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Pretzel Sourdough

Pretzel Sourdough Bread

1705kcal
5 from 2 votes
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 21 hours 10 minutes
Combining a classic artisan sourdough loaf with the deep, savory satisfaction of an authentic German pretzel. Packed with melted pockets of cubed cheddar cheese and enriched with a touch of butter, the dough is dipped in a food-grade lye solution right before hitting the oven. This creates a signature deep mahogany, slightly glossy pretzel crust topped with coarse salt, contrasting beautifully with a soft, fluffy interior crumb.
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

Sourdough Main Dough
  • 300 g Bread flour
  • 218 g Water
  • 150 g Active sourdough starter
  • 30 g Sugar
  • 6 g Salt
  • 15 g Salted butter (Softened)
Savory Inclusions
  • 60–70 g Cheddar cheese (Cubed)
Pretzel Lye Bath & Topping
  • 900 g Cold water
  • 30 g Food-grade lye
  • Coarse pretzel salt or flaky sea salt (For topping)

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer (Fitted with a dough hook attachment)
  • Square Container (Lightly oiled)
  • Proofing Basket (Banneton)
  • Gloves and Eye Protection (Mandatory for handling lye safely)
  • Shallow Glass or Stainless Steel Bowl (For the lye bath)
  • Baking Steel
  • Baking Shell (For covering the loaf)
  • Parchment Paper
  • Sharp Scoring Lame
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

1. Mix & Autolyse
  1. Combine 300g of bread flour, 218g of water, 150g of active sourdough starter, 30g of sugar, and 6g of salt until no dry flour remains.
  2. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This hydration period allows gluten to begin developing naturally, making the dough smoother, stronger, and easier to knead.
2. Knead and Incorporate Inclusions
  1. Transfer the rested dough to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
  2. Add the 15g of softened salted butter gradually and continue mixing for another 4 to 5 minutes until fully incorporated into the dough matrix.
  3. Gently mix in the 60–70g of cubed cheddar cheese just until it is uniformly distributed.
  4. Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled square container. Cover with a lid and let it bulk ferment at warm room temperature for 4 to 5 hours, performing a few sets of stretch and folds during the first 2 hours to help build structural strength until puffy and showing visible air bubbles along the sides.
3. Shape and Cold Proof
  1. Gently tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape it tightly into a round boule or an oval batard, ensuring the outer skin is smooth and taut.
  2. Place the shaped dough seam-side up into a well-floured proofing basket.
  3. Cover tightly and place it into the refrigerator to cold proof overnight for 14 to 15 hours. (This cold rest stabilizes the dough matrix so it can handle being dipped without deflating).
4. The Lye Bath & High-Heat Bake
  1. Preheat the Oven: Place your Baking Steel inside the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C), ensuring it saturates thoroughly with heat.
  2. Prepare the Lye Bath: Put on your safety gloves and eye protection. In a shallow glass or stainless steel bowl, slowly dissolve 30g of food-grade lye into 900g of cold water, always adding the lye to the water (never water to lye) to prevent splashing.
  3. The Dip: Remove the cold loaf directly from the proofing basket. Carefully dip only the top of the loaf into the lye solution, then place it seam-side down onto a sheet of parchment paper. (Dipping only the top helps maintain loaf height while creating the signature pretzel crust).
  4. Score and Bake: Score the top of the loaf quickly with a sharp lame and sprinkle generously with coarse pretzel salt.
  5. Carefully transfer the loaf along with the parchment paper directly onto the preheated Baking Steel. Immediately cover the dough completely with a baking shell to capture the steam.
  6. Bake covered at 500°F (260°C) for 15 minutes.
  7. Carefully remove the hot baking shell, reduce the oven temperature to 430°F (220°C), and bake for another 10 minutes.
  8. If necessary to prevent over-browning, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil, reduce the temperature to 370°F (188°C), and bake for an additional 15 minutes until fully baked through. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before cutting!

Nutrition

Calories1705kcalCarbohydrates278gProtein58gFat38gSaturated Fat20gPolyunsaturated Fat3gMonounsaturated Fat8gTrans Fat0.5gCholesterol101mgSodium975mgPotassium438mgFiber8gSugar31gVitamin A990IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium516mgIron3mg

Notes

  • Lye Safety First: Always wear rubber gloves and protective eyewear when handling lye. Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel bowls—avoid aluminum entirely as it chemically reacts dangerously with lye.
  • Why Dipping Only the Top Matters: Unlike traditional small pretzel buns that get fully submerged, dipping only the top of a large artisan loaf ensures the bottom structure remains unaffected. This allows the bread to retain maximum oven spring and height without flattening out on the baking steel.
  • Why the Sugar Matters: The 30g of sugar feeds the active starter during bulk fermentation and works in tandem with the alkaline lye bath to accelerate the Maillard reaction, resulting in a beautifully dark, authentic pretzel finish.

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