These chewy pretzel bites made with sourdough discard are gut friendly, an easy football appetizer, can be made regular salty or tossed in a butter-y sage parmesan, and served with a homemade honey dijon dipping sauce!
Servings: 14+
For the Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites:
- 1 cup Warm Water
- 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
- 170-200 grams Sourdough Discard
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 4 tbsp. Melted Butter
- 8-10 cups Boiling Water
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda
- Flaky Salt
- Grated Parmesan, about 1/2 cup
- Chopped Fresh Sage, about 3-4 tbsp.
For the Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp. Mayo
- 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 tbsp. Yellow Mustard
- 2 tbsp. Honey
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
For the Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites:
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, brown sugar, and yeast. Mix lightly then set aside for 5 minutes to bloom.
- Add the sourdough discard, salt, and melted butter. Mix just to combine.
- Add the flour and mix until a shaggy dough.
- Turn out the dough on a clean surface to knead 3-4 minutes, until a smooth and pliable dough.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and set aside in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, until doubled in volume.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 12" log that's about 1/2" thick.
- Use a knife to slice into 1 - 1.5" long pieces. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover with a damp tea towel.
- Preheat oven to 450F. Line 1-2 large baking pans with parchment paper.
- Combine the 8-10 cups of cold water and baking soda in a large pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Working in batches, boil the pretzel bites for 30 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to place on the prepared baking pan. It's best to spread them out among the baking pan while still wet or they may stick together.
- Brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with flaky salt, then bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
- To make the sage parmesan pretzel bites, place half of the pretzel bites with an extra 3-4 tbsp. melted butter in a large bowl. Toss so that the pretzel bites are butter-y. Add the 1/2 cup (or to taste) grated parmesan and 2 tbsp. freshly chopped sage, then toss to coat.
For the Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Thin out with water to desired preference. Enjoy with the pretzel bites!