within the part beneath, please learn by means of that earlier than starting.
- Dip the pretzels within the lye tub for 30 seconds.
- Drain off any extra lye/water and place in your ready baking sheets.
- Sprinkle with salt and bake till deep golden brown, turning midway by means of. The warmth of the oven will neutralize the water from the lye tub, making the pretzels protected to devour.
How you can Safely Use Lye
Whereas lye is protected to make use of as directed on this recipe, it’s nonetheless a chemical that must be dealt with correctly. Lye might be dangerous if it touches your pores and skin, for those who devour it straight from the bottle, or for those who breathe it in. Because of this, when working with lye, you could do the next:
- Put on security gear. This consists of gloves and eye goggles, and lengthy sleeves aren’t a foul concept both. You don’t need the lye to the touch your pores and skin or actually something besides your pretzels!
- Use ample air flow. I prefer to hold my kitchen vent fan on and open my home windows if I can.
- All the time add the lye to your water, and never the water to the lye. This may trigger splashes, which we wish to keep away from since lye can wreck surfaces in your kitchen (wooden, steel, granite, and so on.).
- Get rid of the lye correctly. It would be best to neutralize the lye water with some vinegar first, then rigorously and slowly pour it down your sink drain with some chilly water. I describe this intimately within the recipe notes beneath.
For extra detailed security data, King Arthur flour has an in depth information on working with lye safely.
If working with lye looks like an excessive amount of of a problem to you otherwise you’re merely not comfy with it, you’ll be able to all the time use a baking soda tub as an alternative. The pretzels received’t be fairly as fairly (see beneath), however I do that with my do-it-yourself smooth pretzels and smooth pretzel bites, and so they nonetheless style wonderful! I present directions on how to do that within the recipe card.
Regularly Requested Questions
Lye is a conventional ingredient when making smooth pretzels, because it offers the pretzels that basic golden brown shade and pretzel taste. When dealt with correctly, it’s protected to make use of and effectively price the additional precautions! Nonetheless, don’t do something you’re uncomfortable with! I embody directions for utilizing baking soda as an alternative within the recipe card.
Sure! These sourdough smooth pretzels might be tightly wrapped and frozen in an hermetic container. To thaw, you’ll be able to merely microwave them till smooth and heat or reheat them within the oven.
You may also make these into any form you’d like: simply lower them into small items to make sourdough smooth pretzel bites as an alternative (see above!).
Get pleasure from!
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Sourdough Tender Pretzels
Servings: 10 pretzels
Energy: 203kcal
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Directions
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BEFORE BEGINNING: Notice that this dough requires 5-7 hours of resting at room temperature adopted by a 12+ hour in a single day fermentation within the fridge. I like to recommend getting ready the dough within the morning or early afternoon after which baking the pretzels the subsequent day.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer (see be aware), mix sourdough starter, water, honey, butter, salt, and roughly half of the flour and stir till well-combined.
⅔ cup (150 g) lively, bubbly sourdough starter, ⅔ cup (160 ml) heat water, 3 Tablespoons (63 g) honey, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon desk salt, 2 ½ cups (312 g) bread flour
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Connect the dough hook attachment to the mixer and start to stir on low-speed. Add remaining flour as wanted till the dough begins to cling to itself and draw back from the perimeters of the bowl (dough will nonetheless be fairly sticky, however shouldn’t persist with your finger for those who contact it).
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Proceed to knead dough with dough hook (medium/low pace) till easy and elastic (often 5-10 minutes longer).
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Switch dough to a evenly oiled bowl, cowl the bowl with plastic wrap, and permit to rise in a heat, draft-free place till practically doubled in dimension (often 5-7 hours).
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Switch to fridge and permit to relaxation for 12-18 hours (I let mine sit in a single day) earlier than continuing.
The following day
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Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Put aside and put together the lye tub (alternatively, see be aware for utilizing a baking soda tub as an alternative).
