Sourdough Onion Pretzel Bites (Printable)

Soft sourdough bites infused with caramelized onions, perfect for flavorful snacking.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
02 - 2½ cups bread flour
03 - ⅔ cup warm water
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Onion Mixture

07 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Baking Soda Bath

10 - 6 cups water
11 - ¼ cup baking soda

→ Topping

12 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
13 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
14 - Minced chives or dried onion flakes (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally until golden and caramelized, approximately 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter, bread flour, warm water, melted butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Add cooled caramelized onions to the dough. Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
05 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Turn dough onto a floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch rope, then cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.
07 - Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Carefully add baking soda (it will bubble vigorously). Working in batches, drop pretzel bites into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and arrange on prepared baking sheets.
08 - Brush each bite with beaten egg. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and optional toppings.
09 - Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
10 - Let cool slightly before serving warm.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The sourdough tang makes these feel special without requiring any special skills or fancy equipment.
  • Caramelized onions add this sweet, deep umami that keeps people reaching for more, even though they taste like you spent hours cooking.
  • They're soft inside with that satisfying pretzel crust on the outside, and they freeze beautifully so you can always have a few on hand.
02 -
  • If you skip the baking soda bath or cut the time short, you'll get a regular bread bite instead of a pretzel—the bath is what creates that distinctive chewy interior and dark mahogany exterior, so don't rush it.
  • Make sure your sourdough starter is truly active and bubbly before using it; a sluggish starter will make the dough rise slowly and taste less flavorful, so feed it a few hours ahead if needed.
  • The caramelized onions must be completely cooled before mixing into the dough, or they'll kill the yeast and give you a dense, heavy result instead of fluffy pretzel bites.
03 -
  • Don't let the egg wash pool in the seams of your bites—brush it on gently and let gravity do most of the work, or you'll end up with thick, gluey patches instead of a thin, golden glaze.
  • If your dough is too sticky after mixing, resist the urge to add flour; instead, wet your hands and knead with damp hands, which gives you better control without drying out the dough and making it tough.
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