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You are here: Home » Food Preparation » Soft & Chewy Sourdough Pretzels (spelt or einkorn)

Want our free no-knead ancient grains sourdough bread recipe? Click here to download it FREE!

Soft & Chewy Sourdough Pretzels (spelt or einkorn)

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Light and chewy sourdough with the perfect bite, these easy homemade, soft sourdough pretzels are made from ancient grains einkorn or spelt flour. Dip them in mustard or cheesy dip for the perfect afternoon snack. They’ll soon be your favorite treat!

Soft sourdough pretzel being dipped in mustard.

There’s never a wrong time for sourdough pretzels. When this post was originally published, it was fall and the weather just screamed for sourdough pretzels hot out of the oven.

But during the summertime, I love having quick and easy “grab-and-go” snacks for days where time is short or we’ll be out and about. This sourdough pretzel recipe is the perfect little treat for long summer days in need of snack breaks.

(Be sure you also try sourdough bagels or sourdough English muffins topped with chia seed mixed berry jam, or sourdough flatbread with some homemade jerky on the side.)

Pretzels may be my biggest weakness, no wait… SOURDOUGH pretzels are my biggest weakness. They’re so hard to resist, with their chewy softness browned by a delicious Maillard reaction!

Of course, I easily solve the temptation of commercial pretzels by making my own! Gentler gluten, no enriched bleached flour, no mystery ingredients, and no bloated belly. Those are all great reasons for sourdough.

For comparison, I use wholesome ancient flours like einkorn or spelt, even when making quick bread like Spelt Banana Bread.

There’s no need for yeast in these sourdough pretzels since I use a natural leaven with my sourdough starter (click for a free tutorial) and know that I have approved every single ingredient before I add it.

Baking Soda Vs. Lye

In Germany, pretzels were traditionally dipped in a lye solution before baking them. This gave them a very dark brown color and unique taste.

Since lye is a powerful alkali (with a pH of 13 to 14) that must be handled with caution, many home cooks choose an easier route. Instead, we use baking soda.

Baking soda is also an alkali, although less so (with a pH of 8). It produces a lighter colored skin and a more subtle pretzel flavor.

Another alternative? Washing soda, with a pH of somewhere between lye and baking soda.

The challenge is finding washing soda that’s pure. If you’re a DIY-type person, you just might want to tackle the project of making washing soda at home. It requires heating baking soda to high temperatures and is quite simple, but is also just another step before enjoying these tasty treats.

All that said, if you decide to use lye, you’ll get the most authentic looking and tasting sourdough pretzels. For this recipe, we’re calling for baking soda.

How To Add Softness When Baking With Ancient Grains

Have you ever seen “vital wheat gluten” listed on the ingredient label of store-bought bread? Since gluten gives bread texture and softness, this means you’re getting something extremely soft!

But is it worth it?

Both einkorn and spelt have a gluten that is gentler on digestion than modern wheat varieties (source). Ancient grain flours such as these often go hand-in-hand with tougher textures and smaller rises when baking.

However, in my opinion, this is a small trade-off for the superior nutritional benefits that come with unhybridized varieties of wheat like einkorn, spelt, and kamut.

And of course, bakers have their own tricks to bring desired softness to even ancient grains! (Like Wardee’s amazingly soft einkorn artisan bread recipe!)

For sourdough pretzels, I add a whole boiled potato. It makes them truly soft… So much so that you won’t even miss the store-bought stuff again.

Soft Sourdough Pretzel Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Potato – This is the trick to getting soft and chewy pretzels when baking with ancient grain. If you’re using another grain, you can still use the potato for an even lighter pretzel.
  • Sourdough Starter – There is no yeast in this recipe, only those naturally occurring in your sourdough starter. Click here to learn when your sourdough starter is ready to bake with.
  • Sugar – We’re using evaporated cane juice in this recipe. You could also use something like Sucanat, Rapadura, or coconut sugar.
  • Flour – We like to use a combination of both einkorn and spelt flour for this recipe. Spelt tends to give baked goods a lighter texture, so it’s perfect all on its own, or for pairing with Einkorn in these sourdough pretzels. But do be sure to use all-purpose flour. If you don’t have all-purpose, learn how to make your own all-purpose flour from your fresh ground grain here.
  • Sea Salt – Don’t skip the salt! This adds flavor. Without it you’ll be left with a dull bread flavor and wonder, “What’s missing?”
  • Butter – This recipe needs just a bit of fat to give it that nice elasticity when being shaped. If you’re dairy-free, you could use coconut oil or even something like avocado or olive oil.
  • Baking Soda – This is strictly for the boiling stage. It gets mixed in with the water to create that Maillard effect mentioned above.

