Have you jumped on the sourdough train yet this quarantine season? If not, I highly recommend it because these vegan sourdough soft pretzels are amazing and a must try! 

These sourdough pretzels are chewy, soft, and so flavorful. The sourdough notes in the pretzels are delicious and it’s actually super easy to make too! If you are nervous about sourdough baking or new to it, these pretzels are a great place to start! It’s basically an overnight dough (made with simple ingredients), then you shape it into pretzels, let it rise again, boil in baking soda water, and bake. Your house will smell soooo good and your taste buds won’t stop dancing. 

My family and I love to eat these pretzels dipped in some homemade vegan queso (basically liquid gold) and it is HEAVEN. Pair it with whatever you like, but I highly recommend the vegan queso because it’s one of our favorite sauces! 

Vegan Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

For the Soft Pretzels:

• 1/2 cup (125 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water (you might need an extra 1 Tbsp water)
• 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar 
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 4 cups (500 g) Lehi Mill’s bread flour (if you don’t have a scale, please use the scoop flour with a spoon into the measuring cup and level off method when measuring flour) 

For Boiling:

• 1/3 cup baking soda
• Large pot of water

Optional Toppings:

• kosher salt or pretzel salt
• everything bagel seasoning
• cinnamon sugar (2 Tbsp brown sugar + 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar + 1.5 tsp cinnamon)

Directions:

The night before: In a bowl of your stand mixer (I used my KitchenAid), add the starter, water, sugar, and salt. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the bread flour and mix with the spatula until a rough dough forms. The dough will be very stiff, add an extra tablespoon of water if your dough looks very dry. Then use your dough hook attachment to your mixer and knead on the lowest speed for 7-8 minutes. Lightly work the dough into a smooth ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a lid or towel and let it rest overnight at room temperature for 12-13 hours. 

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Turn the dough out on a clean work surface without flour (if you think your dough is too sticky, you can sprinkle a little bit of flour). Make a thick circular disc shape and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 18-20 inches long. Shape into a pretzel by taking the ends and forming a “U” shape. Then take the ends of the rope and twist two times. Fold the ends over and press ends on the dough. Place on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the baking soda and stir. Carefully add about 2 pretzels to the pot of boiling water. Boil on each side for 30 seconds. Using a large slotted spoon, remove each pretzel, shaking off the excess water, and place round side up on the baking sheet. Repeat until all pretzels are done. Sprinkle the kosher salt/pretzel salt generously on top of the pretzels. 

Bake pretzels for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm! We love to eat it with some vegan queso (recipe on the blog). Best when eaten fresh. Store extra sourdough soft pretzels in an airtight container at room temperature. To reheat, place in the toaster oven. Enjoy! 

 

Guest Blog by Valeria Graves. Check out her blog Nuts About Greens.

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