The Little Bagel House

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Pretzels have a long and romantic history. They were invented around 600AD, when an Italian monk wanted to reward his best students with a treat. Legend says that he twisted the pretzels to look like hands folded in prayer.

Today, we have hundreds of varieties of pretzels…and I think these sourdough apple cider pretzels are some of the absolute best. 

They’re deliciously apple-infused and slightly sweet, with a soft, chewy texture. They pair beautifully with cheddar cheese, and they’re amazing with a mug of hot apple cider.

I hope you love these as much as I do. I think you’ll also enjoy my sourdough pretzel bagels and, for a special treat, my chocolate frosted sourdough donuts. 

Why Make Sourdough Apple Cider Pretzels?

Baking with sourdough gives these pretzels a subtle, wonderful tang that balances the richness of the dough. The sourdough also creates an amazingly complex texture. These pretzels have a soft, dense interior and a beautifully shiny, glossy exterior. 

Using wild yeast is also a better choice for your health. Sourdough requires a long, slow rise, which breaks down the starches and gluten in your flour. That makes nutrients more accessible, and it also makes the flour more digestible.

What Are the Ingredients in Sourdough Apple Cider Pretzels?

There are two ways to make this recipe, depending on your preference.

I like to use active sourdough starter to make these pretzels, but you can also make them with active dry yeast and sourdough starter. I’ll give you instructions for both methods.

You’ll need warm apple cider, bread flour, salt, and just a touch of melted butter and honey. You’ll also need cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor the dough.

Once the dough is ready, you’ll need to immerse your pretzels in a kettle of water and baking soda. Finally, you’ll need to top the pretzels with butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

Equipment for Sourdough Apple Cider Pretzels

You won’t need a lot of equipment to make these pretzels! 

You need a stand mixer to make the dough (or, if you’d prefer to work by hand, a large mixing bowl). You also need a baking sheet, a dough scraper or large knife, and a large pot for the baking soda bath.

How to Make Sourdough Apple Cider Pretzels

Make sure to plan ahead so you have enough time to ferment the dough.

Step One: Make the Dough 

Stir together your sourdough starter, water, melted butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. 

(Note: If you’re using packaged yeast, combine it with warm water and sugar, cover, and let it sit for five or ten minutes until it’s nice and frothy. Then add the melted butter.) 

Add the flour, spices, and salt to your wet ingredients, and mix until a stiff dough forms. 

Step Two: Knead the Dough 

You can knead the dough by hand, or you can use a stand mixer. Whatever method you’re using, knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. That should typically take five to seven minutes. 

Step Three: Bulk Fermentation 

Cover your dough and leave it at room temperature, letting it ferment until it increases in size by about 50-60%. 

This can take anywhere from three to five hours when your kitchen temperature is around 80⁰F. The timing aso depends onhow vigorous your sourdough starter is. 

Be patient! If your kitchen is on the colder side, you can try fermenting the dough inside your turned-off oven with the pilot light on. 

(Note: If you’re using yeast, the bulk fermentation stage should take about an hour.) 

Step Four: Shape the Dough 

Divide your dough into 8 pieces, using a bench scraper or a knife. 

Here’s the fun part. Roll each piece into rope about 20–22 inches long, and then shape that rope into your pretzel design. You can make hearts, twists, or whatever shape you like.

Let your pretzels proof until they look puffy. This usually takes about 1-2 hours at 80F. Again, be patient and don’t rush the process. Test your dough by poking it with a floured finger: when the dough is ready, it will spring back slowly.

(Note: If you’re using packaged yeast, the proofing stage will take about 30 minutes.)

Step Five: Give Your Pretzels a Bath 

This step gives your pretzels their classic chewy outer crust. It’s also a lot of fun. 

Boil water and baking soda in a large pot. Working in batches, boil your pretzels for 20 to 30 seconds per side, turning them with a spatula.

Make sure not to “bathe” the pretzels for too long, because they could take on a metallic flavor from the baking soda. After the bath, place your pretzels on parchment paper and sprinkle them with coarse salt. 

Step Six: Bake 

Bake your pretzels at 425°F for 14–16 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and roll them in your cinnamon sugar mixture! 

Tips for the Best Apple Cider Pretzels

Use an active, bubbly starter. If you’re using sourdough instead of yeast, make sure your starter is active and recently fed. A sluggish starter can make the fermentation take considerably longer. 

Don’t add too much flour. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky after mixing, but not wet or unmanageable. Even if it’s sticky, though, don’t add too much flour.

If you do add too much flour, the pretzels can become dense and the dough may be difficult to roll into ropes. 

Give your dough time to rest. If the dough keeps shrinking back while you’re trying to roll it into ropes, cover it and let it rest for 10–20 minutes before trying again. This gives the gluten time to relax and makes shaping much easier. 

Honor the rising process. Fermentation times are estimates. Temperature, starter strength, and the dough itself can all affect how long your dough takes to ferment. Check on your dough regularly: when it gets puffy and increases in size by about 50–60%, it’s ready.

Don’t overproof your pretzels. You want them noticeably puffy, but not spilling over. If they’re extremely soft and fragile when you pick them up, they may have proofed too long. 

