Sourdough Pretzel Buns Made with Fresh Milled Flour

Sourdough pretzel buns have that chewy crust you love plus a fluffy inside. They are going to be your new go-to for a fun twist on sandwiches and burgers, or even an afternoon snack.
By using fresh milled flour, the flavor and nutrient profile is taken up a notch. Our step-by-step recipe will help you through baking these delicious buns so they’re perfect every time.
Once you try these soft buns with their perfectly golden skin, you’ll never not want to eat or bake them.
Benefits of Using Sourdough Discard in Pretzel Buns
I like to use sourdough in many of my fresh milled bread recipes where I can. It adds a vitamin and mineral boost, makes for easier digestion, and creates more depth and flavor development.
If you are really in the pretzel mood, you can also try our Soft Pretzel Bites recipe or if you want a recipe for a Fresh Milled Dinner Roll.
Why Use Fresh Milled Flour to Make Pretzel Buns
Freshly milled flours retain all of the nutrients that processed flours often have removed or destroyed during commercial milling. “In fact, of the 44 known essential nutrients needed by our bodies and naturally obtained from foods, only 4 are missing from wheat– vitamin A, B12, and C, and the mineral iodine.” – Sue Becker (Source)
These sourdough pretzel buns will give your mealtimes a boost! With fresh milled flour they have some fluff, but also have that “stick to your ribs” heft of whole wheat. No one will go hungry when they use these for their sandwich.

Essential Ingredients & Tools
Healthy Sourdough Starter: An active sourdough starter works best in this recipe. You can use unfed discard, but your rise time will likely take a bit longer than the recipe states.
Best Grains for Fresh Milled Flour: We use hard white wheat in this recipe. This grain has the right protein content to create the perfect soft and chewy texture for your pretzel buns without too much of an overpowering flavor.
Baking Soda: This gives the classic pretzel skin finish to your buns when they are boiled before baking.
Grain Mill: We like to mill our flour fresh to get as many nutrients as possible in our buns.
Mixer with Dough Hook: You could knead by hand but it will take a LONG time with fresh milled flour. Best to use a machine, unless you’re looking for a good workout.
Large Stock Pot: You’ll need to boil the pretzel buns before baking so your pot will need to hold quite a bit of water.
Tools to Make Sourdough Pretzel Buns
- Grain Mill
- Mixer with Dough Hook
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Stock Pot
- Bench Scraper
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper
- Slotted Spoon
- Pastry Brush
- Lame
- Spray or grease for shaping dough
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Ingredients for Fresh Milled Sourdough Pretzel Buns
Dough
- 2.25 Cups (545g) Water, warm (45g reserved)
- 1 Cup (200g) Active Sourdough Starter
- 4 Cups (780g) Hard White Wheat Berries
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 4 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp Salt
Boiling Bath and Prep
- 1/2 – 3/4 Cup Baking Soda
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg & 1 Tbsp Water for egg wash
- Extra melted butter for topping
Recipe for Sourdough Pretzel Buns
Making the Dough
- Add 500g warm water to mixing bowl
- Mill flour into water and mix into a shaggy dough, it will be a little dry
- Let autolyse 30-60 minutes
- Mix remaining 45g water with sourdough starter
- Add sourdough slurry, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt to mixing bowl
- Knead 10-15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic (windowpane, or close to it)
- Cover and let rise 4-6 hours, or until about doubled
- Dump dough onto lightly greased surface
- Divide into 15 pieces, shaping each into a bun
- Using bench scraper to lift each bun and place on silicone baking mats on pans
- Cover buns and let proof around 30 minutes, or until puffed
Boiling & Baking Pretzels
- When buns are almost done proofing bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Prepare egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water and set aside
- Add brown sugar and baking soda to water (be careful as it may foam up)
- With water boiling, (carefully) place on or two buns at a time into water and boil for 30-45 seconds
- Remove with slotted spoon, shaking off excess water and return to the silicone baking mat
- Using pastry brush, coat each bun with egg wash and then score an “x” in the top about 1/8-1/4″ deep
- Repeat steps 4-6 until all pretzel buns have been boiled, egg washed, and scored
- Bake buns for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before coating in melted butter
- Let cool before slicing for sandwiches or burgers
Notes:
- Recipe makes around 15 buns, depending on size
- For soda bath, depending on pot size you made need more or less baking soda, or you may need to add more baking soda half way through the batch
Step By Step Making the Dough

Add 500g warm water to mixing bowl. Mill flour into water.