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It is very important deal with lye safely. Work in a effectively ventilated space and put on rubber gloves and eye goggles. Don’t contact the lye or the lye/water resolution and beware that if it splashes it could wreck surfaces. See notes for extra data together with directions for disposing of the lye.
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Arrange your lye tub (see be aware if utilizing baking soda as an alternative of lye): Place a large, deep glass dish (I take advantage of a 2.75qt glass casserole dish or related) on one in all your parchment paper lined baking sheets. Pour water into the dish after which rigorously add lye and use a chrome steel spoon to stir till lye is dissolved. Put aside when you put together your pretzels.
8 cups (1.9 L) water, ¼ cup (55 g) lye
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Take away pretzel dough from the fridge and divide into 10 equal items (deal with the dough instantly, don’t let it sit or it would get too smooth to make use of). Roll every into a protracted skinny rope, about 20-24” (50-60cm) lengthy, and twist right into a pretzel form (for help with shaping correctly, see the how-to part within the publish or watch the video tutorial).
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Use a slotted spatula to decrease every pretzel, one after the other, into the lye tub for 30 seconds, then rigorously take away. Drain as a lot water as you’ll be able to from every pretzel (the wetter they’re the extra seemingly they’re to stay to the parchment paper and also you’ll should peel them off) then place on ready baking sheet, spacing pretzels at the least 2” aside (I do 5 pretzels per baking sheet).
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Sprinkle with pretzel salt.
Pretzel salt
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Switch to middle rack of 400F (205C) oven and bake pans 1 at a time for 12 minutes per pan, rotating the pan midway by means of and baking till deep golden brown.
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Take away from oven and funky barely earlier than serving. In the event that they’ve caught to the parchment, merely peel them off.
Notes
Stand mixer
A stand mixer is extremely really helpful. This dough is and needs to be very smooth and considerably sticky. Utilizing a stand mixer permits us to maintain the dough smooth whereas nonetheless kneading it sufficiently. In the event you had been to knead the dough by hand, you would need to add fairly a bit extra flour than is good as a way to even be capable of handle it, which might end in more durable pretzels.
Lye
That is the lye that I take advantage of. Deal with lye with care. Work in a well-ventilated house. Rubber gloves and security glasses are really helpful, in addition to lengthy sleeves and lengthy pants to reduce threat of splashes. That is the lye that I take advantage of. Notice that in case you are uncomfortable with dealing with lye you should use a baking soda tub and egg wash as an alternative and the outcomes are nonetheless wonderful, the pretzels simply aren’t as golden brown and fairly.
Disposing of lye
To get rid of the lye water, you’ll be able to neutralize the answer by including 2 ½ cups of vinegar to the combination after which (rigorously, to keep away from splashing) pour it down the sink drain whereas operating cool water on the similar time.
Baking soda tub
As a substitute of a lye tub, you are able to do a baking soda tub as an alternative, however your pretzels won’t be as brown or style fairly as conventional (they’re nonetheless scrumptious although!). To do that, carry 8 cups water and ¼ cup (66g) baking soda in a big pot. Gently decrease pretzels (just one or 2 at a time) into the boiling combination and boil for 30 seconds per aspect then use a frying spider to take away and drain and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Put together an egg wash (elective, however helps darken the pretzels) by whisking an egg with a Tablespoon of water, gently brush every pretzel with the combination, sprinkle with pretzel salt, then bake as indicated.
Cinnamon sugar variation
Skip the pretzel salt and bake the pretzels plain. Whereas pretzels are nonetheless heat, brush each with melted salted butter (you’ll want about ¼ cup/57g), then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or dip in cinnamon sugar.
Storing
Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days (the salt might dissolve as they sit) or tightly wrap and freeze for a number of months. To reheat from frozen, preheat your oven to 325F (165C) place on a parchment lined baking sheet, brush evenly with water or melted butter, and warmth till warmed by means of (this may simply take a couple of minutes).
Vitamin
Serving: 1pretzel | Energy: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fats: 4g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 1g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1073mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data is predicated on third-party calculations and needs to be thought of an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will fluctuate primarily based upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking methodology, portion sizes, and extra.