Be gentle with the dough. When shaping, work from the center of the dough outward and gradually lengthen each rope. If the dough is fighting you, don’t force it—let it rest for a few minutes and try again. 

Don’t skip the baking soda bath. The baking soda bath is what gives the pretzels their characteristic chewy exterior, deep golden color, and classic pretzel flavor. 

Give your pretzels space in the bath. Avoid overcrowding the pot; you don’t want the pretzels to stick together. Give each pretzel enough room to float and flip easily. 

Don’t skip the butter. Brush the pretzels with melted butter while they’re still warm, then immediately toss them in the cinnamon sugar so the coating sticks. 

How to Store Sourdough Apple CiderPretzels 

These pretzels are definitely best when they’re fresh out of the oven; in fact, they’re so good that I rarely have leftovers.

If you do want to store some for later, make sure they’re fully cooled before you pack them into an airtight container or a zip-top bag.

At room temperature, these will keep for 1–2 days. When you’re ready to eat one, warm it up for a few minutes in the oven or air fryer to bring back some of that soft, chewy texture. 

In the freezer, these will keep for up to 3 months. Just make sure to store them in a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to eat them, you can reheat them straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer until they’re warmed through. 

Note: If you’re freezing the cinnamon sugar pretzels, I actually like to wait and add the butter and cinnamon sugar after reheating. This makes them taste much more like they just came out of the oven!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these sourdough pretzels with sourdough discard? 

Yes! I included directions for making these with sourdough discard and active dry yeast. 

If you’re using sourdough discard, you’ll also need to add 7g (2 ¼ teaspoons) of active dry yeast to the recipe. The yeast provides the leavening, while the discard adds that delicious sourdough flavor and helps you use up extra starter. 

Why is my pretzel dough so sticky? 

A little tackiness is completely normal, but the dough shouldn’t be so sticky that you can’t work with it. Still, be careful not to add too much extra flour.

If it’s really sticky, try kneading it for a few more minutes before adding flour. If you do need additional flour, add it a little at a time. Adding too much flour can make your pretzels dense and make the dough difficult to roll. 

Why is my pretzel dough resisting when I try to roll it into a rope? 

Your dough may simply need to relax. Gluten can become tight during kneading and shaping, and that causes the dough to spring back instead of stretching. 

Cover the dough and let it rest for 10–20 minutes, then try rolling it again. Avoid forcing the dough, as this can make shaping even more difficult. 

How long should sourdough pretzel dough ferment? 

I typically let this dough bulk ferment for about 3–5 hours at around 80°F, or until it has increased in size by roughly 50–60%. However, if your kitchen is cooler, the process could take longer.

Fermentation will go more quickly if you have a very vigorous starter; a weaker starter will make the process take longer. In short, there’s a lot of variation in rise time. Don’t go by the clock: check on your dough often, and go by its appearance to check for readiness.

Can I let the pretzel dough rise overnight? 

Yes, but I don’t recommend leaving the dough at room temperature overnight. It could over-proof, which could destroy the structure of your dough.

Instead, let the dough begin its bulk fermentation at room temperature, and then refrigerate it to slow the fermentation process. The next day, allow the dough to warm up and continue fermenting until it has reached the appropriate level of rise before shaping, proofing, and baking.

How do I know when my sourdough pretzels are done proofing? 

The shaped pretzels should look puffy and slightly expanded, but they shouldn’t be extremely soft or fragile. At around 80°F, this usually takes about 1 hour, but your timing may vary. 

If they still look dense after an hour, give them more time.Above all, be patient with the process.

Why did my sourdough pretzels turn out dense? 

Dense pretzels can happen if the dough wasn’t fermented or proofed long enough. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly before you make the dough. 

You should also double check that you’re allowing the dough to increase by about 50–60% during bulk fermentation. 

Adding significantly more flour than the recipe calls for can also result in a denser pretzel. 

Do I have to use a baking soda bath for soft pretzels? 

Yes! The baking soda bath is important if you want that classic pretzel crust. The baking soda bath helps create the deep golden-brown exterior, chewy crust, and distinctive pretzel flavor. Make sure your water is boiling before adding the pretzels. 

Fermentation Chart

The fermentation times in this chart are a general guideline based on this specific recipe and the dough temperature listed. Sourdough fermentation can vary quite a bit depending on factors like the temperature of your dough, the strength and maturity of your starter, the temperature of your kitchen, and the flour you use.

For the most accurate timing, take the temperature of your dough immediately after kneading/mixing and use that temperature to find the closest range on the chart. From there, use the dough itself as your guide rather than relying solely on the clock. Your dough may be ready sooner or may need more time than the chart suggests.

Tip: Dough temperature can change throughout fermentation, so if your kitchen is significantly warmer or cooler than the temperature used for this chart, expect your fermentation time to change as well.

Dough Temp	bulk ferment	final proof
65F (18C)	5 hr 40 mins	3 hr 20 mins
70F (21C)	4 hr 40 min	2 hr 40 min
75F (24C)	3 hr 50 min	2 hr 20 min
80F (27C)	3 hr	2 hr