I don’t know about you, but I find that snacks are the most difficult items to keep in stock while avoiding processed foods. Store-bought crackers and snacks are just so handy when you’re out and about or when kids come home hungry from school. Even adults need a little pick-me-up in the late afternoon. (The Brits are so smart to have tea at 4:00, which of course, features lovely food as well as tea.)
Fruit is our go-to snack, but it’s nice to have other options on hand as well. These pretzel bites are a perennial favorite in our house and they’re considered a treat merely because we eat them so fast that I can’t keep them stocked!
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Sourdough Pretzel Bites
makes 120-150 pretzel bites
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter, active and recently fed
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar or honey
2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt
5 cups all purpose, whole wheat, or spelt flour
coarse unrefined sea salt
Method:
Add the butter, sugar, and salt to the cup of hot water and stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm.
Put the starter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the lukewarm water mixture. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough will be very very stiff.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, and cover. Let sit for 2-4 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, bring a pot of salted water to a rapid boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Break off pieces of the dough about the size of a large egg. Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch in diameter, then cut the rope into 1-inch sections. Drop as many pretzel bites as will fit without touching into the water and cook about 30 seconds after they have risen to the top. (Or longer for a chewier pretzel.)
Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. When the baking sheet is full, bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire racks.
Honey Mustard
5 tablespoons raw honey
3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon kombucha
OR
5 tablespoons raw honey
3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh whey
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
If you’re using whey instead of apple cider vinegar and kombucha, whisk all ingredients together and set aside at room temperature for 2-3 days before serving.
About Kresha
Kresha is the mother of three young children, the wife of one incredibly good man, an opera singer, a cloth diapering instructor, and an avid researcher. She and her husband share a passion for living life thoughtfully and intentionally in response to God's grace in their lives and she loves to share good meals (and good wine) around a very large table.
Could I use Agave syrup instead of honey? I wish I had some sourdough starter! I’d make these right now if I did! They sound good
I’m assuming there’s a sourdough starter recipe on here somewhere… going to look it up right now 
I haven’t posted a “how to” yet on how to start a sourdough starter from scratch, but there’s a good one at http://nourishedkitchen.com/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/ and you can also buy a starter at Cultures for Health (look in our resources section for a link). Or you could get some from a friend…
I would think the agave would work, since the pretzels don’t need much rise. It would certainly give a lovely sweetness.
Is the dough hook method absolutely totally necessary? This just sounds so so yummy!!!
No, the dough hook isn’t necessary at all – it’s merely how I find it easiest to make them. You can certainly make them in whatever way you best like to make bread. Because it’s a very stiff dough toward the end, it can take awhile to do by hand, but not impossible! Do whatever’s easiest for you.
We have given up everything that comes packaged, which includes my son’s favorite snack -pretzels. He has been asking for them so I told him if he could find a recipe with sourdough starter, we could make them. He was so excited to find your site. He even exclaimed, “Mom, she even has kombucha in the recipe!” I’d say he found a great site! We will be collecting more recipies from here. Great blog!
Thank you! I’m so glad the blog can be useful to you!
I have fallen in love with sourdough, as I find it handy for so many snacks and treats – crackers, pretzels, cakes…. My kiddos have really enjoyed these pretzel bites, so I hope your son enjoys them too!
I’m just starting my sourdough baking. When you say active and recently fed starter does that mean right after you feed it or should I wait a bit?
Thanks so much for your help!
Stephanie
Wait a bit. After you stir in the new flour and water, you’ll need 4-8 hours before that “feeding” of the starter has given it enough oomph to leaven whatever you’re baking.
You’ll be able to tell the starter is active because it will have grown in size (usually about doubled) and it’s still domed at the top, rather than flat or concave. You can still use it, certainly, if it has begun to fall – just when has at least doubled and it’s domed, that’s when it will give the best rise to your dough.
Good luck!
Hi, I just made a batch of these! Thanks for the recipe. I did t get a lot of rise and I used fresh ground flour so they are a little sense but good per my husband (I’m on gaps diet). My question is how long will they keep at room temp? Or should I store in fridge? Thanks!
Hi, Catherine.
I would keep them in an air-tight container at room temp and I would imagine they’ll last 2-3 days before they taste stale and 5-6 days before they get moldy. I’ve found that storing bread products – especially sourdough – in the refrigerator tends to make them taste dry and stale more quickly.
Enjoy!