How To Make Homemade Sourdough Pretzels

Making The Dough

1. Combine potato, water, sourdough starter, and sweetener in a blender and blend until uniform.

2. Next, sift 4 cups of flour into a large bowl. (I show how to sift flour in #AskWardee 117.)

3. Add potato/water liquid and mix with a spoon until no dry spots remain. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. (In baker’s terms, this is autolysis — the flour will hydrate and enzymes will begin breaking down starch, etc.)

4. At the end of 30 minutes, add salt and butter.

5. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough mixer. Once the dough starts getting too sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.

6. Continue kneading to incorporate. The dough should be nice and pliable, and maybe slightly sticky. Keep your surface floured well to avoid sticking.

7. Cover and leave at room temperature to rise. It could take anywhere from a minimum of 3 to 4 hours to a maximum of 6 to 8 hours of rising time. Watch the dough, not the time. It should rise significantly.

4 images of steps for making homemade sourdough pretzels.

Shaping The Pretzels

8. When you are ready to cook the pretzels, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.

9. Give the dough a few folds by hand. The dough will be sticky at first but will quickly become nice and manageable.

10. Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat).

11. Separate the dough into 8 to 12 pieces (depending on how big you want your sourdough pretzels). Keep the remaining pieces covered until ready to shape.

12. Roll each piece into a rope (18 to 24 inches long) and shape into a pretzel (see photo above).

13. Place onto the baking sheet. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes.

4 images of steps for making homemade sourdough pretzels.

Boiling The Pretzels

14. Bring 10 cups of water and 2/3 cup baking soda to a rolling boil.

15. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

16. Place pretzels into the boiling water (2 at a time) for 30 seconds on each side, then transfer back to the baking sheet using a spatula.

Homemade pretzels being dropped into a pot of boiling water.

Baking The Pretzels

17. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or cinnamon sugar, or any other topping of choice (if you’re having trouble with your toppings sticking to your sourdough pretzels, you can use an egg wash prior to topping. This is just one egg mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, then brushed lightly over the pretzel.)

18. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.

Sourdough pretzels topped with various toppings like poppyseeds, sesame seeds, and cinnamon.

Sourdough Pretzel Topping Options

The flavor variations are virtually endless. First, you must decide whether you want a sweet or savory option, then you also much choose your dipping sauce. (Dipping sauces are a MUST you know!)

  • Sea Salt
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Poppy Seeds
  • Cinnamon & Sugar
  • Minced Garlic
  • Onion Powder
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning

homemade pretzel being dipped into mustard.

Dipping Sauces for Sourdough Pretzels

  • Fermented Mustard (three different ways, pictured above)
  • Lacto Fermented Honey Dill Mustard
  • Caramel Sauce (scroll down to the “sauces” portion of the post)
  • Ranch Dip
  • Cucumber Ranch Dressing
  • and many more fermented dips and spreads!

Storing Pretzels

Soft pretzels will store well at room temperature up to 7 days. Store in an airtight container.

Freezing Pretzels

To freeze pretzels, allow them to fully cool then wrap them individually in parchment paper (you could also use plastic wrap if you don’t mind the plastic), then sealed in a zip-top freezer bag. Pretzels will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

Reheating Pretzels

If sourdough pretzels are frozen, defrost completely (takes about 30 minutes), place on a baking sheet and reheat for 3 to 5 minutes in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.

This method also works if you just want that “fresh from the oven” taste!

Soft and chewy sourdough pretzel topped with sesame seeds sitting on a white plate.

Tips When Making Soft Sourdough Pretzels

  • Be sure to read about the flour options mentioned above. Remember, all-purpose flour will work best for this recipe.
  • When lining your baking sheet, you may want to consider using a silicone Silpat mat instead of parchment paper. Sometimes the wet pretzels can stick to the parchment paper and be hard to remove after baking.
  • Just like any homemade pretzels, soft sourdough pretzels are best when eaten fresh! If you will be storing them, be sure to read the tips on how to store them for the best results.
  • If you like to sprinkle coarse salt on top, it will likely dissolve by the next day. For pretzels that will be stored, I recommend using other toppings such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or cinnamon sugar.
  • To begin a sourdough starter for these pretzels or your own bread, muffins, cakes, and more make sure to grab our free instructions –> How To Start A Sourdough Starter and When Is A Sourdough Starter Strong Enough For Baking.
stack of braided sourdough pretzels sprinkled with sesame seeds
4.67 from 3 votes
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Soft Sourdough Pretzels {Einkorn Or Spelt}

Pretzels may be my biggest weakness. They're so hard to resist, with their chewy browned softness. Of course, I easily solve the temptation of commercial pretzels by making my own! I use wholesome ancient flours like einkorn or spelt. I also leaven my dough using natural fermentation, and know that I have approved every single ingredient before I add it.

