Having my sourdough starter being super active while baking lots of loaves of bread (doubling in about 3 hours), I ventured out into snack land, and decided to make sourdough pretzels. It turned out great! While still working on refining their final look, the flavor and texture (chewy like a good soft pretzel) are spot on!

I typically like to mix all-purpose with another type of flour, to make my sourdough goods a little more interesting in flavor, color, and texture. This recipe could simply be made with 100% AP, which will make the dough less sticky, than if you add, say, whole wheat flour, which will make the dough stickier. Finding the right balance of pressure on the dough as you roll, as well as the right amount of flour to add to your rolling surface are keys to getting evenly shaped rods. Too much, and the dough slides rather than rolls. Not enough, and it sticks. It takes a bit of practice to finesse the dough, but is worth the effort!

You can customize the herb mixture, or just keep it classic and use salt. A finishing salt with large grains, or kosher salt work best for sprinkling on top. And of course, there’s always “pretzel salt” you could use, although unless it has at least three different uses, I don’t keep an ingredient in my kitchen.

Serve with fermented mustard or your favorite dip!