Sourdough Pretzel Recipe - Long Fermented

Name: Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzel Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup filtered water; 2 tbs butter (softened); 2 tbs honey; 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter (active and bubbly); 2 1/2 tsp sea salt (I use grey celtic ); 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 12 cups filtered water; 1 tbs baking soda; 1 tbs coconut sugar; 2 tbs topping of choice

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My healthy sourdough pretzel recipe is long fermented so you get those great gut-healing probiotics along with that delicious soft pretzel texture and flavor!

Soft sourdough pretzels are fluffy, buttery, and seasoned with whatever you like! Making your own homemade soft pretzels is so easy – I never would have thought I could do this while wrangling a toddler!

Related: Sourdough Pretzel Bites

Related: sourdough bagel recipe

healthy soft long fermented sourdough pretzels on a wooden block with one ripped in half so you can see the soft inside leaning up against some cheese sauce

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Equipment Needed

Water filter – filtered water is so important when making sourdough.

Dutch oven – to boil water. A stockpot would also work.

Stand Mixer with the dough hook attachment – optional, but really nice to have!

Dough scraper – optional

Grain mill – VERY optional, but it’s nice to mill your own fluffy flour!

Sourdough Starter – My favorite kitchen “tool” is my active sourdough starter! Learn how to make a sourdough starter in 7 days right here.

Large Non-Reactive Bowl – I like using glass or ceramic for sourdough foods so the metal doesn’t kill off my yeast.

Baking Sheet – even though my food rarely touches the actual metal, I like stainless steel instead of aluminum.

Parchment paper – What I cover my baking sheets with if I’m not using silicone mats.

Sourdough Pretzel Recipe Highlights

No yeast sourdough pretzels – This is a true sourdough recipe – no yeast required! If you want to use inactive sourdough discard you could add a tsp of yeast if you’d like.

Variety of topping options – See my pretzel topping varieties below. They’re really endless!

Can freeze for later – my favorite thing to do with these is to eat a few for dinner the day I make them so they’re nice and warm, then freeze the rest for another night when I need a quick bread component.

Flexible baker’s timeline – The timeline is super flexible – you can do a one-day timeline, or overnight. The choice is yours!

Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzel Recipe

The best part about this healthy sourdough pretzel recipe is that it just calls for a few basic pantry essentials and your sourdough starter.

Ingredients

Filtered water – it’s important to always use filtered water when making a fermented recipe because the chlorine in unfiltered water can ruin your fermentation. We love our Berkey water filter!
Butter – you could also use oil, but I suggest using a flavorless oil like avocado oil.
Honey – coconut sugar would also work.
Active sourdough starter – make sure she’s nice and bubbly and passes the float test for best results. If you want to make sourdough discard pretzels, and use 1 tsp of yeast.
Sea salt – always use sea salt instead of table salt. Sea salt has lots of healthy minerals and table salt is devoid of nutrients.
All-purpose flour – I like using organic flour. You could also use einkorn flour and reduce the water by 20%.

Boiling Ingredients

Filtered water
Baking soda – this gives the pretzels their famous pretzel texture on the outside.
Coconut sugar – helps to caramelize the outside of the pretzel crust. You could also use molasses or brown sugar.

Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzel Instructions (with pictures)

Making the Pretzel Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine water, butter, honey, and sourdough starter until just combined.

bowl of a stong mixer with the ingredients for sourdough pretzel dough next to a white kitchenaid mixer and jars of flour and oats

Switch to the dough hook attachment, add 3 cups of flour and knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes.

white kitchenaid mixer kneading sourdough pretzel dough with glass jars of flour and oats next to it

While kneading, lightly coat a large glass bowl with coconut oil.
Stop kneading and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Next, add sea salt, and more flour (only if the dough is still pretty sticky – I find that 3 1/4- 3 1/2 cups is best).
Knead for another 10 minutes.
Turn off the mixer and do the windowpane test, meaning, pull a piece of dough up and stretch it – you should see light coming through the dough before the dough rips).

doing the windowpane test with sourdough pretzel dough inside of a glass bowl next to a white stand mixer

windowpane test with sourdough pretzel dough

Scrape the dough into your greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or beeswax wrap and ferment at room temp for 8-24 hours while the dough rises. You can get away with the longer end of that spectrum during the cooler months.

sourdough pretzel dough after kneading and before fermentation with beeswax wrap overtop — Before the long ferment

long fermented sourdough pretzel dough in a glass bowl after having fermented for 12 hours — Before the long ferment

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into about 12-14 pieces.

using a dough scraper to slice sourdough pretzel dough into pieces

Roll the pieces of sourdough pretzel dough into long ropes (about 1 inch thick).