Course Breads
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 10 minutes
Servings 12 pretzels
Calories 232 kcal
Author Valeria Weaver

Ingredients

  • 1 potato small, boiled, peeled, and chopped (about 100g)
  • 1 cup pure water warm
  • 1 tablespoon sourdough starter active
  • 1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour einkorn, spelt or a mix of both
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter softened

For boiling pretzels:

  • 10 cups pure water
  • 2/3 cup baking soda

Instructions

  1. Combine potato, water, sourdough starter, and sweetener in a blender.
  2. Blend until uniform.
  3. Next, sift 4 cups of flour into a large bowl.
  4. Add potato/water liquid.
  5. Mix with spoon until no dry spots remain.
  6. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. In baker's terms, this is autolysis -- the flour will hydrate and enzymes will begin breaking down starch, etc.
  7. At the end of 30 minutes, add salt and butter.
  8. Then knead it by hand or with a dough mixer.
  9. Once the dough starts getting too sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour.
  10. Knead to incorporate. The dough should be nice and pliable, and maybe slightly sticky.
  11. Cover and leave at room temperature to rise. It could take anywhere from a minimum of 3 to 4 hours, to a maximum of 6 to 8 hours. Watch the dough, not the time. It should rise significantly.
  12. When ready to bake, turn the dough over to a well-floured surface.
  13. Then give it a few folds by hand. The dough will be sticky at first but will quickly become nice and manageable.
  14. Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
  15. Separate the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Keep pieces you are not working on covered.
  16. Roll each piece into a rope (18 to 24 inches long) and shape into a pretzel.
  17. Place onto the baking sheet. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes.

  18. Bring 10 cups of water and 2/3 cup baking soda to a rolling boil.
  19. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  20. Place pretzels into the boiling water (2 at a time) for 30 seconds on each side, then transfer back to the baking sheet using a spatula.
  21. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or cinnamon sugar.
  22. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until deep golden.

Recipe Notes

*Use all-purpose einkorn or all-purpose spelt in this recipe. All-purpose spelt makes the best pretzels, in my opinion. They rise more and are much softer than all-purpose einkorn.

*Whole ground einkorn is too hard to work with, although doable if you are an experienced baker.

*Whole ground spelt flour works pretty well, but it does make pretzels that are more dense and quite dark.

Nutrition Facts
Soft Sourdough Pretzels {Einkorn Or Spelt}
Amount Per Serving
Calories 232 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 424mg18%
Potassium 75mg2%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 117IU2%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

A sandwich sitting on a cutting board.

More Sourdough Recipes

  • Sourdough Mediterranean Pizza
  • Sourdough Chapatis (Indian Flatbread)
  • Sourdough Sandwich Bread (pictured above)
  • Boston Brown Sourdough Bread
  • Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
  • Einkorn Sourdough Bagels
  • Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread (with FREE Video)
  • 12 Yummy Sourdough Snacks
  • 26 Sourdough Bread Recipes

Have you ever made soft sourdough pretzels before? Spelt, einkorn, or kamut… which ancient wheat is YOUR favorite?

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

Posted in: Breads, Muffins, & Crackers Desserts & Cookies Fermenting & Culturing Food Preparation Recipes Snacks Sourdough

About Valeria Weaver

Valeria lives in Chicago with her three kids and beer-brewing husband. Born and raised in Russia, she incorporates her Siberian heritage into everyday cooking for her family. She loves baking with ancient grains and all things naturally leavened. There's hardly anything she hasn’t tried fermenting. She works full-time as a medical device rep but always finds time for her two passions: photography and cooking. You can find her at Beets and Bones.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marilee says

    November 24, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    Valerie – These were delicious! And they were beautiful too – although mine ‘poofed’ in the oven more than yours did. I made them for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit! Made half cinnamon/sugar and the rest salted with a cheese dip. Thanks for the recipe! BTW – this the is the second recipe of yours that will be a favorite in my house. The other is the fermented shredded beets!

