Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
Based on one of the most popular recipes on my page, these bagels are foolproof, quick to make, and packed with cozy fall flavor thanks to cinnamon sugar and real pumpkin. They’re chewy, golden, and just sweet enough to feel special
Once you try them, you won’t need to buy bagels from the store again. They’re that good.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
These Pumpkin Bagels are perfect for the fall season and the easiest bagels that you will make. These are a family favorite and usually don’t last a full day at the house before little hands run by to gobble up every single one. These are a breakfast you can feel good about, and they can be made in less than a few hours.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – This is just inactive sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. It is equal parts flour and water that has already risen and fallen and now can be added to a multitude of recipes.
Water – Warm, filtered water.
Flour – Most all of my recipes use All-purpose flour because I have learned it is not only a kitchen staple, but a kitchen necessity. Almost everyone has a bag of all-purpose flour in their pantry, no matter how much they bake.
Yeast – Instant or Active yeast will work for this recipe. Linked is the one I love and recommend!
Pumpkin Puree – Trader Joes Organic Pumpkin Puree is our family’s favorite.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – Trader Joes Pumpkin Pie Spice.
👩🍳 How to Make Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
- In a stand mixer, add in all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon), and active yeast. Mix together until all incorporated.
- In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together water, sourdough discard and pumpkin puree until the mixture is fully combined.
- With the stand mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Knead for 5-8 minutes.
- Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a bowl cover or tea towel for 2 – 2 ½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled, punch the dough down so it released the gas. Turn it over onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 8 large pieces or 10 medium pieces. Shape into balls and poke a hole directly into the middle, stretching lightly until there is a clear bagel shape. Transfer the bagels onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in 1 TBS of sugar and 1 TBS of baking soda. Depending on the size of your pot, add in 2-4 bagels at a time. Boil for 1 minute, flip over and boil for another minute.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Transfer your bagels back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Whisk the egg and brush the tops of the bagels.
- Let cool slightly, smear with your favorite cream cheese. I used cinnamon sugar cream cheese, and it was delightful. But honey + almond cream cheese, or maple cream cheese would be wonderful too!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Overnight method: you want to enjoy the bagels first thing in the morning, make your bagel dough the night before. Let it rise for 2 hours and then shape into bagels (or pumpkins) and place onto a baking sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest in the fridge overnight. In the morning, boil, bake and enjoy!
- Pumpkin shaping with butchers twine: After shaping bagels into rounds, tie each one loosely with kitchen twine into 6–8 sections (like spokes). Don’t tie too tight—bagels expand while proofing/boiling. Snip and remove twine after baking.
- Stem Decoration: After baking, press in a pecan half, pretzel stick, or cinnamon stick to mimic a pumpkin stem.
- Dust with cinnamon sugar after baking for a sweet pumpkin roll vibe.
- Fill with cream cheese, maple butter, or apple butter for cozy content photos.
- For savory versions, sprinkle with “everything” seasoning before baking.
- Add a little extra flour if dough feels too sticky—pumpkin adds moisture.
🗒 Variations
This is a variation of my regular sourdough discard bagel recipe.
- Sourdough Discard Bagels
- Blueberry Bagels
- Banana Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
- Funfetti Mini Bagels – Acts Of Sourdough
🗒 Substitutions
You can substitute the all-purpose flour for bread flour,
and the pumpkin pie spice with cinnamon.
🗒 Best Served With
- Breakfast
- Flavored Cream Cheese
- Autumn Brunch
👝 How to Store Leftovers
My favorite way to store any fresh bread product to ensure you get the longest shelf life out of it, is placing the bagels into a brown paper bag and storing it in a bread box or kitchen cabinet. I have had the most success with this method and the bread will last 4-5 days.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! If you were to prep this the night before to have bagels for breakfast -Mix the dough together, let it rise, make the bagel shapes and then cover and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning when you’re ready to make the bagels, boil and bake them the same way the recipe says.
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
Equipment
- Butchers twine optional, for pumpkin shapes
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 TBS sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 TBS baking soda for boiling
- 1 TBS sugar for boiling
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, add in all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon), and active yeast. Mix together until all incorporated.
- In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together water, sourdough discard and pumpkin puree until the mixture is fully combined.
- With the stand mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Knead for 5-8 minutes.
- Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a bowl cover or tea towel for 2 – 2 ½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- After the dough has doubled, punch the dough down so it released the gas. Turn it over onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 8 large pieces or 10 medium pieces. Shape into balls and poke a hole directly into the middle, stretching lightly until there is a clear bagel shape. Transfer the bagels onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in 1 TBS of sugar and 1 TBS of baking soda. Depending on the size of your pot, add in 2-4 bagels at a time. Boil for 1 minute, flip over and boil for another minute.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Transfer your bagels back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Whisk the egg and brush the tops of the bagels.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Let cool slightly, smear with your favorite cream cheese!
- (optional: if you are making these into pumpkin shapes. boil and bake with your butcher's twine and cut off with a pair of scissors when they are cooled)
Notes
- Dust with cinnamon sugar after baking for a sweet pumpkin roll vibe.
- Fill with cream cheese, maple butter, or apple butter for cozy content photos.
- For savory versions, sprinkle with “everything” seasoning before baking.
- Add a little extra flour if dough feels too sticky—pumpkin adds moisture.
