Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
These sourdough discard pretzel bites are the perfect way to use your extra sourdough starter. They’re soft, chewy, and have a delicious tangy flavor. Plus, they’re easy to make! Mix up the dough, let it rise, then boil and bake. The key to perfect pretzel bites is to boil them in a baking soda bath before baking. This gives them that classic pretzel flavor and texture.
I love sourdough discard recipes because they take less time to rise (or none at all!).
Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment and dough hook
- Pot
- Slotted spoon
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm water no hotter than 90°F
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 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
Water bath
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Want To Save This For Later?
I’m email you a link so you can find it when you need it.
You'll join my email list which you will love. And if you don't, unsubscribe in one click. ❤️
Instructions
- Mix everything except flour. Add warm water, sourdough starter, brown sugar, yeast, and salt and stir to combine in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add half of the flour. Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and stir to combine.
- Add butter. Add 4 tablespoons (½ stick) of the melted butter, and stir.
- Add rest of flour. Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and slowly add the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring and stopping to push the sides down to make sure the flour is fully incorporated. Repeat this process until the flour has been incorporated and the dough removes itself from the bowl’s sides. You want the dough to be slightly tacky but soft.
- Knead dough. Set your mixer to medium and allow the dough to knead for 3-5 minutes.
- Rise. Remove the dough, cover it with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
- Prep baking sheet. Place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet and set aside.
- Divide dough. Once the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a clean, dry surface and divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Shape the balls into a rope and cut them into 3 equal portions, creating 36 pieces. Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet.
- Prep pot and oven. Add the 6 cups of water, baking soda, and brown sugar in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Boil. Once the water comes to a boil, work in batches to add the dough pieces into the water bath, boiling each batch for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bites and place them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all dough bites have gone through the water bath.
- Top pretzel bites. With the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (remelt it if necessary), brush the tops of the dough bites with the remaining butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
- Bake. Bake at 425°F for 8-12 minutes (8 minutes will give you a softer pretzel bite, and 12 minutes will give you a crunchier pretzel bite).
These are so delicious that I have to make a double batch because they disappear so quickly from my house. My kids gobble them up like they haven’t eaten in days. And honestly? I eat more than a few myself. They’re just the right amount of salty and chewy, and I love that I can use some of my sourdough discard.
They are the perfect thing to make when you want something warm, comforting, and a little fancy.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Here are a few key things you’ll need to make these:
- Sourdough Starter. This recipe is a great way to use up your sourdough discard! If you don’t have any sourdough starter, learn to make your own! Or you can try substituting it with plain yogurt or buttermilk. However, remember that this will slightly alter the flavor of your pretzel bites.
- Coarse Pretzel Salt. This type of salt is larger and coarser than regular table salt, which gives the pretzel bites a nice crunchy texture. You can usually find it in the spice aisle or baking section of your grocery store.
- Stand mixer with a dough hook. A stand mixer makes kneading the dough a breeze, but you can also knead by hand if you don’t have one.
These key things will help you make the best possible pretzel bites! If you want to use an active sourdough starter, you can make sourdough pretzels.
Troubleshooting and Help
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.
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.
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.
You can use coarse sea salt or even flaky sea salt. Just sprinkle it on a bit more generously since the flakes tend to be bigger.
If you have any more questions, leave me a comment. I’m always happy to help.
I hope you enjoy this fun snack recipe. It’s a great baking project to do with kids on the weekend or serve as an appetizer for a party. You might want to make a double batch because these will go fast!
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.