Soft & Chewy Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites

Sourdough discard pretzel bites have a soft and chewy center and a delicious classic pretzel outside with a slight tangy twist.

If you keep a sourdough starter you know the struggle of coming up with ways to use the discard. I’m always on the hunt for a good sourdough discard recipe and to be honest, it’s what I use my sourdough starter for the most. Discard gives any recipe a little extra flavor and a few extra health benefits that just using flour and whatever liquid your recipe calls for. And that’s why I love these sourdough discard pretzel bites so much.

Soft pretzels are delicious on their own, but the sourdough discard adds a little something extra, a little more tang, to the pretzels. They’re soft and fluffy on the inside, perfectly chewy on the outside, and sprinkled with coarse salt for that classic pretzel flavor. We love them for a delicious afternoon snack, game day appetizer or cozy movie night treat. They’re simple to make and you probably have all the ingredients you need in your pantry!

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FAQs

What are the best dipping sauces for sourdough pretzel bites?

These pretzel bites are amazing on their own, but dipping sauces take them to a whole other level. Here are a few of my favorite dipping sauces:

• Homemade cheese sauce (my personal favorite)
• Honey mustard
• Spicy brown mustard
• Vanilla icing (if you add cinnamon sugar on top)

They also pair beautifully with your favorite cozy soups for a simple homemade meal.

Can I use active sourdough starter for this recipe?

The leavening agent for these sourdough pretzel bites is dry active yeast, as opposed to the wild yeast found in an active sourdough starter. Therefore, feel free to use active starter or discard. The addition of the starter adds a depth of flavor to the pretzels and is really just a great way to use up excess.

How do you store sourdough discard pretzel bites?

You can store them in an airtight container or plastic back on the counter for 3-5 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 3-6 months. The great thing about these pretzel bites is they re-heat beautifully and taste amazing with your sauce of choosing (or by themselves).

Ingredients

Flour: I always use all-purpose flour in my recipes. It’s tried and true and most people have it on their pantry shelf!

Sourdough discard: This is a sourdough discard recipe, HOWEVER, you can absolutely use active sourdough discard in this recipe as the dough relies on yeast to make it rise, as opposed to the starter.

Yeast: I like to use instant yeast or active dry yeast in this recipe, but really any good yeast that is still active works great! I like to store my yeast in the refrigerator to make sure it alive and ready to go when I need it.

Salt: Salt is essential, don’t skip it! You’ll need regular salt, like table salt, for the dough itself, and course salt for the outside.

Butter: You can use butter or something like olive oil. I prefer salted butter, but whatever you got will work!

Granulated sugar: You only need a small amount of sugar to help get the yeast going a little quicker.

Baking soda: Baking soda is essential for making pretzels. It helps aid in the Maillard reaction, which is something you should Google to better understand. But basically it helps the outside brown up and gives the pretzel that pretzel taste. A tad bit acidic and a super delicious.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure here for further information.

How to Make Sourdough Pretzel Bites

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

• Stand mixer or mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Large pot
• Slotted spoon or wire spider

INGREDIENTS

Soft & Chewy Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (550g)
• 1 cup warm water (262 g)
• 1 cup sourdough discard (280g)
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (8 g)
• 1 tsp salt (7 g)
• 2 tbs melted butter or olive oil salted (26 g)
• 1 tsp granulated sugar (5 g)

Baking Soda Water Bath

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• Pot of boiling water

DIRECTIONS

Add warm water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.

Add the all purpose flour, sourdough discard, butter (or oil) and salt then mix on low-medium speed with a dough attachment for 10 minutes or until the dough is nice and smooth.

Cover the bowl and allow dough to rise 1 hour or until it’s doubled in size.

Punch down the dough, knead it into a ball, then cut it into 4 pieces.

Roll out each piece into a long rope, about 24 inches and cut the dough into1 inch size pieces.

To a pot of boiling water, slowly add baking soda. Be careful as it will bubble up a lot.

Using a slotted spoon or wire spider, slowly lower the pretzel bit dough into the water and boil on each side for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer the dough to a lined baking sheet and sprinkle the tops liberally with course salt.

Once the baking sheet is filled, bake the bites at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until they’re golden brown.

NOTES

• Don’t skip the baking soda step as it creates the chewy exterior and gives this snack the classic soft pretzel flavor.
• For savory pretzel bites skip the salt and instead brush garlic butter on top.
• For sweet pretzel bites, brush the tops with butter followed by cinnamon sugar right after they come out of the oven.
• Pretzel bites freeze well, just reheat them in the oven to give them a refresh.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES?

Looking for more cookie recipes like these sourdough discard pretzel bites? Check these out!

• Sourdough Discard Powdered Sugar Donuts
• Easy Sourdough Pancakes
• Sourdough Discard Tortillas
• Chewy Sourdough Granola Bars

If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how your family enjoyed them — and what dipping sauce you chose!