These fast sourdough discard pretzel bites are easy to make, packed with flavor and an amazing way to use your extra sourdough discard! You will love that they can be done in under 2 hours, and they make for the best snack for movie night, game night, after-school snacks and more. Vegan, egg-free and dairy-free.
There is nothing better than these sourdough discard pretzel bites for snacking, game night or movie night. They are fairly easy and so fast to make (in under 2 hours!), soft and tender and so delicious! Plus, these bites are a variation of these popular sourdough discard soft pretzels that everyone seems to love so much, so I know this recipe will be a favorite too!
They are made using unfed sourdough discard and some dry active yeast to make the rising process faster, making them a great same-day fast sourdough bread recipe you can make without much planning.
Pair them with mustard sauce, beer sauce, cheese sauce or even hummus for a seriously delicious snack!
Let me know if you give them a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy and quick sourdough bread recipe (all done in under 2 hours!)
- Delicious classic pretzel flavor
- The perfect recipe to avoid wasting your sourdough discard
- Soft middle texture with shiny, chewy crust
- The perfect snack for movie or game nights
- Egg-free and vegan!
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Sourdough discard: both active sourdough starter or unfed sourdough discard work well as long as it is 100% hydrated.
- Flour: I have made this recipe with all-purpose flour and bread flour, and they both work fine.
- Dry active yeast: since we are using sourdough discard, active yeast is essential for the rising process and helps make for soft and tender pretzels!
- Sugar: adds subtle flavor and feeds the yeast for a fast and efficient rising.
- Butter: I used vegan butter, but regular butter works.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe!
📝 Variations
- Shaping the pretzels: if you are looking into making regular-shaped pretzels, then check out my sourdough discard soft pretzel recipe! Feel free to shape the dough into braids, sticks or rings, although you might have to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Favorite garnishes: for a classic pretzel flavor, then garnish the bites with pretzel salt. Coarse salt also works well in a pinch. If you don't have any, try sprinkling cinnamon sugar for a sweet version or go for everything seasoning or sesame seeds for a fun change.
- Brushing the pretzels: Brushing the pretzels with vegan butter adds extra flavor, but you can also use an egg wash (if you are not vegan), milk or oat milk (for dairy-free pretzels) or even water.
🍽 How to make sourdough discard pretzel bites
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough discard, warm water and sugar and stir well. Sprinkle the dry active yeast over and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It should get foamy.
Step 2: Then, stir in the melted butter.
Step 3: Add the flour and fine salt and keep stirring until uniform.
Step 4: Then, knead the dough right into the bowl until soft (for about 3 minutes). You can also use an electric mixer. Cover well and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 5: Once done rising, transfer over to a clean surface (without flour) and cut into 4 portions. Pre-shape each of them roughly into balls and cover them with a clean towel. Let them sit for about 5 min.
Step 6: One by one, roll each ball into a long log of about 18 inches. Then, cut into 1½ inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough. You should end up with a total of about 40 bites.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Also, transfer the 10 cups of water to a large pot and add the ⅔ cup of baking soda, then bring to a boil. Working in batches, transfer a few of the bites (I do 8 at a time) into the pot and let them boil for about 30-45 sec. Move them around if they stick to the bottom or together. When done, fish them out, drain and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Step 8: Pat dry the excess water and disperse the bites all over the baking sheet. You might need to work in 2 batches so they don't touch each other. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle some pretzel salt/coarse salt over.
Bake for 10-12 min or until golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Baking tips
- Dough Rising time: depending on the temperature of your house, the dough might need more or less time to rise. Usually, when a dough is made with some dry active yeast, it is ready to shape within 2 hours.
- Do not use extra flour when kneading the dough or you risk having the pretzel too dry. Top tip: try kneading the dough right in the bowl, that way it is more manageable if the dough is a little sticky!
- Do not use extra flour when rolling: you actually want a little traction when rolling the dough to help create long tubes before cutting into bite-sized pieces!
- Classic pretzel flavor: don't skip adding baking soda to your water when boiling the dough, this gives the pretzels a characteristic flavor and coloring. Using good quality and fresh baking soda will help have a delicious pretzel flavor that is not metallic!
- Boiling time: For an extra chewy and colored crust, boil for a little longer, for softer and paler bites, then boil only briefly! I like to do about 30-40 seconds total.
