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?
And if you don't have sourdough starter or sourdough discard, you can still make these! There are a few notes below that will help get you across the finish line.
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!
Ingredients
These are made just like regular soft pretzels, but the changes really come in as you're shaping and baking them.
- 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 starter 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 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.
Mix your dough and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces (8 pieces will give you larger buns; 10 pieces will give you smaller buns).
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.
Boil each bun for 30 seconds on each side.
Score each bun with a sharp knife or pair of scissors.
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.
What if I don't have sourdough discard?
You can still make this recipe if you don't have sourdough discard! If that's the case, increase the water by ½ cup, and increase the all-purpose flour by ½ cup. They won't have that sourdough tang, but they will absolutely still be pretzel buns.
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.
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
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you don't have sourdough discard, increase the water by ½ cup and increase the flour by ½ cup. You won't have the sourdough tang, but these will absolutely still be pretzel buns.
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!
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.
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.
Heather M. says
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 🙂
Jessica Vogl says
So glad they were tasty! Thanks for sharing, Heather!