A quick rustic sourdough pretzel recipe! Forget Auntie Anne’s. I desperately need people to know that you can have sourdough pretzels in three hours. Let’s say you’re a home baker whose about to show your family the meaning of homemade! (without feeling like you’re working an overnight shift at a bakery).
This recipe is a combination of instant yeast and starter – read the afterward for an all sourdough pretzel substitute.
Just So You Know
How do you get a quick rustic sourdough pretzel? This recipe asks for a combination of wild yeast and instant yeast, honestly, it’s because I did not have the patience for a slow rise -and because my starter had been neglected so it needed the extra boost. Even with these few tweaks, there is no fault in this soft crust sourdough!
If you’re all about the practice, substitute both yeasts for 200g active sourdough starter and set time for an overnight rise instead of one hour that is listed in the recipe below. After shaping the pretzels, leave in a warm place till the dough has doubled -about an hour. Voila – rustic sourdough pretzels.
How to shape pretzels
Step 1: Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the thickness of your index finger.
Step 2: Lay the snake of dough in a u-shape. Twist the two ends together twice, keeping the base of the “u” open, then flip over the twisted ends down onto the base of the “u” and gently press in place.
Check out the video below to see it in live action ~
Quick Rustic Sourdough Soft Pretzel - Cranberry & Walnut with Browned Butter Sage
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups bread flour(preffered) or ap flour (480g)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12.5g)
- 2 tsp instant yeast (6.2g)
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup milk, room temperature (8oz)
- ½ cup unfed sourdough starter (113g)
- ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped (65g)
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped (37g)
Boil
- 2 qts water 8 cups - or enough to completely cover a pretzel
- 2 tbsp baking soda
Finishing
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- kosher salt to taste
Dipping idea
- melted brie cheese wheel
Instructions
Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your starter in room temperature milk until it is dissolved. Then add the flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, cranberry, and walnut and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead - Add small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter.
- As you knead, look for a tacky and soft dough, about 15 minutes.
- Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour.
Shaping - See Notes
- Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the thickness of your index finger. Be gentle as to not have the cranberry and walnuts bits break up the dough.
- Lay the snake of dough in a u-shape. Twist the two ends together twice, keeping the base of the "u" open, then flip over the twisted ends down onto the base of the "u" and gently press in place.
- Transfer the pretzels onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between them, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 30 minutes.
Boil & Bake
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot, once water simmers, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzels one at a time into the boiling water without crowding, and boil for 45 seconds on each side.
- Use a slotted spatula or spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan.
- Place pans in the oven and bake the pretzels at least until golden brown, 18 minutes. Bake for longer if you prefer a deep brown, about 24 minutes. While the pretzels are baking, let's work on the browned butter sage!
- Browned Butter Sage
- Break the butter into chunks and place in a frying pan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Swirl the pan occasionally, until the color goes to a toasty-brown about 8 minutes. Voila! Rustic Sourdough Pretzels!
- Add the sage leaves to the pan and cook until they crisp up, which will only take a few seconds. Immediately scrape the mixture into a heatproof bowl.
- You can brush this onto the pretzels once they come out, or like me, choose to add as a dipping sauce along with the melted brie!
Bubbly Sourdough Focaccia
Want to dip your toes into a long-fermented sourdough recipe that leaves you with the crackliest, bubbliest sourdough focaccia bread? This is the recipe you need!
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