Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites

Name: Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 1 cup warm water (no hotter than 90°F); ½ cup sourdough starter (discard/ unfed); 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar; 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 3 ½- 4 cups all-purpose flour; 6 tablespoons salted butter (melted and divided); 1 tablespoon coarse pretzel salt; 6 cups water; 2 tablespoons baking soda; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

These turn the humblest of ingredients into something actually impressive. I mean, making your own pretzel bites is next-level. And when you need a discard recipe and you’re sick of sweets and breakfasts, this recipe is just the thing.

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pretzel bites on baking sheet and in bowl in background.

Chewy, soft inside, a little tangy (but not too much), these are one of my favorite football snacks paired with wings and cheese dip. As a bonus, they’re one of the cheapest things EVER to make. And if you’ve never made pretzels before it’s simple: just a straightforward mix, a short rise, and a quick baking soda boil.

what You’ll Need

Parchment paper: Pretzel bites love to stick to bare metal baking sheets after their boiling water bath.
Slotted spoon or spider strainer
Stand mixer with a dough hook

Scaling up: you can double even triple this recipe but to be honest you’ll be tired after so many batches in the baking soda bath and you’ll need a lot of baking sheets! But if you have the energy and are expecting a crowd, it works! Just hit the 2x or 3x button in the recipe card below and it will do the math for you.

ingredients measured out in bowls on counter.

For the Dough

1 cup warm water (make sure it is no hotter than 90°F so you don’t kill your yeast)
½ cup sourdough starter discard, unfed
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and divided
1 tablespoon coarse pretzel salt. (Coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt works)

For the Water Bath

6 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the Base

Let’s get the base going. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add your warm water, sourdough starter, brown sugar, yeast, and salt.

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sourdough starter, water, sugar, salt, and yeast in mixing bowl.

Give it a stir with the paddle attachment.

2. Add the Flour and Butter

Mix in the first 2 cups of your flour, then pour in 4 tablespoons of your melted butter.

Now, switch over to your dough hook. Start adding the rest of your flour slowly, just a half cup at a time.

glass bowl before and after liquids to dough.

Stop and scrape the sides down if you need to. You want to stop adding flour the second the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

It should feel soft and slightly tacky. If it’s too dry, you’ve gone too far.

3. Knead Carefully

Turn your mixer to medium and let it work for 3 to 5 minutes. Here is the tough love truth about making pretzels: it is incredibly easy to over-knead the dough, and doing so will leave you with a tough, dense snack. Keep an eye on it, and as soon as it looks smooth and holds together, turn the mixer off.

dough kneaded with dough hook into ball.

(If you are doing this by hand, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes of steady work).

4. Let it Rise

Take the dough out, form it into a ball, and put it back in the bowl. Cover it with a clean tea towel or some plastic wrap and just walk away.

It needs about an hour and a half to double in size.

5. Shape Your Pretzel Bites

Once your dough is nice and puffy, turn it out onto a dry counter. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each of those portions into a little rope, and then cut each rope into three pieces. This will give you 36 perfect little pieces.

dough divided into 12 pieces, then 36 pieces.

Transfer them over to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. The Baking Soda Boil

Do not skip this step! Boiling is what gives pretzels their classic flavor and chew. Bring your 6 cups of water, baking soda, and brown sugar to a true rolling boil over medium heat.

ingredients for baking soda bath before heating.

Drop the dough pieces in, but do this in batches. If you crowd the pot, they won’t puff up properly.

Let each batch boil for exactly 3 minutes, then scoop them out with your slotted spoon and put them back on the parchment paper.

7. Butter, Salt, and Bake

Make sure your oven is completely preheated to 425°F. Brush the tops of your boiled bites with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter (remelt it quickly if it solidified) and sprinkle on your favorite coarse salt.

Bake them for 8 to 12 minutes. If you want a softer bite, pull them at 8 minutes.

golden brown baked pretzel bites on baking tray.

If you want a crunchier exterior, let them go the full 12. Just make sure to rotate the pan halfway through so they brown evenly.

Storage Instructions

Just pop any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two, or pop them in the fridge for up to a week.

My favorite trick is to let them cool completely and freeze them in a sealed bag for up to three months so you always have a quick snack ready. When you are hungry, just let them thaw at room temperature or give them a quick warm-up in the microwave.

Serving Ideas

You’ll want a dipping sauce for these. My family’s absolute favorite pairing is a warm beer cheese, but a quick homemade honey mustard (just whisk together equal parts honey, mayonnaise, and Dijon) is always popular too.

These pair perfectly with other football snacks like buffalo wings or mozzarella sticks.

Troubleshooting and Help

Help! My dough is too sticky. What did I do wrong?

Don’t worry; sticky dough happens sometimes! It usually means you added a bit too much water or didn’t add enough flour. Try adding flour to your dough, a tablespoon at a time, and kneading it in until it’s smooth and just slightly tacky. You don’t want it to be completely dry, but it shouldn’t be sticking to your hands.

What if I don’t have a stand mixer?

No problem at all! You can make this dough by hand. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl and then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it by hand for about 8-10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.

My pretzel bites turned out a bit flat. What did I do wrong?

Hmm, a few things could cause that. Make sure your baking soda bath is at a rolling boil before adding the pretzel bites. Also, be sure not to overcrowd the pot, as that can affect how well they puff up. And lastly, make sure your oven is properly preheated to 425°F.

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