Easy Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels
Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels are a great way to use up that extra sourdough starter discard!
These sourdough discard bagels are simple to make and delicious. With a soft and chewier texture and a golden crust, these bagels are sure to become a go-to favorite sourdough discard recipe!
This recipe uses sourdough discard, and no instant yeast. Just natural leavening from a strong sourdough starter!
Make your own Sourdough Starter with these step-by-step instructions.
Supplies Needed for This Bagel Recipes
- Large mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Dough hook (optional)
- Baking sheet
- Bench scraper
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon or tongs
- Parchment paper
Ingredients Needed
- Sourdough Discard
- Filtered, Warm Water
- Flour (I use all purpose flour but you can also use bread flour)
- Salt
- Honey
- Sugar
Sample Baking Schedule
- 7 pm – Mix up your sourdough discard bagel dough, let sit, then add salt and knead. Add to a large, oiled bowl, and let sit at room temperature overnight.
- 7 am – Your bagel dough is ready. Divide the dough, shape into bagels, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- 7:30 am – Go ahead and prepare your boiling water and preheat the oven.
- 8 am – Boil the bagels, add your toppings, and bake until golden brown.
RELATED POST: Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe
Favorite Bagel Toppings:
- Cinnamon and brown sugar: I like to mix these on a plate and then dip the bagels into it after boiling before I bake for a great flavor.
- Salt: Sprinkle an even layer over the bagels before baking.
- Shredded cheese: Sprinkle cheese on the top right before baking.
- Nothing but the Bagel Seasoning
- Poppy Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
And then, of course, slather in cream cheese before eating! Add a little powdered sugar to some whipped cream cheese is always a huge hit in my home!
How to Make Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together 585 grams filtered water, 200 grams sourdough discard, and 40 grams of honey together. Once these are combined, add 1000 grams of flour and mix until it’s a shaggy dough. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
Step 2: After 20 minutes, add 20 grams of salt and 50 grams of filtered water to the dough and pinch until the salt is well incorporated.
Step 3: The dough will be stiff. Place it in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, and mix on low speed for 6-7 minutes. (I like to knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes.)
Step 4: Place stiff dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with a bowl cover or plastic wrap for 8-12 hours at room temperature. (Overnight works well for this.)
Step 5: The next day, prepare a baking sheet with oiled parchment paper and set aside.
Step 6: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball.
To get the bagel shape, put one dough ball in front of you and use your pointer finger to poke a hole through the middle of the dough ball. Then pick up the dough up and gently stretch and spin the dough into a ring using your two pointer fingers. Place the bagel on the parchment paper.
You will repeat with the rest of the dough balls until they all look like traditional bagels. The hole helps the middle of the bagel get thoroughly cooked. This ensures a good bagel and chewy crust.
Step 7: Once you have shaped all 12 bagels, place a towel over the top of them to let the dough rise. As they rest, do this second rise for 30 minutes.
Step 8: While the bagels are rising, preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Step 9: During this time, start boiling 6 cups of water in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the large pot of water.
Step 10: When the shaped bagels have finished rising, boil them for 2 minutes on each side, being careful to not splash yourself while turning them. Don’t crowd them in the pot. I usually do 3 bagels at a time. This will ensure you have chewy bagels.
Step 11: Next, using tongs or a mesh stainer, remove the bagels from the water bath after boiling one at a time and allow to rest while you finish boiling the rest. Once they are cool enough to handle, you can dip (or sprinkle) one side of the bagel into your choice of toppings and place back on the parchment paper.
Step 12: Bake at 425 °F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Try this Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe
FAQ’s
1. What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is a portion of your active sourdough starter that is leftover and unused from other recipes. It’s not the active starter needed for other sourdough recipes, but is still full of flavor for lots of sourdough discard recipes.
2. How do I shape bagels?
Here are instructions on how to shape bagels . This will get you traditional shaped bagels.
3. How do I store homemade bagels?
Store your bagels at room temperature in a large, ziplock bag. Eat them within a week. These freeze well, too!
4. Can I use active sourdough starter for this sourdough recipe?
Yes, you can. I would really watch that first rise time to make sure they do not overproof. Continue process with your favorite toppings, and they should be delicious!
From one home cook to another, I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Recipe Card for Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels Recipe
Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 200 grams sourdough discard (1 cup)
- 635 grams filtered water
- 1000 grams flour (I use all-purpose)
- 20 grams salt
- 40 grams honey
Water Bath
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Bagel Toppings
- salt
- brown sugar and cinnamon mixture
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- poppy seeds
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together 585 grams filtered water, 200 grams sourdough discard, and 40 grams of honey together. Once these are combined, add 1000 grams of flour and mix until it's a shaggy dough. Let this sit for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add 20 grams of salt and 50 grams of filtered water to the dough and pinch until the salt is well incorporated.
- The dough will be stiff. Place it in a stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on low for 6-7 minutes. (I like to knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes.)
- Place dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover for 8-12 hours at room temperature. (Overnight works well for this.)
- The next day, prepare a baking sheet with oiled parchment paper and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. To get the bagel shape, put one dough ball in front of you and use your pointer finger to poke a hole through the middle of the dough ball. Then pick up the dough up and gently stretch and spin the dough into a ring using your two pointer fingers. Place the bagel on the parchment paper. You will repeat with the rest of the dough balls until they all look like bagels.
- Once you have shaped all 12 bagels, place a towel over the top of them and let them rest and rise for 30 minutes.
- While the bagels are rising, preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- During this time, start boiling 6 cups of water in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the water.
- Once the bagels have finished rising, boil them for 2 minutes on each side, being careful to not splash yourself while turning them. Don't crowd them in the pot. I usually do 3 bagels at a time.
- Using tongs or a mesh stainer, remove the bagels after boiling one at a time and allow to rest while you finish boiling the rest. Once they are cool enough to handle, you can dip (or sprinkle) one side of the bagel into your choice of toppings and place back on the parchment paper.
- Bake at 425 °F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
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