❗️ Storage tips
These pretzel bites are amazing when enjoyed right from the oven and still warm, but they are also great to make ahead!
Keep them in a paper bag for 1-2 days for optimal texture. I also like to transfer them to an airtight container so they can last a little longer, although it does change the texture a little and the salt tends to melt into the pretzels.
If they harden over time, then you can briefly microwave them so they are softer and warmer.
For longer storage, I recommend freezing them! You can make a double batch so you have some ready to go at any time!
❓ FAQs
Yes. If you do not boil the pretzels, then they will rise a lot while baking, giving you puffy bites that would not be classic of a pretzel texture. Also, the baking soda is essential for a classic pretzel flavor and to create a darker/shinier coloration. Classic pretzel uses lye, but when making them yourself at home, baking soda is usually recommended instead and is easier to work with (and safer).
To make sure you create soft and pillowy pretzel bites, then 1- knead the dough for at least 3-5 minutes until it is smooth (I like to knead right into the bowl to avoid adding extra flour) and 2- make sure your dry active yeast is active (it should foam after a few minutes when in contact with sugar + water).
Your sourdough starter might be of a different consistency (older-liquidy vs younger-thicker discard). You can adjust the dough by adding a little more flour or water if necessary. Make sure to check out the in-process pictures (within the post) and video (at the end of the recipe card) for a better visual on how the dough should look.
Sourdough starter is a mix of flour, water and natural yeast that is used to rise and flavor bread without using commercial yeast. Sourdough discard is the portion you do not use when feeding your starter. Instead of throwing it away, you can use your discard to make all sorts of sourdough discard recipes!
🍞 More quick sourdough discard bread recipes you might like
I hope you like this sourdough discard pretzel bites recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
Equipment
- Mixing and rising bowl
- Baking sheet (+ parchment paper)
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 200 g sourdough discard 100% hydration, active sourdough starter works too
- 250 g warm water or about room temperature
- 15 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast instant yeast is fine too
- 50 g melted butter I used vegan butter from Earth Balance
- 500 g all-purpose or bread flour
- 12 g regular fine salt
To boil
- 10 cup water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
To garnish
- melted butter
- pretzel salt (or coarse salt) to garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough discard, warm water and sugar and stir well. Sprinkle the dry active yeast over and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It should get foamy. Then, stir in the melted butter.
- Add the flour and fine salt and keep stirring until uniform. Then, knead the dough right into the bowl until soft (for about 3 minutes). You can also use an electric mixer. Cover well and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once done rising, transfer over to a clean surface (without flour) and cut into 4 portions. Pre-shape each of them roughly into balls and cover them with a clean towel. Let them sit for about 5 min.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Also, transfer the 10 cups of water to a large pot and add the ⅔ cup of baking soda, then bring to a boil.
- One by one, roll each ball into a long log of about 18 inches. Then, cut into 1½ inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough. You should end up with a total of about 40 bites.
- Working in batches, transfer a few of the bites (I do 8 at a time) into the boiling water-baking soda and let them boil for about 30-45 sec. Move them around if they stick to the bottom or together. When done, fish them out, drain and transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Pat dry the excess water if necessary and disperse the bites all over the baking sheet. You might need to work in 2 batches so they don't touch each other. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle some pretzel salt/coarse salt over.
- Bake for 10-12 min or until golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
- Dough Rising time: depending on the temperature of your house, the dough might need more or less time to rise. Usually, when a dough is made with some dry active yeast, it is ready to shape within 2 hours.
- Do not use extra flour when kneading the dough or you risk having the pretzel too dry. Top tip: try kneading the dough right in the bowl, that way it is more manageable if the dough is a little sticky!
- Do not use extra flour when rolling: you actually want a little traction when rolling the dough to help create long tubes before cutting into bite-sized pieces!
- Classic pretzel flavor: don't skip adding baking soda to your water when boiling the dough, this gives the pretzels a characteristic flavor and coloring. Using good quality and fresh baking soda will help have a delicious pretzel flavor that is not metallic!
- Boiling time: For an extra chewy and colored crust, boil for a little longer, for softer and paler bites, then boil only briefly! I like to do about 30-40 seconds total.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
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