Sourdough Pretzel Bites Recipe

These easy-to-make soft sourdough pretzel bites are sure to be a hit wherever they go! Made with simple ingredients, these sourdough pretzels are super yummy and perfect for movie night, game day, or to bring along to parties and potlucks.

My family has a lot of pretzel lovers, and I’ve been making homemade pretzels for years now, though the kind and shape have changed over time.

One of the first recipes I ever shared on my blog—and one of the first sourdough recipes I ever made—was stuffed sourdough soft pretzels. I was shocked (and beyond happy) that they turned out as well as they did.

Then, long story short, my sourdough starter, Steve, and I went through a bit of a rough patch in our relationship, and I didn’t really make anything besides discard recipes again until the start of last year. 

One of the many recipes I set out to master in 2025 was sourdough pretzel buns—mostly for no other reason than that I love pretzels. Those, however, turned out to be a huge hit, and my family would normally eat the entire batch fresh from the oven.

That got me thinking—why don’t I just make pretzels more often?  I mean, it’s not like they’re that different from making pretzel buns.

But the reality is, some days, most days, I’m just too lazy to take the time to shape pretzels, especially since I know they’ll be gone as soon as they’re done baking. 

Still, I wanted pretzels,  not buns, and needless to say, I didn’t want to take the time to shape traditional pretzels. So I figured, why not make pretzel bites?

And three recipe tests later, here we are! With these easy, delicious, and perfectly fluffy sourdough soft pretzel bites.

I wasn’t planning on creating or sharing this recipe this year, but after making over four batches and watching my family devour them, I decided it was just too good not to share.

Sourdough Pretzel Bites

Sourdough Pretzel Dough:

• Bubbly, active sourdough starter (see notes to learn how to make your own!)
• Honey or cane sugar
• Milk
• Sea salt
• All-purpose flour

For the Baking Soda Bath:

• Water
• Baking soda

To Finish:

• Melted butter
• Pretzel salt or coarse salt

Additional Pretzel Topping Ideas:

Instead of topping your pretzel bites with salt, try one of these delicious options:

• Cinnamon sugar
• Garlic salt
• Shredded Parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning
• Ranch seasoning

How to Make Sourdough Pretzel Bites

Combine all of the pretzel dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough starts to come together, then reduce the speed to the ideal kneading speed according to your mixer.

Knead for 10 minutes. At this point, you should have a smooth, slightly wet dough that you can lift out in a ball shape. If your dough is too stiff, add a splash of milk (or more as needed) and knead until soft and smooth. If your dough is too wet or sticky, add an additional ¼ cup of flour (or more as needed) until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours. (I usually make mine in the evening and let it sit overnight.)

After 8–12 hours, remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 equal pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece into a rope roughly 8–10 inches long and about 1 inch thick. Place them on a lightly floured surface, then cut each rope into bite-sized pieces. I usually get about 12–14 pieces per rope, cutting them between ½ inch and 1 inch, but the amount will vary depending on how big or small you want your pieces.

Place the cut pieces onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and cover with a tea towel. Set them in a warm spot and allow them to rise for 2–4 hours, or until just about doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Now it’s time for the baking soda bath.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the water and baking soda and bring to a boil, stirring often. Carefully drop 8–10 pretzel bites into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, then flip and boil for an additional 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, tap off any excess water, and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Once all the pretzel bites have been boiled, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the pretzel bites are a deep golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pretzel bites to cool slightly before brushing them with melted butter and topping with a generous sprinkle of pretzel salt.

Serve immediately or save for later! These pretzel bites are delicious on their own or served with your favorite pretzel dipping sauces.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Any leftover pretzel bites can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. Use a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk to mix until the dough starts to come together. Then turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until soft and smooth. Keep in mind that hand-kneaded dough may be slightly stiffer, and that’s okay!

If you’d like to learn how to make your own sourdough starter at home, check out my quick and easy tutorial HERE!

These pretzels are delicious on their own, but also pair well with cheese sauce, beer cheese dip, BBQ sauce, mustard, ranch dressing, and marinara sauce. For sweeter pretzel bites, you could even serve them a side of cream cheese dip or chocolate sauce.

Looking For More Sourdough Recipes? Be Sure to Check out these!

Dill and Ranch Sourdough Discard Crackers

Homemade Sourdough Discard Corn Dog Bites

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Sourdough Pretzels