Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels by Make It Dough (2024)

Baking these Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels will make your kitchen smell like heaven. Sourdough discard adds a delicious flavor to these pretzels, while a plush, pillowy crumb and melted butter brushed on the still hot, golden brown crust takes them over the top. Since they are made with commercial yeast, you can bite into a freshly baked pretzel in just over an hour!

My inspiration for these soft pretzels

I was inspired to make this discard pretzel recipe after a recent trip to Philadelphia. We visited the Reading Terminal Market to visit Miller’s Twist for their famous soft pretzels.

In a place where pretzels are a street food staple, theirs are some of the best in the city. They are unique because they are based on Amish pretzels, which are much softer, and less chewy than a traditional Philly soft pretzel. Philadelphia is my hometown but this was my first time trying Miller’s Twist pretzels and unsurprisingly, I was immediately obsessed with them!

If you’ve ever had a pretzel at the mall, you probably already know the delicious pleasures of an Amish pretzel. That’s because Anne Beiler who founded Auntie Anne’s grew up in an Amish community. She took over a stall selling Amish pretzels at a farmer’s market in Pennsylvania and grew it into an internationally-recognized brand with thousands of branches worldwide. In fact, the first time I had one was in the Philippines!

So if you’ve enjoyed an Auntie Anne’s pretzel, you’ll be familiar with the buttery taste and fluffy texture of these soft pretzels.

What makes these sourdough soft pretzels unique

Amish pretzels have a tender, fluffy interior with a soft crust drenched in melted butter, in contrast to German pretzels which are chewier, denser and crunchier.These pretzels also have a lighter, crisp crust compared to the crunchy, deep amber-colored crust of their European counterparts. Both are delicious, just different.

These soft pretzels take their inspiration from Amish pretzels and are made with dough that’s enriched with butter and milk. This gives the pretzels a plush brioche-like texture and a much richer flavor that’s even more intensified by sourdough discard.

Want to make chewy, soft German-style pretzels instead? Check out my Sourdough Pretzels Recipe.

Why use commercial yeast with sourdough discard?

Adding instant yeast and sourdough discard in a recipe combines convenience and flavor. Commercial yeast shortens the rise time of dough since it’s much more efficient at converting starches into sugars and carbon dioxide, which allows fermentation to occur at a much faster rate. For example, the bulk fermentation for this recipe only takes about 20 minutes instead of 3 to 4 hours required for naturally-leavened pretzel dough.

While you won’t get the intense flavor development of a two-day fermentation, adding sourdough discard to your homemade pretzels will add a more nuanced, intense flavor than just using instant yeast on its own.

Love quick and easy sourdough recipes that use commercial yeast? Check out my recipes for Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, Crusty Sourdough Discard Bread, Sourdough Discard Focaccia, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns and Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls.

Why use a baking soda bath?

When mixed with water, baking soda creates an alkaline solution that gelatinizes the outside of the pretzel resulting in a crisp, shiny crust. It also helps constrict oven spring, which prevents the dough from puffing up and keeps the crumb tight. The alkaline bath also imparts a unique flavor that’s signature to pretzels.

While traditional German pretzels are made using food-grade lye, according to my research Miller’s Twist uses a much milder baking soda bath. This keeps the crust lighter in color and more delicate.

What you need

Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour, this promotes strong gluten development. This allows the dough to stretch easily for shaping and helps it maintain its shape, resulting in fuller and plumper pretzels. Do not substitute whole wheat flour for this recipe.
Sourdough discard: Imparts a delicious, tangy flavor to these pretzels. You can use your starter directly from the fridge for this recipe. Add 38 grams of water and 38 grams of flour to your dough if you don’t have any sourdough discard on hand.
Instant yeast: You can use active-dry yeast for this recipe, you’ll just need to bloom the yeast before mixing it into your dough.
Salt: Use kosher salt or sea salt for the best results. Different types of salts have varying grain sizes so the amount of salt added to the recipe may differ if you use volume measurements.
Pretzel salt: Optional but highly recommended. Pretzel salt is a large-grain salt that does not melt during baking, there’s no substitute for this as even flaky sea salt melts in the oven, feel free to leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.

See recipe card for complete ingredient information.

Step-by-step instructions

STEP 1 Make the dough: Scald the milk (heat until temp. reaches 180 F) Let milk cool completely (image 1). Make the dough (image 2).

STEP 3 First rise: Knead the dough until completely smooth (image 3). Let the dough rise until puffy but not doubled in volume (image 4).

STEP 5 Preshape the dough: Divide the dough into 10 portions. Round each portion of dough into round balls, cover dough with plastic wrap (image 5). Roll each dough ball into a 4-inch baton, cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes (image 6).

STEP 6 Shape the sourdough pretzels: Roll the dough into a 24 to 30 inch rope (image 7). Make a U shape (image 8). Twist the ends of the dough together (image 9). Fold the ends over and lightly press down to seal (image 10).

See Also

Sourdough Hamburger BunsVegan Butter Chicken (Butter Tofu Recipe) - Running on Real FoodSous Vide Corned Beef - Sous Vide WaysSourdough Sandwich Bread

STEP 7 Prep for baking: Dip pretzel in baking soda and hot water bath for 1 minute. (image 11). Sprinkle pretzel salt on dough, if using (image 12).

STEP 8 Bake: Bake pretzels at 475 F for 10 to 15 minutes (image 13). Brush pretzels with butter as soon as you take them out of the oven (image 14).

Baker's Tips

Weigh your ingredients: Measuring your ingredients by weight is more accurate than using tablespoons and cups.
Make sure your yeast is fresh: Instant yeast and active-dry yeast have a shelf life, make sure yours is not expired or your dough will not rise.
Do not use an excessive amount of flour during shaping: To effectively stretch your dough, it needs to be a little tacky and adhere to the work surface. Using excessive bench flour can cause the dough to become slippery, making shaping very challenging.
Don’t let the dough dry out: Cover unshaped pieces of dough completely with plastic wrap. If the dough's surface dries out, it becomes prone to breaking apart as you roll it out.
Apply downward not outward pressure: Avoid pulling and tearing the dough when stretching it quickly. Instead, gently press down on the dough while moving your hands toward the ends of the rope. This method promotes natural stretching, releases trapped gases, and leads to more uniform pretzels.
Work with dry hands: During my initial test of this recipe, I tried spritzing water on the dough and my hands to aid in shaping, but it had disastrous results. It caused the dough's surface to deteriorate, resulting in rough and uneven pretzels when baked. By following these tips, you can avoid the need for such measures.

A smooth, shiny crust and a plump shape are signs of a good pretzel!

Proofing and shaping issues resulted in dull, rough and lumpy pretzels.

Recipe FAQs

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