Mix into a shaggy dough, it will be a little dry. Let autolyse 30-60 minutes.

Mix remaining 45g water with sourdough starter.

Add sourdough slurry, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt to mixing bowl.

Knead 10-15 minutes.

Knead until smooth and elastic (windowpane, or close to it).

Cover and let rise 4-6 hours, or until about doubled.

Dump dough onto lightly greased surface. Divide into 15 pieces, shaping each into a bun.

Using bench scraper to lift each bun and place on silicone baking mats on pans. Cover buns and let proof around 30 minutes, or until puffed.
Boiling & Baking Pretzel Buns
When buns are almost done proofing bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat oven to 450 degrees, and prepare egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water and set aside.

Add brown sugar and baking soda to water (be careful as it may foam up). With water boiling, (carefully) place one or two buns at a time into water and boil for 30-45 seconds.

Remove with slotted spoon, shaking off excess water and return to the silicone baking mat. They will look a little flat after boiling, but don’t fret!
Using a pastry brush, coat each bun with egg wash and then score an “x” in the top about 1/8-1/4″ deep. You can also sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Repeat until all pretzel buns have been boiled, egg washed, and scored.

Bake buns for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before coating in melted butter.
Let cool before slicing for sandwiches or burgers. You can also just eat plain as a snack!
Storing and Reheating Pretzel Buns
Store any leftover pretzel buns in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.
You can freeze pretzel buns for 2-3 months. To reheat, place in microwave for 15-30 seconds. To prevent drying out frozen pretzel buns, you can wrap them in foil before reheating in the oven, or you can wrap in a damp paper towel before microwaving.
Sourdough pretzel buns made with fresh milled flour are a delicious and nutritious alternative to your normal sandwich bread or burger bun. Easy and fun to make, and perfect for any picnic or lunch!
Try some of our other Fresh Milled Flour Recipes:

Sourdough Pretzel Buns Made with Fresh Milled Flour
Make soft and flavorful sourdough pretzel buns with fresh milled flour! Perfect for sandwiches, burgers, or just snacking.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2.25 Cups (545g) Water, warm (45g reserved)
- 1 Cup (200g) Active Sourdough Starter
- 4 Cups (780g) Hard White Wheat Berries
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 4 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp Salt
Boiling Bath and Prep
- 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Baking Soda
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg & 1 Tbsp Water for egg wash
- Extra melted butter for topping
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Add 500g warm water to mixing bowl
- Mill flour into water and mix into a shaggy dough, it will be a little dry
- Let autolyse 30-60 minutes
- Mix remaining 45g water with sourdough starter
- Add sourdough slurry, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt to mixing bowl
- Knead 10-15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic (windowpane, or close to it)
- Cover and let rise 4-6 hours, or until about doubled
- Dump dough onto lightly greased surface
- Divide into 15 pieces, shaping each into a bun
- Using bench scraper to lift each bun and place on silicone baking mats on pans
- Cover buns and let proof around 30 minutes, or until puffed
Boiling & Baking Pretzels
- When buns are almost done proofing bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Prepare egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water and set aside
- Add brown sugar and baking soda to water (be careful as it may foam up)
- With water boiling, (carefully) place one bun at a time into water and boil for 30-45 seconds
- Remove with slotted spoon, shaking off excess water and return to the silicone baking mat
- Using pastry brush, coat each bun with egg wash and then score an "x" in the top about 1/8-1/4" deep
- Repeat steps 4-6 until all pretzel buns have been boiled, egg washed, and scored
- Bake buns for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before coating in melted butter
- Let cool before slicing for sandwiches or burgers
Notes
- Recipe makes around 15 buns, depending on size
- For soda bath, depending on pot size you made need more or less baking soda, or you may need to add more baking soda half way through the batch
Nutrition Information
Yield 15 Serving Size 1 BunAmount Per Serving Calories 123Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 35mgSodium 2017mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 4g
*This has not been evaluated by the FDA
FAQS
Yes, you can buy pre-milled whole wheat flour.
Yes! Freeze cooled buns in an airtight container for 2-3 months. To reheat microwave for 15-30 seconds.
Yes, this is how you get the traditional chewy skin you love.
Thankyou for the step by step images and guidance, it helps a lot when I am new to the bread making process. The pretzels were my first try and turned our awesome.
This takes pretzel rolls and kicks them up a notch! Fresh milled flour and sourdough—yes please! Thank you for this recipe.
What a great recipe! Can’t wait to try it.