• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Portfolio
  • Contact

This Jess

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Portfolio
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Bread Recipes

    August 16, 2022 Bread Recipes

    Sourdough Pretzel Buns

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sourdough. Pretzel. Buns. Enough Said. Ok, but for real, these Sourdough Pretzel Buns are just as delicious as soft pretzels, but with the added benefit of being buns that are perfect for sandwiches or burgers. What could be better?

    Sourdough Pretzel Buns on parchment paper with flaky sea salt.

    These are perfect for burgers or sandwiches, and would be great paired with this Peach Fig Salad with Balsamic and Prosciutto, or these Garlic Potato Wedges!

    If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, this Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia, and these Sourdough Discard Bagels.

    Ingredients

    These are made just like regular soft pretzels, but the changes really come in as you're shaping and baking them.

    Ingredients for Sourdough Pretzel Buns in small bowls.
    • Warm water: the temperature of the water really does matter, as it's necessary to help activate and dissolve the yeast. This should be warmer than bathwater, but not so hot that you're pulling your hand away.
    • Brown sugar: this is to feed and activate the yeast. You could also use granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, or honey.
    • Active dry yeast: make sure your yeast is still active. Once you add it to the water and sugar mixture, it should be foamy after a few minutes. If it's not, your yeast is dead and you'll need to start over with a fresh yeast.
    • Sourdough discard: if you have a sourdough starter, you have discard! This is the part that you "discard" each time you feed the starter. It's great to use in recipes like this. The discard should be room temperature and unfed for this recipe.
    • Baking soda: you will add ⅔ cup baking soda to the water when you're boiling the pretzels. This helps give them their classic chewy exterior.
    • Flaky sea salt or pretzel salt: you do not want to use regular (or even coarse) salt as it will just melt into the pretzel. Use pretzel salt or I like to use a flaky sea salt like Maldon Salt for soft pretzels.

    See full recipe below for detailed instructions.

    Instructions

    Just like making regular soft pretzels, these buns only have a few key steps.

    Dough rising in a large bowl.

    Mix your dough and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

    Dough divided into 8 pieces.

    Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces (8 pieces will give you larger buns; 10 pieces will give you smaller buns).

    Dough rolled into balls.

    With the dough resting in one palm, cup the other hand over the dough and roll to make a ball. Your flat palm on the base will help shape the base of the bun.

    Buns boiling in a large pot.

    Boil each bun for 30 seconds on each side.

    Scored buns on a baking sheet.

    Score each bun with a sharp knife or pair of scissors.

    Buns being brushed with egg wash.

    Brush each bun with egg wash, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

    Then the buns are ready to bake! They should be a deep, golden brown when they are finished (like that classic pretzel exterior!).

    Hint: Boiling the buns starts the cooking process and gives them that classic chewy exterior. The longer they boil, the more chewy the exterior will be.

    Equipment

    There are a few things you'll need to bring this recipe to life. First, I recommend using a stand mixer (I like the KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer), but you can also make this dough in a large bowl using a wooden spoon (the dough will likely be too thick for a hand-held mixer). You'll also need a large pot to boil the buns (I use a Staub 5.5 Quart Cocotte, but any large soup pot will work well), and a slotted spoon or spatula.

    Finally, you'll need two half-sheet baking pans (I like these Half-Sheet Pans from USA Pan) lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

    Working with Sourdough Discard

    This recipe is written for 1:1 sourdough discard (1 part water, 1 part flour). If you have a sourdough discard that is a different ratio, you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.

    Also, remember that every sourdough discard is different. You may need to add more flour or more water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to the recipe to create the smooth dough that is needed for these buns.

    If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these posts on how to feed sourdough starter and how to use sourdough discard.

    Storage

    Like with any homemade bread, these buns are best fresh. If you're going to eat them within 1-2 days, store them at room temperature in a paper bag. If you'd like to keep them for longer, freeze them! Once the buns are fully cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and they'll be warm and fresh again!

    Top tip

    When you're working with the dough, keep in mind that it will expand. When you boil the buns, they'll start to expand, and then when you bake them, they'll expand even more. If you're working with 8 equal pieces, these will be large buns. For a smaller bun, work with 10 equal pieces. And if you're making buns for sliders, try dividing the dough into 12 or more equal pieces.

