Gluten Free Soft Pretzel | Best Sourdough Discard Recipes
Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.
Yield: 8 traditional soft pretzels
Chewy, golden brown gluten-free soft pretzels made using gluten-free sourdough discard. Enjoy fresh and hot with your favorite dipping sauce, or coat in cinnamon-sugar. Tastes just like the mall.
Print
Pin
Share
Save
Equipment
- Pizza Cutter (or)
- electric mixer (or)
Ingredients
For the Gluten Free Soft Pretzels:
- 368 g (about 2 cups + a heaping ¾ of a cup) high quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 (the blue bag)
- 2 tablespoon (28g) light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon (5g) instant rapid rise yeast
- 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (8g) sea salt
- ½ cup (134g) gluten-free sourdough discard
- 172 g (¾ cup) warm water between 115-120 degrees
- 2 tablespoon softened butter
- 1 large egg room temperature
- additional coarse sea salt for topping pretzels optional
- additional (melted) butter for topping pretzels optional
- dipping sauces of choice (cream cheese, mustard, pizza sauce, honey butter, etc.)
For the Water Bath:
- 9 cups water
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
(Optional Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer fitted with greased paddle attachments, add the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined.368 g (about 2 cups + a heaping ¾ of a cup) high quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum, 2 tablespoon (28g) light brown sugar, ½ tablespoon (5g) instant rapid rise yeast, 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder, 1 teaspoon (8g) sea salt
- Add the wet ingredients and mix on medium–high speed for 5 minutes, until a thick, hydrated dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add a few tablespoons of warm water; if too wet, add a few tablespoons of flour.½ cup (134g) gluten-free sourdough discard, 172 g (¾ cup) warm water between 115-120 degrees, 2 tablespoon softened butter, 1 large egg
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the dough into the bowl using a silicone spatula. Lightly spray the top of the dough, then cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel or plate. Let the dough rest in a warm place (70–85°F) for 30–35 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.
- Transfer the bowl with the proofed dough to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill slightly. This helps the pretzels hold their shape during boiling.
- Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil for the water bath. Preheat the oven to 425 F, and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.9 cups water
- Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge and gently transfer it onto an oiled counter. Avoid dropping it, as this can deflate the air pockets. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (about 90 g each). Spray with additional oil as necessary.
- Cover the dough pieces with plastic wrap. Then, work with one piece at a time:For pretzel bites: Roll each piece into an 8–10-inch rope and cut into 1-inch pieces using a pizza or dough cutter.For traditional soft pretzels: Roll each piece into an 8–10-inch rope. Shape into a U, cross the ends over each other, twist once or twice, then fold the twisted ends to the bottom of the U and press flat to secure the seams.
- Place the shaped pretzels on the prepared baking pan temporarily.
- Once the water is boiling and the pretzels are shaped, add the baking soda and sugar to the water bath. Wait for the foam to subside, then boil one traditional pretzel at a time or a handful of bites for about 10 seconds. They will sink initially, then float. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place on a wire rack to drain. Repeat until all pretzels are boiled.⅓ cup baking soda, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Return the pretzels to the prepared baking tray and sprinkle with coarse salt. Tip: Skip the salt if you plan to coat them in cinnamon sugar.additional coarse sea salt for topping pretzels
- Bake pretzel bites for 8 to 10 minutes, watching carefully. Bake traditional pretzels for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let the pretzels cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Brush the pretzels with melted butter and serve warm with dipping sauces.For cinnamon-sugar pretzels: Mix cinnamon and sugar in a container. Brush the pretzels with melted butter, then coat them with the cinnamon-sugar mixture—either by spooning it over the pretzels or placing them in the container, covering, and shaking to coat evenly.additional (melted) butter for topping pretzels, dipping sauces of choice (cream cheese, mustard, pizza sauce, honey butter, etc.), ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Notes
These gluten-free soft pretzels are best enjoyed fresh and warm. To refresh leftovers, reheat them in the oven the next day. Note that cinnamon-sugar pretzels may become a bit sticky when stored, but they still taste great when reheated.
To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F and warm the pretzels for 10–12 minutes, or until hot. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
Tips for making the best pretzels:
-
- Don't skip the baking soda bath. This solution gives the pretzels their favored chewy exterior and golden brown color.
-
- Spray the mixer attachments, proofing bowl, pretzel dough, and work surface with oil. This is a little trick from my husband who worked at Pretzel Maker in SLC, Utah. His motto: "Coat it, and there's no such thing as too much."
-
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat the batter for 5 minutes. This whips air into the dough and encourages air pockets.
-
- Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until just nearly doubled. Then, refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes while the baking soda-water solution comes to a boil. It's easier to work with slightly chilled dough. Don't be afraid to spray it once more with oil when it comes out, either.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @wondersofcooking or tag #wondersofcooking!