Shape each rope into a pretzel and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover and let rest for about 30-60 minutes.

pretzel dough before the final rise after being shaped and placed on a baking sheet — Before the final rise

puffy sourdough pretzel dough after the final rise — Before the final rise

Pretzel Boiling Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F while the pretzels rest.
Bring a large stockpot or dutch oven with water to a boil. Once boiling, add coconut sugar and baking soda.

adding baking soda using a measuring spoon to a white dutch oven filled with boiling water

Place 3 pretzels at a time into the water. Remove with a slotted spatula after about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Pretzel Topping and Baking Instructions

Immediately after removing the pretzels from the boiling water, place the sourdough pretzels back onto the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with your topping of choice.

sourdough pretzels after being boiled adding toppings like everything bagel seasoning parmesan cheese and sea salt

Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

sourdough pretzels on a baking sheet after being baked

How to Shape Sourdough Pretzels

I do a combination of 3 techniques for rolling the dough:

The first is to roll the dough against the surface of the countertop.
Second is to take the dough in both hands and roll between my hands.
Third is to stretch it out by taking both ends of the dough and let gravity stretch it.

using hands to roll sourdough pretzel dough

Then, take both ends of the rope in your fingertips and draw them together so the dough forms a semi-circle, then take the two ends and cross them.

shaping sourdough pretzel dough into the shape of a pretzel

Braid the center of the dough so there’s a twist in the middle of the pretzel.

braiding the center of the pretzel dough

Then bring the twisted end and fold it down onto the bottom of the circle. Use some water or egg wash to stick the dough together if necessary (i found this wasn’t necessary for me).

Lastly, to lift the pretzel from your work surface, take two fingers through the bottom loops of the dough, use your other hand to take the dough scraper, and lift the pretzel up.

lifting a sourdough pretzel off the work surface

How to Store Soft Sourdough Pretzels

Soft pretzels are best enjoyed day-of. If you’d like to save them for later, it’s best to freeze them while they’re fresh. I recommend making your soft pretzels, setting aside the ones you’ll eat right away then stashing the rest in the freezer.

sourdough pretzels on a wooden block next to some cheese sauce and sourdough pretzel bites

Room Temperature

Store soft pretzels in a paper bag for up to 3 days. You can eat soft pretzels at room temperature or heat them up in the oven or microwave to the desired temperature.

Freezer

To freeze soft pretzels, let them cool to room temperature then individually wrap them in plastic wrap, then toss them in a freezer bag. Store your soft pretzels in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating From Frozen

To reheat a frozen soft pretzel, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw for about 30 minutes, then toss it in the oven or microwave and heat it until heated through.

You can skip thawing in a pinch and heat longer in the oven or microwave.

Sourdough Pretzel Recipe Tips

sourdough pretzels with everything bagel seasoning on top

Delay adding salt to the dough – my sourdough recipes always delay adding salt to your dough for about 15 minutes. This is for an important reason! This gives your sourdough starter time to activate in your dough – adding salt too soon will kill off too much yeast and you won’t get optimal results.
Don’t skip the boiling step – For one, the boiling step helps the outside of the pretzels to cook quickly enough to help the pretzels hold their shape during the baking step. Secondly, it helps the salt or seasoning to stick better. Lastly, it gives the pretzels a shiny and crisp coating.
Add sugar to water – Don’t skip out on adding the sugar to the pot of boiling water – this is used to caramelize the outside of the pretzel.
Add baking soda – Don’t skip the baking soda in the boiling water – this is used to increase surface gelatinization by breaking down some starch in the pretzel dough, and also gives the pretzels a “pretzely” taste.

Sourdough Pretzel Topping Ideas

Sea salt
Zaatar seasoning (similar to my Zaatar bagels)
Everything bagel seasoning
Cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
Pepperjack cheese
Dehydrated onions
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Minced garlic
Cheddar and jalapenos

Sourdough Pretzel Recipe Timeline

This timeline will allow you to break [pretzel] by 8 am. You can change the timing however works for you, but here is an example.

sourdough pretzels with various toppings next to some cheese sauce

Day 1

12PM – Feed your sourdough starter.
6PM – Mix pretzel dough in a stand mixer, cover, and let sit on the counter overnight.

