This sourdough soft pretzel recipe was originally only posted in my Simply Sourdough e-book, but I have been playing around with it and have updated it so I thought I would share it here so everyone can benefit, because who doesn’t want the perfect pretzel?!

Sourdough Soft Pretzels

• 3/4 c active sourdough starter
• 1 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 c all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 T butter, melted

• 9 c water
• 1/2 c baking soda
• add ons: coarse salt, cinnamon and sugar, cheese, etc

In a large bowl, combine starter, sugar, salt, and 1 c of flour. In a small saucepan heat 1 1/2 c water and butter until very warm. Add warm liquid to the large bowl with the other ingredients.

Mix until moistened and add additional 1 c of flour by hand or in a stand mixer until dough comes together. Knead in additional flour by hand until a smooth elastic dough is formed (5-7 mins of hand kneading).

Place dough in a greased bowl covered by greased plastic wrap or damp dishtowel and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – 3-6 hours somewhere warm, or overnight in the fridge.

Grease baking sheets with butter. Lightly punch down the dough to remove air bubbles, then form into a ball. Divide into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a rope 16″ long and form a pretzel shape by twisting the ends together and pinching them back over the dough.

Place pretzels on the baking sheet and cover; place in a warm spot to rise 30-60 mins or until puffed up.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan heat 9 c of water with 1/2 c baking soda and bring to a boil. Drop pretzels gently into the boiling water and cook 5 seconds on each side. Remove to a baking sheet with slotted spoon.

Combine 1 T water and egg white together and brush on pretzels. Add coarse salt if desired. For cinnamon and sugar pretzels, brush on the egg wash and dip in butter and cinnamon sugar when done baking.

Bake 8-10 mins or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet onto cooling racks. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 pretzels.

I hope you love them, my family devours these sourdough soft pretzels so I always double the batch! They make fun pretzel bites too!