Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
When I was first married, I quickly realized my husband LOVED peanut butter. At the time, money was tight. I was going to school, and Jared had a low-paying job, so I often bought generic items at the grocery store. One day, Jared stopped me. His expression was serious, and I knew what he was about to say would be serious. He took a deep breath and said, “Reganne, I know we are broke, but if we splurge on anything, buy the name-brand peanut butter.” That day, I learned Jared is a peanut butter snob, and we still have a good laugh about that conversation.
Soon after I found out Jared loved peanut butter, I also discovered that one of his favorite peanut butter desserts is peanut butter twists. I had never heard of them, but they are seriously delicious. When Jared was growing up, the lunch ladies in his school district made peanut butter twists for lunch. If you ever go to Jared’s hometown, almost everyone talks about the peanut butter twists the lunch ladies made. They are very nostalgic for Jared’s hometown.
When I started my sourdough journey, Jared suggested that I figure out how to make sourdough peanut butter twists. I sought out a recipe for peanut butter twists and quickly found that not many people have made them—even with yeasted bread. So I did what any other baker would do and made my own recipe by combining a few variations from other recipes I found. I am not about gatekeeping delicious recipes, so here we are.
Why You'll Love These Sourdough Peanut Butter Twists
- Naturally leavened with sourdough for a soft, bakery-style texture
- Sweet, nostalgic, and perfect for peanut butter lovers
- A fun twist (literally) on classic school-lunch comfort food
- Great for make-ahead breakfasts, snacks, or sharing with friends
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter
- Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Egg
- Milk
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Butter
- Peanut butter
- Cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the Leaven
The first step is to prep your leaven (active sourdough starter). Combine 50 grams of sourdough starter, 100 grams of water, and 100 grams of unbleached all-purpose flour. Once it is active, bubbly, and passes the float test (when placed in water, it floats), you are ready to start baking.
Make the Dough
Whisk the sourdough starter and warm milk until the starter is completely dissolved. Then combine the granulated sugar and egg into the sourdough mixture. Add the sifted flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Finally, add the softened butter. Having a dough whisk makes combining the dough easy work.
Let the dough rest for approximately 20 minutes, then knead using a mixer fitted with a dough hook for 12 minutes, or complete a series of stretch and folds. Kneading or stretching and folding will aid in gluten development.
Bulk Fermentation
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and bulk ferment for 8–9 hours, or until doubled in size. Fermentation time may vary depending on room temperature.
Shape the Twists
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Mix the peanut butter, butter, sugar, and cinnamon to make the filling. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving approximately ½ inch around the edges. Reserve 3 tablespoons of filling for the glaze.
Fold the dough in half lengthwise and cut into 1–2 inch strips. Twist each strip three times and lay flat on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Second Rise
Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and let the twists rise at room temperature for about two hours. Rise time may vary based on temperature.
Bake and Glaze
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown. While the twists are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, warm water, and the reserved peanut butter filling.
Remove the peanut butter twists from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, drizzle the glaze over the twists.
Sourdough Peanut Butter Twists
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 grams Whole Milk Room Temperature
- 120 grams Sourdough Starter Active and Bubbly
- 70 grams Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 430 grams All-Purpose Flour Unbleached
- 5 grams Salt
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter Softened
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter Softened
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ tbsp Cinnamon
Peanut Butter Glaze
- 1½-2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 5 tbsp Warm Water
- 3 tbsp Peanut Butter Filling
Instructions
Prepare the Active Sourdough Start (Leaven)
- Combine 50 grams of sourdough starter, 100 grams of water, and 100 grams of unbleached all-purpose flour. Cover and let sit. Once it is active, bubbly, and passes the float test (when placed in water, it floats), you are ready to start baking. This may take up to 10 hours.
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine active sourdough starter and milk until the starter is fully dissolved. Add granulated sugar and egg until combined.
- Add flour and salt into the bowl, and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Add softened butter by hand or with a stand mixer until it is incorporated into the dough.
- Let dough rest for 20 minutes, covered with a damp towel.
- Uncover dough and knead with dough hook attachment for 12 minutes. OR strengthen the dough by performing three sets of stretch and folds.
Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature for 9-10 hours. The dough will need to double in size; rise times may vary based on temperature.
Shape the Twists and Make the Filling
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a 12 x 18-inchrectangle. Mix the peanut butter, butter, sugar, and cinnamon to make the filling. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving approximately ½ inch around the edges. Reserve 3 tablespoons of filling for the glaze.
- Fold the dough in half lengthwise and cut into 1–2 inch strips. Twist each strip three times and lay flat on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Second Rise
- Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and let the twists rise at room temperature for about one hour. Rise time may vary based on temperature. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Bake and Glaze the Twists
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown. While the twists are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, warm water, and the reserved peanut butter filling.
- Remove the peanut butter twists from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, drizzle the glaze over the twists.
There’s something special about recreating the foods we grew up with and sharing them with our own families. If you give these sourdough peanut butter twists a try, I’d love to hear how they turn out. Leave a comment below or tag me on social media so I can see your twists.