Whole Wheat Sourdough Pretzels

Searching for the perfect whole wheat sourdough pretzel recipe has become a new favorite pastime. Prior to being on the Mediterranean Diet, I can’t say that I ever made homemade pretzels. That is just one reason why it is funny I have spent so much time creating a Mediterraneanized recipe for delicious whole wheat sourdough pretzels. The perfect pretzel has a perfect chewy golden outside and a dense, soft inside!

This search for the perfect pretzel recipe is all Herman’s fault. Herman is my sourdough starter. Herman lives in the refrigerator and to keep him healthy I have to discard sourdough starter weekly. I am often on the hunt for recipes that are easy and healthy to use my discard. There are plenty of sourdough pretzel recipes, but very few use whole wheat. In fact several bloggers said using whole wheat in pretzels will result in heavy and tough pretzels. I was determined to create a pretzel recipe that uses whole grains, because Herman deserves to have pretzels in his discard repertoire. This easy whole wheat sourdough pretzel recipe creates a pretzel that is golden, soft but dense, filling and light.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Pretzels are Perfect to Freeze

You may notice that I used the word easy to describe this recipe. Please note that word is used in a relative sense meaning, pretzels are a bit of a pain to make, but this recipe is easier than most. Because it is a bit of a pain, I make a large batch and throw the extras in the freezer. If I do not put them immediately in the freezer we (code for Mark) will gobble them up. They are healthy, but if you do not monitor your portions the scale may see an impact. If he is going to enjoy one, I take it out of the freezer in the morning, and then in the afternoon he wraps it in a paper towel and microwaves it for 45-60 seconds until warm.

Jumbo Pretzels or Pretzel Rods?

This Olive Sunshine recipe will yield 8 jumbo pretzels, or 16 minis which are also a nice size. Mark enjoys having a mini as his weeknight appetizer. I make sure to have a tasty appetizer for him on weeknights because I often get home later than I should from work. This recipe will also yield 32 pretzel rods if you wanted to use them for entertaining. My next door neighbor, Kelly, loves fresh pretzels. Recently, I opted for jumbos and served them with a variety of mustard for our Pre-Super Bowl Happy Hour. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset, tasty pretzels and fun company (and Kelly was a fan of the pretzels)!

Achieving a Pretzel-Like Pretzel

The best part of this recipe is the dough only has two short rise periods – totaling less than two hours. That is pretty remarkable given that these whole wheat sourdough pretzels are light and fluffy. I do help it along with a little added yeast. If you are a sourdough purist you could go without the yeast, and add an overnight rise if you wish. Unlike some pretzel recipes I have tried, they are very pretzel-like. Some homemade pretzels are more like regular bread. These are not, they are chewy and smooth on the outside and dense but soft on the inside.

I believe the consistency was achieved by the mix of protein in the flour. The type of flour used in this recipe is important. I use white whole wheat and all purpose flour, but bread flour can be substituted for the all purpose. My sourdough starter is made with King Arthur whole wheat flour. It was discovering this flour blend that is Mediterranean Diet friendly as it adds whole grains. My approach to the Mediterranean Diet way of eating is to ensure all of my baking is primarily wheat. In this case, the sourdough starter is full grain King Arthur Whole wheat and the recipe calls for 2x the white wheat. The all-purpose, or bread flour, comprises less than 1/3 of the recipe and it keeps the pretzel light.

I am pretty sure Herman is very happy that I have achieved this Mediterranean Diet friendly whole wheat sourdough pretzel recipe. Let me know if you have tried this or any other Olive Sunshine sourdough recipe. If you want to start your own Herman (you do not have to call it Herman), I think the King Arthur Sourdough Baking Guide is the place to go. If you live near me on the Treasure Coast, reach out and I will share!

Happy baking!