Sourdough Discard Pretzels

Step 1

Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. It should get nice and bubbly.

Step 2

To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the sourdough discard, honey, salt and flour.

Step 3

Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4

Place the dough in a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased.

Step 5

Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, a beeswax wrap, plastic wrap, or a wet tea towel.

Step 6

Let the dough rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Step 7

Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces.

Step 8

Roll each piece into a 18” rope and then create a U-shape.

Step 9

Take the two ends of the rope and create a twist with the dough.

Step 10

Twist it twice and then press the ends of the dough into the bottom of the U-shape. Make sure to pinch the dough together well to prevent the dough from unraveling during the boiling process.

Step 11

Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 30 minutes to one hour, or until puffy.

Step 12

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Step 13

Bring water in a large stockpot to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Step 14

Add the pretzels to the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side, being careful not to overcrowd.

Step 15

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzels and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 16

Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt or pretzel salt.

Step 17

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 18

Another option is to bake and then once they are done baking, brush with melted butter and dip in cinnamon sugar. Yum.