    Reply
    • Valeria Weaver says

      November 25, 2016 at 10:33 pm

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed these sourdough pretzels, Marilee! I say the more poof the better 🙂 Thanks for taking time to leave a review!

      Reply
  2. Theresa says

    November 26, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    I love your recipes – one quick thought though…. I would love it if your printable version of the recipes did not have photos in them and would fit on one page. Often they are in a font that is super large. I usually copy and paste it into a document and then reformat it (delete photos and resize) so it will fit on one paper. This extra work means that I often don’t print your stuff. Just a thought…. I’m sure I’m not the only one that prefers less ink and paper waste (and less pages in my personal cookbook). Thanks for all your awesome recipes 😉

    Reply
    • Valeria Weaver says

      November 29, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      Thanks for the note, Theresa! And so glad my recipes work well for you! 🙂 It makes sense what you are saying about the recipe cards. On my own blog, I first post a recipe with step-by-step photos, then add it without photos to a recipe card plugin. Here, I don’t have the option of both, and the only place I can put photos are on a recipe card. So yeah – that’s my struggle – I feel that photos help but the downside is they take too much space if you want to print it..

      Reply
  3. Kimberly says

    November 28, 2016 at 1:00 am

    Have you tried making them with sprouted spelt flour?? Do you have any idea how that would affect the pretzel?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Valeria Weaver says

      November 29, 2016 at 9:56 pm

      Hi Kimberly, I have not tried them with sprouted spelt, and to be honest – I don’t want to. I went through my share of experiments with sprouted flour a while back, and I decided I would not use it on anything that’s leavened with natural starter. I don’t like the taste, the texture is very crumbly, not appealing. The only things I use sprouted flour for any more are cookies, small amounts – in sweet quick breads, and add a bit to dumplings.

      Reply
  4. Jillian says

    January 29, 2018 at 4:51 pm

    Just to clarify, you want the potato to be about 100g before cooking, or you want to add about 100g of boiled, cooked potato?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Valeria says

      January 30, 2018 at 6:55 am

      Hi Jillian, good question – that’s the weight of an already boiled potato, thanks!

      Reply
  5. Amir Najam Sethit says

    March 14, 2018 at 8:22 am

    what a lovely looks.. Thank you for sharing amazing recipe.

    Reply
  6. Erin Joy says

    May 15, 2018 at 1:29 am

    Wanting to try these! My question is this: I live in Nepal and don’t have access to much beyond whole wheat flour… will this recipe (all the other ingredient portions) work with regular old whole wheat flour? I’ve never cooked with einkorn but I used to use spelt almost exclusively as my “whole wheat flour” back in Canada. ..

    Reply
  7. Jill says

    July 23, 2018 at 9:17 am

    Hello Valeria,

    Exicited to try this recipe. Just wondering can I replace the butter with coconut oil?

    Jill

    Reply
  8. Jill says

    July 23, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    Valeria,
    I went ahead and used coconut oil for the butter. They turned out absolutely delicious. However, they were glued to the parchment! That was disappointing, but maybe it was because I greased it before placing the boiled pretzels back onto it.

    Reply
  9. Susan says

    December 19, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    This is the third time I’ve made these and it was the best batch yet. How should I store these for maximum yummiest?

    Reply
  10. MAJA says

    July 24, 2019 at 11:43 pm

    I made this with 100% einkorn flour and earth balance instead of butter and they turned out looking near perfect and were delicious!!! When the dough was rising I did several stretch and folds throughout the 3-4 hours and that really helped the dough rise and give it more elasticity.

    Reply
  11. KTyum says

    November 7, 2019 at 10:04 pm

    These turned out wonderfully! I used spelt flour, replaced the water with beer (a lager), replaced the sweetener with barley malt syrup, and topped them with coarse salt and hemp seeds. I would previously make pretzels with commercial yeast and all purpose flour, but no more 🙂 Bet the lye would be yummy

    Reply
  12. Mike Wright says

    July 22, 2020 at 12:45 am

    Its look incredible something I love to explore, thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  13. Mike Wright says

    October 28, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    Perfecto… I need to try this now, thanks for sharing…

    Reply
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Photo collage of soft sourdough pretzels on a baking tray, and one being dipped in mustard. Text overlay: "Soft & Chewy Sourdough Pretzels (spelt or einkorn)"

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