Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites

4.92 from 12 votes

Bakery-style Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites with a soft interior, buttery coating, and salty finish. Perfect for dipping and sharing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Rise Time1

Total Time1 22

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough

160 grams water ⅔ cup, heated to 120ºF
175 grams sourdough discard ¾ cup, room temperature
28 grams butter 2 Tablespoons, melted
5 grams salt 1 teaspoon
350 grams bread flour 2½ cups
30 grams brown sugar 2 Tablespoons
7 grams instant yeast 2¼ teaspoons

Water bath

960 grams water 4 cups
30 grams baking soda 2 Tablespoon

Topping

5-10 grams coarse pretzel salt or sea salt 1-2 teaspoons
28 grams butter, melted 2 Tablespoons

Instructions

Add all the dough ingredients together in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer and knead with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 3-5 minutes or by hand until the dough is soft and smooth.
160 grams water, 175 grams sourdough discard, 28 grams butter, 5 grams salt, 350 grams bread flour, 30 grams brown sugar, 7 grams instant yeast
Place the pretzel dough in a medium-sized bowl or straight-edge container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap to rise until doubled in size.
At 75ºF, this took a little less than an hour.
Once the dough is almost ready, pour water and baking soda into a large pot and bring it to a boil.
960 grams water, 30 grams baking soda
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 sections.
On a clean work surface, roll each piece of dough into a long rope by pressing your palms down and gently rolling back and forth to stretch it until it reaches 20-22 inches in length.
Cut the dough into 1 inch sections with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Repeat with the other 2 sections.
Work in batches, adding the dough pieces to the boiling water for 15-20 seconds. Scoop out the dough balls and place them in a colander or use a slotted spoon.
Lightly sprinkle the dough balls with pretzel salt while the balls are still damp.
Place the pretzel bites on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Toss the pretzels in melted butter and coarse salt.
5-10 grams coarse pretzel salt or sea salt, 5-10 grams coarse pretzel salt or sea salt

Notes

To ensure a soft, browned pretzel bite, be sure to let the dough double in size before rolling it out. Finding a warm spot will help speed up the process.
Make-ahead instructions.If you’re making the pretzel bites ahead of time, skip sprinkling the pretzel salt over the boiled pieces and adding the butter and salt on top of the baked pieces. Adding salt early can cause the pretzels to become soggy and wrinkled while storing them. Instead, right before serving toss in butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt.
Bake later. If you want to bake the pretzels fresh, you can refrigerate the boiled pretzel dough for up to 24 hours before baking.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping. For a sweet version, toss the baked pretzel bites in 4 Tablespoons of butter. Mix ½ cup of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and toss the buttered pretzels in the mixture.

Nutrition