    Sourdough Pretzel Buns on a piece of parchment paper.

    Sourdough Pretzel Buns

    An easy recipe for Sourdough Pretzel Buns using sourdough discard. Great for burgers, sandwiches, or to eat on their own!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Rise Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Course Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine American, German
    Servings 8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 1 cup sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
    • 20 ounces all-purpose flour
    • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • 10 cups water
    • ⅔ cup baking soda
    • 1 egg yolk with 1 Tablespoon water beaten for an egg wash
    • pretzel salt or flaky sea salt for topping

    Instructions
     

    Making the Dough

    • Combine the warm water, salt, 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 until the yeast begins to foam. If the yeast does not foam, your yeast is dead and you'll need to start over with fresh yeast.
    • Add the sourdough discard, flour and butter and mix on low speed until combined. If needed, add more flour or more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
    • Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

    Shaping & Boiling the Pretzel Buns

    • Turn the dough onto a smooth, dry surface. Divide into 8-10 equal-sized pieces (8 for larger buns, 10 for smaller buns). Holding the dough in one palm, cup the other hand over the dough and rotate in a circle to create the bun shape. Cover the shaped buns with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
    • Bring 10 cups of water with ⅔ cup baking soda to a boil. Boil each bun for 30 seconds on each side, then remove with a slotted spoon or spatula. Place the boiled buns on the prepared baking sheets. Use a sharp knife or scissors to score an X on the top of each bun, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt or flaky sea salt.
    • Bake for 14-16 minutes until a deep, golden brown (that classic pretzel color). Remove from the oven and let cool fully on a cooling rack before serving.

    Notes

    * If you do not have a stand mixer, you can also make the dough in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon to stir. Knead the dough by hand for 4-5 minutes until smooth and supple. 
    Keyword buns, pretzel, sourdough, sourdough discard
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make these if I don't have sourdough discard?

    This recipe is designed to be made with sourdough discard. Without it, you would need to adjust several ingredients.

    What is sourdough discard and where do I get it?

    If you don't have any on hand when you start, it's not something that you can make in time to include in this recipe.

    Sourdough discard is what you have left over when you're feeding a sourdough starter. To "feed" the starter, you will "discard" about half the volume, and you can either literally throw that away, or you can use it in recipes like this one! You can read more about how to feed sourdough starter here.

    What kind of salt should I use on these buns?

    Pretzel salt is great, or you can use a flaky sea salt, such as Maldon Salt. I do not recommend using regular table salt, or even coarse table salt - the flakes are too small and they will just melt into the dough and taste overly salty.

    How do you score the buns?

    Use either a sharp knife or a pair of scissors to make an X on the top of the buns. This doesn't need to be deep, just deep enough to break the surface.

    Related

    More Bread Recipes

    • Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Discard Bagels
    • Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia
    • Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
    • Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Heather M. says

      September 11, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      I made these this afternoon with great apprehension…I am the worst at baking any type of bread, other than banana bread…haha, but these turned out amazing! My presentation needs work but they were soft in the inside with that chewy/tangy pretzel texture outside…so good!! Thank you so much for the easy to follow recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Jessica Vogl says

        September 11, 2022 at 9:11 pm

        So glad they were tasty! Thanks for sharing, Heather!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jess! I'm a food photographer, videographer and recipe developer based in Chicago. I focus on keeping the kitchen real, simple, and dairy-free.

    More about Jess →

    Trending Recipes

    • Focaccia with Rosemary and Shallots
    • Sourdough Discard Bagels
    • Blackberry Old Fashioned
    • Blood Orange Old Fashioned

    Holiday Recipes

    • Dessert Charcuterie Board
    • Biscoff Butter Cookies
    • The Annual Holiday Cookie Box
    • Peanut Kisses

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Opt-Out Preferences
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Resources

    Let's Connect

    • Newsletter
    • Work with me

    Contact

    • Contact Page

    At no cost to you, I may earn from qualified purchases made through affiliate links on my website.

    Copyright © 2023 This Jess LLC

    Manage Cookie Consent
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}