Chewy, and salty, these Sourdough Pretzel Bites are perfect game day treat! These pretzel bites have no yeast, so it's a great way to use up some of your sourdough starter!
Baking with sourdough discard is one of my favorite things to do! You can make baked sourdough donuts, sourdough scones, sourdough discard banana bread, sourdough discard pancakes, sourdough discard waffles, sourdough chocolate chip muffins, and even sourdough crackers with herbs and olive oil crackers!
These sourdough pretzel bites are so delicious and surprisingly easy to make! They are a perfect treat for the big game and all your guests will be so impressed that you made homemade pretzel bites!
When you are ready to serve these pretzels, make sure you check out all the delicious recipes for ideas for what to dip pretzels in!
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Why You'll Love Sourdough Pretzel Bites
- They are fun to make! Let the kids help roll the dough into a log and let them place the bites on the baking sheet. They will love sprinkling the pretzel bites with salt.
- They are so versatile! Top these pretzel bites with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, coarse salt, or your favorite dry rub. The possibilities are endless!
- They bake up fast! Instead of figuring out how to twist the pretzels, these pretzel bites bake up in 15 minutes and you don't have to fight with the dough to twist a pretzel correctly.
Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter- If you are new to sourdough, make sure to check out this post for how to keep a sourdough starter. It will walk you through baking and keeping a healthy starter.
- Water- Lukewarm. Too cold and the pretzel dough will take too long to rise, and too hot you run the risk of killing the starter and the dough will not rise.
- Flour- All purpose flour or bread flour.
- Honey- Granulated sugar can be substituted for honey if you want to make this recipe vegan.
- Salt- For added flavor in the dough.
- Baking Soda- This will be added to the boiling water, it won't be added to the dough.
Equipment
Step By Step Photos
How To Make Sourdough Pretzel Bites
- Combine the water and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment.
- Mix with a fork until combined.
- Add the flour, honey, and salt to the bowl.
- Turn the mixer on medium speed and mix for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 8-10 hours, or until doubled in size.
- When the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into eight equal pieces.
- Roll each dough piece into a log about 12 inches long. Cut 1 ½ inch pieces out of the dough and place the pieces onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Allow the pieces to rest on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ⅓ cup of baking soda to the water.
- Drop 8-10 pieces of dough into the boiling water and let them boil for 10 seconds on each side. Take the pieces out of the boiling water and place them back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle coarse salt or everything bagel seasoning on the wet dough pieces.
- When all the dough pieces are boiled, place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking process, rotate the baking sheets so the pretzel bites brown evenly on each side.
Why Is Baking Soda Added To The Water?
Baking soda is added to the boiling water to create that classic chew that pretzels have. Without it, the pretzel bites will become more like little dinner rolls.
Don't overboil the pretzels. They only need 10-15 seconds in the boiling water.
Tips and Tricks
- If you do not have silicone mats, parchment paper would work as well. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray to make sure the pretzels do not stick once baked.
- The longer you boil the pretzels for in the water the chewier they will be. Try not to boil them for more than 20 seconds, as they will get too chewy and lose their texture.
- Top these pretzels with coarse sea salt, everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or serve them plain.
- Serve these pretzels with your favorite mustard, queso, beer cheese, garlic dip, or Instant Pot hummus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you wanted to make these pretzels, you can! Instead of cutting the logs, twist them into a pretzel shape. Then boil them and bake them for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Yes! You can freeze the pretzel bites in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. It is best is you do not add the salt before freezing. When you are ready to defrost the pretzels, place them on the counter and let them come to room temperature. Then lightly brush them with egg wash and sprinkle salt on them. Bake them for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
These pretzel bites are best eaten the same day. That's because the salt tends to make the pretzel bites moist the next day. If you are eating them the next day, place them in the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat them up and soften them.
Other Recipes To Try
Did you love these Sourdough Pretzel Bites? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5-star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Chicken Sausage and Mini Pepper Pasta
- Instant Pot Bagels
- Instant Pot Feta Pasta
- Feta and Olive Stuffed Broiled Tomatoes
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Sourdough Discard Pancakes
- Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Pretzel Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sourdough Starter Active and Bubbly
- 1 ¼ Cup Water Warm
- 3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ Cup Baking Soda For boiling the pretzel bites
Instructions
- Combine the water and starter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment.
- Mix with a fork until combined.
- Add the flour, honey, and salt to the bowl.
- Turn the mixer on medium speed and mix for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 8-10 hours, or until doubled in size.
- When the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into eight equal pieces.
- Roll each dough piece into a log about 12 inches long. Cut 1 ½ inch pieces out of the dough and place the pieces onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Allow the pieces to rest on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ⅓ cup of baking soda to the water.
- Drop 8-10 pieces of dough into the boiling water and let them boil for 10 seconds on each side. Take the pieces out of the boiling water and place them back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle coarse salt or everything bagel seasoning on the wet dough pieces.
- When all the dough pieces are boiled, place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking process, rotate the baking sheets so the pretzel bites brown evenly on each side.
Notes
- Adding baking soda to the boiling water will give the pretzel bites the classic chewy of soft pretzels.
- If you do not have a silicone mat to line the baking sheet, you can use parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
- Top these pretzel bites with salt, everything bagel seasoning, or sesame seeds.
Cathleen Luoma
Can these be make ahead frozen before boiling and baking
Lynn Polito
Hi! I haven't tried that before, but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to.
Sherry
Can I form the bites and then put in the fridge to bake just before party? So they are nice and fresh?
lynnswayoflife
Yes! Make sure to cover them with a towel so they don't dry out. Then boil them and bake! They will be delicious!
Diana I
These are amazing! Have made them a couple of times and are always a big hit! I get requests for them now. Perfect snack for a crowd. What I especially like is that the timeline is manageable, unlike other sourdough starter recipes. Goes perfect with queso cheese. Yummy!!
lynnswayoflife
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for making my recipe!
Jessica
My dough is rising, but the 8-10 hrs will be in the middle of the night. Can these be over proofed? Or can I move the dough to the fridge until morning?
lynnswayoflife
No 8-10 hours in the middle of the night is perfect! Sourdough starter takes a long time to rise so it will be great. if your house is cold, it might even need a little more time. Hope you enjoy!
Audra
These are delicious! This was my second ever sourdough recipe to try, and they are a success. They did stick a bit to my silicone mat, but no one minded.
Michael
I'm going to try this, but is there also a way to make these crunchy? Thanks, Michael
lynnswayoflife
I've never tried to make them crunchy, but I would bake them, then take them out of the oven and let them cool, and then bake them at 300 for about 20 minutes. That should "toast" them and make them crunchy. Let me know how it goes!
Jennifer
They are so addicting and easy to make. Absolutely delicious.
lynnswayoflife
I love hearing that! Thanks for making my recipe!
Gillian Christensen
Excellent! My new family favorite. Thx
lynnswayoflife
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for trying my recipe!