Day 2

6AM – Shape pretzel dough and let rest for another hour.
7AM – Boil pretzels, add toppings, and bake.
8AM – Enjoy your sourdough pretzels!

How to Make Sourdough Pretzels Healthier

soft sourdough pretzels on a wooden block with cheese sauce

Sweetener – Use a natural sweetener to sweeten your dough. Honey is a great natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index than most sweeteners, it’s unrefined and has great nutrients!
Long fermented – Long-fermented dough provides great gut-healing bacteria. This helps people to digest bread better too.
Quality ingredients – Using quality ingredients will not only help your pretzels taste better, but they’ll be much better for you too. Go for organic flour, grass-fed butter, and raw, local honey.
Toppings – This is the area where it’s easy to make a super healthy sourdough pretzel take a turn for the worst.

Serving Suggestions

Do we really need anyone to tell us when to eat pretzels? Probably not, but here are some fun ideas!

sourdough pretzels with pretzel bites next to them

Entree salad and pretzels – One of my favorite summertime dinners is making a large entree salad with a side of pretzels and cheese sauce!
Snack with cheese – Pretzels are a delicious snack, especially with some cheese sauce, or my favorite Core and Rind cashew cheese sauce.
Bring to a get-together – Bring these sourdough pretzels to a get-together with family or friends and everyone will love you!

Can I Make these Into Pretzel Bites

Yes! You can use this exact recipe to make sourdough soft pretzels. Everything stays the same except the shaping, and you bake for a little more time.

sourdough pretzel bites with various toppings on a wooden block next to a white bowl of cheese sauce

Head here to see how to make these into Sourdough Soft Pretzel Bites.

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Berkey water filter (we use the Royal because we drink an insane amount of water!)

Thrive Market – 25% off & free gift! (where I get a ton of my ingredients)
Azure Standard: $25 off your order. Code kyrieluke1
Dutch oven
Stand mixer
Boos Block Butcher Block
Grain mill
Dough scraper

More Sourdough Recipes

Roasted Garlic Sourdough Bread

Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough Starter from Scratch

Sourdough Pretzel Recipe FAQ

Is sourdough really healthy?

Homemade sourdough bread is healthy because it’s more easily digestible by our bodies. The long fermentation process eliminates much of the antinutrient, phytic acid, which is found on grains. Phytic acid is the main culprit for why many people have a hard time digesting grains. By long fermenting grains, the vitamins and nutrients become more abundant and easily accessible to your body.

Can you freeze sourdough pretzel dough?

Yes, you can freeze sourdough pretzel dough for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container after the long ferment and before the final rise.

How to store homemade sourdough pretzels?

Store homemade sourdough pretzels in an airtight container at room temp for about 2 days. They’re best when heated slightly after day 1. You could also freeze the homemade sourdough pretzels and thaw them at room temp when ready to eat.

Why do you use baking soda to boil pretzels?

Boiling the sourdough pretzels prior to baking gives them a shiny finish on the outside with a fluffy inside, while the baking soda and brown sugar give the pretzels their brown finish.

Why are my sourdough pretzels dense?

Your sourdough pretzels may be too dense due to over-proofing or boiling too long.

Why is my sourdough pretzel dough not stretchy?

Your sourdough pretzel dough may be too stiff due to overworking the dough. This can happen, especially when using a stand mixer. Be sure to only knead for about 5 minutes on low speed when using a stand mixer to prevent overworked sourdough.

Do I have to long ferment these sourdough pretzels?

No, you can begin the Day 2 steps in this recipe after about 8 hours or so if you don’t have time for the long ferment. However, you won’t receive all the benefits of the longer fermentation.

Pin it For Later – Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzels

long-fermented sourdough pretzels recipe

Related: sourdough flatbread recipe

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Long-Fermented Sourdough Pretzel Recipe

Kyrie | Healthfully Rooted Home

Nice crust on the outside, fluffy on the inside, healthy and delicious! These healthy sourdough pretzels are a crowd pleaser and perfect for game days!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Fermenting time 12

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 14 pretzels

Calories 250 kcal