This Sourdough Discard Jumbo Pretzel is the perfect party snack or appetizer. This is one party-sized pretzel that serves 8 people. Let guests tear off a piece, and serve with your favorite dipping sauces (try this Beer Cheese), cheese cubes, or other charcuterie items!
This recipe uses the same ingredients as my Sourdough Discard Pretzels recipe. The changes come in when it comes to shaping and finishing the pretzel!
Why you'll love this recipe
- This jumbo pretzel is perfect for serving a crowd (serves 8)! It's a show-stopping party appetizer, and guests can tear off as much or as little as they like!
- Looking for party appetizers? Try these Sourdough Discard Miniature Pizzas and these Sourdough Discard Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket, too!
- Serve this pretzel with your favorite dipping sauces, like this Beer Cheese (for pretzels) or this Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.
- This recipe is made with sourdough discard, but you can easily modify to make it with active sourdough starter, if you prefer.
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Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring this jumbo pretzel together.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Baking soda: In a classic pretzel recipe, you boil the pretzels in water mixed with baking soda. Since this pretzel is so big, we're not able to do that safely. Instead, we will boil water and baking soda, let it cool down, and then dunk the pretzel in the water. This, paired with the egg wash, is what will give the pretzel its classic dark and crusty exterior and is an important step.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can. To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You will also need to increase the rise times.
- Make a different shape - If you'd like to experiment, try making this pretzel in a different shape! It can be any shape you can imagine - twists, braids, go for it!
- Make classic pretzels - Rather make individual pretzels? Try my recipe for Sourdough Discard Pretzels.
- Make pretzel bites - Interested in pretzel bites? Try my Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites or these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites!
- Make a jumbo cinnamon sugar pretzel - Omit the egg wash and bake the pretzel after the dunking step. While the pretzel is warm from the oven, brush with 2-3 Tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture.
How to Make a Sourdough Discard Jumbo Pretzel
This recipe comes together with a few easy steps. The shaping and "boiling" steps are really where this jumbo pretzel is a bit different from making classic individual pretzels. The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Mix the dough ingredients together in a stand mixer or in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms.
- Step 2: Transfer to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and cover. Let rise for 60-90 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Step 3: Use your hands to roll the dough into one long rope, at least 48 inches long.
- Step 4: Fold the dough in a U-shape, cross the ends over, make one twist, and press the ends of the dough into the bottom of the pretzel shape.
- Step 5: Transfer to your baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Step 6: During the second rise, boil the water with the baking soda, then set aside to cool. Dunk the pretzel in the baking soda water for 30-60 seconds.
- Step 7: Carefully transfer the pretzel to a cooling rack to drain excess water. Move the pretzel to your baking sheet and re-shape as needed.
- Step 8: Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake until golden brown. Serve while warm!
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to knead the dough long enough! If your pretzel is looking shaggy or not smooth, it's likely you didn't knead the dough until it was completely smooth.
- Be patient with the rise. Rise times will vary depending on the temperature of your room. If your room is warmer, you may need less rise time. If your room is colder, you may need more rise time.
- You can get creative with the shaping. I recommend a classic pretzel shape, but you can make any kind of twist, braid, etc! You'll only be limited by the size of your baking pan.
- Boil the water with the baking soda, then let it cool. We'll dunk the pretzel in this mixture, but want the water to be cool enough to comfortably put your hands into so you can maneuver the pretzel.
- Looking for other party appetizers? Try these Sourdough Discard Garlic Knots and this Sourdough Discard Garlic Pull Apart Bread.
Storage
As with all baked goods, this jumbo pretzel is best eaten fresh!
Room Temperature Storage: If possible, store the pretzel at room temperature in a paper bag for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, you can reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Freezer Storage: Due to its size, this jumbo pretzel is challenging to freeze. If you had the space and were determined, you could transfer the cooled pretzel (or portions of the pretzel) into a large freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to reheat, place in the microwave for about 60 seconds or until soft and warm again.
Making a Jumbo Pretzel in Advance
Overnight option: If you want to make this pretzel in advance, I recommend doing the first rise in the fridge overnight. Then shape, dunk, and bake the following day before serving.
Freezer option: Due to its size, freezing this pretzel will be a challenge. If you really wanted to make it the day before (or several days before), you could fully bake the pretzel with the egg wash, but without the salt. Freeze in a large freezer-safe bag once fully cooled. Before serving, spritz the pretzel with water, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes just to reheat.
- I do not recommend freezing the unbaked dough before baking (when you do bake, the dough won't rise as much as it should).
How to Serve a Jumbo Pretzel
Use the jumbo pretzel as a display piece. Let guests tear off pieces of their own (as big or as little as they like). Around the pretzel or in the holes of the pretzel, add:
- Dipping sauces: Add a small bowl of Beer Cheese, Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, mustard, or your other favorite dipping sauces.
- Meats & cheeses: Treat this like a charcuterie board and fill the holes of the pretzel with sliced or diced charcuterie meats and cheeses!
- Other party appetizers: Serving other finger-food party appetizers? Fill the holes of the pretzel with snacking nuts (like these Spiced Nuts with Rosemary), Sourdough Discard Crackers, and more.
Recipe FAQs
One Sourdough Discard Jumbo Pretzel is 8 servings (assuming each person eats the equivalent of one full-size classic pretzel).
When you remove the pretzel from the baking soda bath, it will feel very loose and challenging to manage. Move it to a drying rack to drain some of the excess water, then transfer to your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The good news is the pretzel is very malleable while it's wet, so you can shape it back into your desired pretzel shape.
First, make sure your parchment paper is rated to withstand the high oven temperature for this recipe (450°F). Not all parchment paper is the same!
Second, you want to avoid excess liquid (either water from the water bath or egg wash) pooling around the base of the pretzel. This will cause your pretzel to stick. After the water bath, transfer to a cooling rack for a minute or two to drain excess water. And when brushing with the egg wash, brush carefully to avoid extra egg pooling around the base of the pretzel.
More Sourdough Discard Snack Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Discard Jumbo Pretzel or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Jumbo Pretzel
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons warm water
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For Boiling & Dunking
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup baking soda
For Topping
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water to make an egg wash
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the warm water (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment*. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast begins to foam.
- Add the sourdough discard, flour, and salt and mix on low speed. While the mixer is running, pour in the melted butter and mix until combined. Change to medium speed and continue to knead until a smooth dough forms, about 4-5 minutes (you can also knead by hand if preferred).If needed, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency. The dough should be fairly sturdy, smooth and not sticky.
- Transfer the dough in a ball to a large, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a Silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto a smooth, dry work surface (no need to flour or oil, you'll want some traction). Roll the dough into a long rope, at least 48 inches long. Make a U-shape with the rope, then cross the ends of the rope over each other like a heart. Twist the ends together and push down at the bottom of the U. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Combine 8 cups of water and ½ cup baking soda in a large sautée pan (or another low, wide pan that will fit the size of your pretzel). Stir until dissolved and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until it's a temperature you can comfortably put your hands into.
- Carefully place the pretzel in the cooled baking soda water bath. Using your hands or a large spoon, gently "dunk" the pretzel continuously so it's coated on all sides by the baking soda water for 30-60 seconds.
- Scooping under the pretzel**, carefully remove the pretzel from the water bath and transfer to a cooling rack to drain off any excess water. Then, transfer the pretzel back to your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. While wet, reshape the pretzel as needed. Brush the pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake until golden brown, approximately 15-17 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
Layla says
These were phenomenal. Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
The format of this pretzel is so fun and perfect for a crowd or party appetizer!