Sourdough Discard Bagels

If you've never had a fresh-from-the-oven bagel prepare to be amazed. These Sourdough Discard Bagels are chewy, tightly-crumbed, lightly crisp on the outside, and just so darn good. They are nothing like store bought! This dough is easy to prep-ahead if you want to make it the day before and boil and bake them fresh the next morning.

Recipe Background and Details

I've been tinkering with this bagel recipe for years (I'm also working on a true sourdough bagel that uses no yeast - stay tuned!). The first time I made homemade bagels was during the nightmarish haze of early 2020 quarantine and I still remember that first bite of a freshly baked bagel - a moment of clarity in the midst of chaotic uncertainty. Now I understood what all the bagel fuss was about! You know those bagels you buy at the store and they stay soft and "fresh" for weeks? That is not natural and these are not those bagels. Homemade sourdough discard bagels are chewy with a very thin, crackly crust, they have a tight crumb and are sturdy but somehow light. They are delicious toasted with salted butter or cream cheese (or both like my dad did!), topped with your favorite bagel toppings, and of course they are perfect on an EPIC bagel board with smoked salmon and all the fixins. Every time I make these bagels I am amazed by how good they are - really!

If you are new to sourdough be sure to check out my Sourdough Starter Guide for Beginners! As well as my other popular sourdough discard recipes for Sourdough Discard Soft Pretzels, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust, Sourdough Discard Crackers, Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, and Sourdough Discard Banana Bread.

Sourdough Discard Bagel Ingredients

You will need just a few super simple ingredients to create these delicious bagels.

• Water
• Honey
• Yeast
• Sourdough Discard
• Flour
• Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

The bagel making process is very simple. Be warned that this is a very stiff dough by design so if you are using a mixer like I do, give it a break every few minutes if it sounds like it's struggling. I have made this by hand and it does take some muscle but it is not impossible.

First bloom your yeast in warm water mixed with honey. Then add flour and salt and mix until a smooth, stiff dough forms.

Allow dough to rise until doubled.

Divide dough, shape into buns and then poke a hole with your fingers and stretch it out. Remember the hole will shrink a lot as the dough rises during boiling and baking, so if you really want a hole in the finished bagels you need to make it quite large at this stage. Let bagels rise while you preheat the oven and get the water boiling.

Boil bagels for about 45 seconds on each side. The longer you boil the thicker the crust will be. Carefully drain and immediately apply toppings. I like to just smush them down into whatever toppings I'm using but truthfully plain are my favorite! Once all bagels are boiled and topped, bake in preheated oven.

Substitutions and Variations

I treat bagels the same way I treat soft pretzels when I'm imagining flavor options. Head to my sourdough discard pretzel post for a full list of ideas, but just know that the possibilities are nearly endless. Top these with your favorite seasonings, dried herbs, seeds, etc.

And as far as substitutions, this is a very basic dough so not a lot of wiggle room but here are some ideas:

Flour: I use all purpose but you can use bread flour. You can also sub in a portion of the AP flour for a whole wheat or whole grain variety but I would not go more than half or you'll have to adjust the water and it will really change the dough a lot.

Honey: If you happen to have some barley malt syrup that would be delicious and very traditional in both the dough and the boiling liquid. I've also seen some bagel recipes that use molasses and I think that would be good as long as you like the subtle flavor it might give.

Storage

Store bagels at room temperature in a paper or cloth bag for 2-3 days. Bagels can be frozen for up to 3 months if wrapped very tightly to prevent freezer-burn.

To reheat, I recommend slicing and toasting in an electric toaster. If you want to be controversial you can use Ina's viral bagel slicing technique (this recently went viral but as the fans who've been around since the early days will tell you, she's been doing this for decades.) She simply slices the bagel into three pieces as opposed to the traditional two slices. I think it's a great technique and I also think you should slice your bagel however you want! Somebody needs to remind the internet that life is too short to worry about how someone else chooses to slice their bagel.

If you don't have a toaster, you can also slice bagels and toast in a skillet with butter or oil.

If you want to warm them in the oven, cover with foil and heat in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Make Ahead

Bagels are traditionally given a long, cold rising time which contributes to their signature bagel flavor. You don't have to do this but if you want to, this sourdough discard bagel dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Get bagels shaped and holes poked, cover very well with plastic and place in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator, boil, top, and bake.

FAQ

More Sourdough and Sourdough Discard Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

More Breakfast and Brunch Ideas

Serve these sourdough discard bagels alongside any of my breakfast recipes:

Sourdough Discard Bagels Recipe

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If you've never had a fresh-from-the-oven bagel, prepare to be amazed. These Sourdough Discard Bagels are chewy, tightly-crumbed, lightly crisp on the outside, and just so darn good. They are nothing like store bought! This dough is easy to prep-ahead if you want to make it the day before and boil and bake them fresh the next morning.

• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 8 large bagels

Ingredients

240 grams (1 cup) water, warmed to 100-110 degrees F

7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons or one packet) active dry yeast

21 grams (2 tablespoons) honey

200 grams (¾ cup) unfed sourdough starter (discard)

560 grams (4 ½ cups) all purpose flour

3 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt

your choice of toppings/seasonings

for boiling:

10 cups water 

¼ cup honey

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Instructions

1. Mix water, yeast and honey in bowl of stand mixer and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. You should see some foaming to indicate your yeast is alive.
2. Add sourdough discard, flour, and salt. Mix with a dough hook on speed 2 for 5-7 minutes. Give the mixer a break every minute or two if it seems to be struggling.
3. Cover dough and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
4. Dump dough onto work surface and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten into a disk. Poke your finger through the center and stretch to form a hole. These will rise so make the hole a bit larger than you think it needs to be. *See notes for extended cold-rise/make ahead option
5. Let the shaped bagels rise while you get the water and honey boiling and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with rack in center or lower 3rd of the oven.
6. When water is boiling, carefully place bagels in and boil for about 45 seconds per side. Do this in batches if needed to avoid the bagels overlapping.
7. Carefully drain the bagels and place back on parchment lined pan. Sprinkle with toppings while they are still hot and sticky. I like to have a small dish of whatever toppings I'm using and I just press the bagel down into the toppings firmly before transferring to baking tray.
8. Repeat with all bagels and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cover lightly with foil after 15 minutes if toppings are getting too browned.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack. Be sure to enjoy one hot and fresh from the oven while the crust is nice and crisp still!

Notes

Bagels are traditionally given a long, cold rising time which contributes to their signature bagel flavor. You don't have to do this but if you want to, this sourdough discard bagel dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Get bagels shaped and holes poked, cover very well with plastic and place in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator, boil, top, and bake.

If you want to omit the honey in the boiling liquid you can. Your bagels may not get quite as burnished and browned, but they will still be great!

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes plus rising
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: baking, sourdough, breads, yeast breads
• Method: baking, sourdough
• Cuisine: American