Easy Overnight Sourdough Pretzels- No Yeast

Last Updated on December 8, 2025 by Jamie Saechao

This easy overnight sourdough pretzel recipe will give you pretzels that are soft, chewy, and full of delicious flavor. These delicious homemade pretzels are the perfect snack for New Year’s Eve, game days, and weekends!

Pretzels are simple to make, but it takes some trial and error to get the hang of shaping them. I’m adding all my best tips that will take the mystery out of pretzel making for you, so you end up with lovely pretzel shapes and delightful flavor!

Made without yeast, I developed this homemade pretzel recipe to be easy for the beginner baker.

You do not have to have a stand mixer for the recipe, and I’m providing the ingredients in cups and grams.

This beginner-friendly recipe takes advantage of active starter, honey, flour, and sea salt for incredible flavor and texture.

For more delicious sourdough snacks, try my sourdough bagels, sourdough cheese crackers, and sourdough pizza biscuits.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I’ve made pretzels dozens of times in the past few months, striving to make the process easy and clear for new bakers. Hopefully, these step-by-step directions will turn you into a pretzel making queen (or king, as it may be). Let’s dive in!

Ingredients

For the dough:

• Active sourdough starter- Feed your starter 4-8 hours prior to making this recipe. You’ll want your starter to be bubbly and active upon mixing up the dough. (Learn how to make a starter here!).
• Bread flour- Bread flour has a higher protein content, which adds chewiness to the pretzels.
• Honey- Honey adds a subtle sweetness to the dough
• Sea salt
• Melted butter – A little bit of melted butter will soften the dough
• Pretzel salt- While pretzel salt is optional, it’s crunch and flavor makes these pretzels irresistible!
• Egg wash- for brushing over pretzels before baking.

For the water bath:

• Water
• Baking soda
• Brown sugar (light or dark)

* While traditional pretzel making methods call for dipping the pretzels in lye, I’ve opted for boiling them in water and baking soda because it is simple, easy and safe.

Important Tips

• Grease the parchment paper with butter to prevent the pretzels from sticking to the parchment during the second ferment.
• Shaping pretzel dough can be tricky and takes practice! When rolling out the pretzels, use firm but even pressure, and roll from the center of the dough out. Keep practicing and you’ll get it down!
• Make sure to knead your dough thoroughly.
• Don’t be tempted to flour your working surface when rolling the pretzels… they need a tacky surface to roll out properly.
• Watch your ferment: over-fermented pretzel dough can be tricky to work with, as the extra air bubbles can make the dough hard to shape.

Timeline

10 pm: Mix up your bagel dough + knead. Cover the dough for 8-10 hours or until it has almost doubled in size.

8 am: Shape pretzels and set on baking sheet.

9 am: Boil pretzels and bake.

How To Make Sourdough Pretzels

Melt butter and let cool until warm. Add the water and sourdough starter to a large bowl and mix well.

Add the flour, salt, butter, and honey to the dough. The dough will be very dry and stiff.

Knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is a glossy, smooth ball. Alternatively, mix the dough on low in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for 5-7 minutes.

Cover the dough and let it bulk ferment overnight, about 8-10 hours. When the dough has nearly double in size, and has a slight dome on the top, it’s ready for shaping.

Pretzel Rolling + Shaping:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and butter the surface of the parchment to prevent the pretzels from sticking.

Weigh the dough on a scale and divide by 10 in order to get the weight for each individual pretzel. My dough typically weighs 900 grams, so each pretzel is about 90 grams, give or take.

Shape the dough ball into a rectangle, then gently flatten it with the palm of your hand.

From here, put the palm of your hand on the dough and apply firm, even pressure. Roll the dough with one hand until it is long enough to roll with both palms.

Now, place both palms in the center of the dough, and firmly roll from the center outwards, repeating until the length of the dough is 20-22 inches long.

Make a “U” shape with the pretzel dough. Bring the two ends over each other, twist once, then fold them down to touch the bottom of the U shape.

Alternatively, take one end of the pretzel dough, fold it down to the opposite side, and repeat for the other side. This won’t give you the traditional twisted shape, but it is an easy way to get started shaping pretzels.

Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon and carefully lower 3-4 pretzels into the water.

Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute on both sides, then transfer back to the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the pretzels with the egg wash, then sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.

Variations

• Technically you can leave the butter out of this recipe, but the pretzels will not be as soft.
• If you do not have honey, you can substitute with white sugar.
• All purpose flour can be substituted for bread flour if need be.

How To Store Homemade Pretzels

• Allow pretzels to cool completely before storing.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
• Freeze pretzels in a freezer safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.

Faq’s

Get more beginner-friendly sourdough recipes here:

• Sourdough bread for beginners
• Easy focaccia
• Whole wheat bagels for new bakers
• Easy croissant rolls