The day just got better with these Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels! Does anyone else out there love soft pretzels? I would take a soft pretzel over a burger, over fries, actually, over most things. I love the chewy texture and the salty flavors. Now, with these sourdough pretzels you also get all the health benefits (and no gluten). Plus, they also come together in just a few hours time!
Soft pretzels take me back to my younger days
These Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels take me back. This was my favorite amusement park food to get when I was younger, at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Disneyland, or Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara.
Then, for years I didn’t (couldn’t) have one because you virtually could not find them gluten free. My family would enjoy them and I would be so tempted! I had to take things into my own hands. So years ago, I created my Gluten Free Soft Sourdough Pretzels recipe, which also makes delicious bagels.
Using the traditional boil before baking method
Using the traditional method of boiling the pretzel or bagel before baking for the New York style bagel/pretzel, I could treat myself occasionally to this yummy snack. My original recipe required an overnight rise and part of the next day before the pretzels could be enjoyed. Now, with this new Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels recipe, we can devour them just a few hours after starting the recipe.
Get creative with your toppings or just stay with the classic
Next up, let’s talk about toppings. you can be as simple as coarse salt, or get more creative with your toppings; poppyseeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon sugar, everything seasoning, dried minced garlic or minced onion, all make great toppings. I even tried Cajun spices, using McCormick Cajun Seasoning the other day. I really loved this topping for yet another variation!
Gluten free spices or certified gluten free spices
Speaking of McCormick, you might be interested to know that their whole line of single ingredient spices and extracts are completely gluten free. They contain only the spice and no fillers or additives. Although their spices aren’t certified gluten free, they take care in preventing cross contamination of gluten within the facility. Their extracts are also made with pure ingredients and grain free alcohol, as well. For any spice blend or packaged mix, always verify the blend is gluten free. Although some of their spice blends contain gluten, it will be noted in the ingredients. McCormick’s website is pretty straightforward and notes whether a particular blend is gluten free or lists the allergen within the ingredient list.
If you need certified gluten free, check out Spicely Organics or Morton & Bassett San Francisco. These brands, along with McCormick, are the brands I keep stocked in my pantry.
You might ask, where can you find them? Look for them online on in your local supermarket. Spicely Organics at Spicely.com and in many supermarkets. Their spices can be found in small boxes or in jars. They have a wide array of spices and are very reasonable for organic and certified gluten free spices.
Why are there so many types of flours in this recipe?
While many recipes might work well with a gluten free 1 to 1 flour, I have not found this to be true of breads, pizza doughs, cinnamon rolls, or pretzels (and several other baked items as well). Different recipes need different gluten free flours for texture and taste. The sorghum in the recipe makes the pretzel or bread taste a bit more wheat-like, while rice flour often gives a good chewy texture. Tapioca lightens the dough and add more starch to the glutenless dough.
It may seem like a lot of different flours, but these are easy to purchase in small one pound bags so you don’t have a huge excess on hand. I like to fill tubs of all my favorite gluten free flours for my pantry: Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Sorghum Flour, Anthony’s Brown Rice Flour, Anthony’s Tapioca Starch, Otto’s Naturals Cassava Flour, and Kirkland or Diamond Brand Fine Almond Flour. I also have Argo Cornstarch and xanthan gum stored there.
What do you like to feed your sourdough starter?
I have two gluten free starters going at all times. For the most part, I feed one sorghum flour and the other I feed rice flour. Although the rice flour used is normally brown rice flour, I occasionally will feed the starter a white rice flour. I feed it equal weights of water and flour each time I use it. This is considered 100% hydration.
For these Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels recipe, I call for an active or fed starter. If your starter is in the refrigerator and you want to make these, take it out the day before you plan to make it. Remove 3/4 -1 cup of the starter to use in a “discard” starter recipe. Gluten Free Sourdough Waffles, Gluten Free Sourdough Chocolate Waffles, or Best Ever Crispy and Savory Gluten Free Sourdough Crackers are a few of my favorite discard recipes.
Next, add equal weights of flour and water to the starter. I usually add 130 grams of each. Stir in and cover with a towel. Leave on the counter overnight or for approximately 4-8 hours. It will be active to make your Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels in the morning or later that day, depending on when you fed it. The starter should have almost doubled in size, although it will rise and then fall.
Typically, you will want to allow 8-10 hours before using the starter in your recipe. This allows for greater fermentation, and a higher level of yeast and bacteria to be present. The starter should visibly have small bubbles throughout, and have a tangy and nice sour scent.
Can you skip the boiling step?
When making a soft pretzel, you definitely could choose to omit the boil before the baking step. Although the pretzel or bagel would still taste good and cook fine if you omit this step, you won’t get the same amount of chew in the dough. The outside of the pretzel will most likely have a different texture as well. The boil step may seem intimidating, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. Check out the steps below for a quick synopsis of the boil to bake steps for these Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels.
A few tips before you start:
1. Line your baking tray with parchment before you start. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Fill a large stockpot or large Dutch oven half full with water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the pot. Add 2 pretzels at a time. Cook for 20-30 seconds. Turn over and cook for 20-30 seconds more. The pretzels should rise to the surface.
4. Once they rise, remove each pretzel with a large slotted spoon or slotted fish spatula directly to the parchment lined tray. Repeat for the remaining pretzels. Allow the water to resume the boil before adding the next batch. For gluten free pretzels, which don’t hold their shape as well, I like to boil no more than 2 at a time. This makes turning and removing the pretzels way easier.
5. Brush each pretzel with the beaten egg and water wash. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Then bake for 16-22 minutes until golden brown.
6. Try to stop after just eating one of these!
I hope you enjoy!
~ Laura
Quicker Sourdough Gluten Free Soft Pretzels
Equipment
- 1 stone pan or baking sheet
- parchment sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond milk or whole milk, warmed only not hot
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, gf
- 1½ cups gluten free sourdough starter, active and approximately at 100% hydration
- ½ cup (78 gr) brown rice flour, gf
- ½ cup (78 g) sorghum flour, gf
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp (81 gr) tapioca starch, gf or Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour, gf
- 2 tbsp white rice flour, gf
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 lg egg, whisked with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
- toppings of your choice – coarse salt, poppyseeds, cinnamon sugar, everything seasoning, minced dried garlic or onion gf spices or seeds if needed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.
- To a large bowl, stir together the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca, white rice flour, salt, and xanthan gum to combine. Add the sourdough starter, the bubbly yeast mixture and the softened butter. Stir together to combine then knead with your hands for a few minutes until the dough holds together in a smooth ball.
- Cover with a lid or a plate and let rise for 1 hour.
- On a gluten free floured board, divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope approximately 16" long. Form into a pretzel**.see note below. Move to the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Let rise for 25-30 minutes.
- While rising, preheat the oven to 450℉, set a stockpot half full of water (approximately 7- 8 cups of water to boil. When boiling, add in 2 tbsp of baking soda. The water will bubble up so be sure to leave enough space in the pot.
- Lift a pretzel with your hands gently or with a spatula into the boiling water. Then repeat with one more. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Turn the pretzel over in the water carefully. Set the timer for 30 seconds more. The pretzel should begin to float. Using a large slotted spoon or spatula, remove to the parchment lined tray. Repeat the process with the remaining pretzels.
- Brush with egg wash/water and add your choice of toppings. bake for 16-22 minutes, adding additional egg wash midway through baking if desired.
- Remove to a wire rack or cool on the tray. Serve with butter or spicy or regular mustard.
