Summary

I donโ€™t mean to be dramatic, but these changed my life. Much like my sourdough discard sandwich bread, you can make these in one day by using sourdough discard and commercial yeast! I love low maintenance recipes that arenโ€™t intimidating. Plus delicious!

โค๏ธ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Bagels

I’ve tried many bagel recipes before landing on this one, and when I finally got it right I was shocked at just how easy it is to make bagels at home. The best part is that you can make it all in the same day. There is no need for a second rise, and you can top it with just about anything. One recipe essentially makes 4 different bagels.

๐Ÿฒ 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.

Flour – All-purpose flour, which I have learned is not only a kitchen staple, but a kitchen necessity.

๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ How to Make Sourdough Discard Bagels

These really couldn’t be any simpler to make. First you throw all of your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (yeast included, there is no need to activate it). In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the sourdough discard and water until it turns milky. Turn your stand mixer to low and slowly add in the sourdough starter mixture until the dough starts to come together. Keep it in the mixer, or knead by hand for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 2 hours. Split the dough into 8 large pieces, or 10 smaller ones. Roll into balls and poke a hole in the middle to make the bagel shape.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add in the sugar and baking soda. Place your bagels into the water and let boil for 30 seconds, flip over and let them boil for another 30 seconds. Remove from the water and place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Top with the toppings of your choosing; I do everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon sugar, and cheese. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool slightly and make a bagel sandwich or spread some whipped cream cheese on top. You really can’t go wrong. You have to try these!

๐Ÿช„ Tips and Tricks

  • When making your bagel shape, stretch the hole in the middle wider than you think you’ll need. It will shrink during the boiling and baking process.
  • Add your toppings to a different dish and dip your bagels into them, instead of sprinkling the toppings on top. It makes for a more even distribution on top.

๐Ÿ—’ Variations

  • Cinnamon Raisin bagels
  • Blueberry bagels
  • Stuffed Bagels


๐Ÿ—’ Substitutions

There aren’t many ways to make substitutions to this bagel because the ingredients are so simple to begin with. But if you wanted a chewier texture to the bagel you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour for bread flour.


๐Ÿ—’ Best served with

  • eggs and bacon in the morning for breakfast
  • whipped cream cheese with a drizzle of honey

๐Ÿ‘ 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 it 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.

๐Ÿค” Common Questions

Do I have to boil the bagels?

I would say, YES. This ensures for the most even bake and sets up the dough before it goes into the oven.

Sourdough bagels topped with seasonings and cheese on a white plate
4.96 from 63 votes

Sourdough Discard Bagels

Print recipe
Quick and easy bagel recipe that uses your sourdough discard
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Resting time:2 hours
Total Time:2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 ยพ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 TBS sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 ยผ tsp active yeast
  • 1 cup sourdough discard
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • cinnamon sugar topping
  • everything bagel seasoning topping

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer add flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine.
  • Add sourdough discard to warm water and stir, on low speed. Add water + discard to the flour mixture. Increase to medium speed and knead dough for 4-5 minutes.
  • This is a fairly sturdy dough so add more water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Transfer dough to greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit on counter to rise for 90 minutes – 2 hours. Or until doubled in size.
  • On a lightly floured surface, transfer dough and separate into 8 equal pieces. Roll into individual dough balls, press finger into middle and form your bagel shapes.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Boil large pot of water and when boiling add 1 TBS of baking soda + 1 TBS of sugar to boiling water. Place bagels in and let boil on each side for 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Remove bagels and let cool.
  • Top bagels with egg wash and toppings of your choice. (I did mozzarella cheese, everything bagel seasoning and cinnamon sugar).
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting, and enjoy!ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Sourdough Discard
Servings: 8
Calories: 236kcal
Cost: $5

Sign Up for a ๐Ÿ†“ Free โ€‹Digital Seasonal Soup Book

Similar Posts

4.96 from 63 votes (23 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




86 Comments

  1. I canโ€™t wait to make these and use up some of my discard! Can you share how much salt to use? Thank you so much!

  2. 5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe! So so much! Thank you so much. Iโ€™ve shared it with my friends and they definitely love it too!!

  3. 5 stars
    These are so easy to make, and they come out so delicious each time! This was the first discard recipe I made with my sourdough, and I keep coming back to it because it is that good!! Thank you for the recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve made these probably 10 times and they are flawless every time. Thank you thank you thank you!! ๐Ÿ™

    1. 5 stars
      I LOVE this recipe! The bagels taste amazing and the texture is just right! My only issue is the first time I made it, they came out perfect. However, the following 3 times, the tops have cracked after boiling. Iโ€™m not sure Iโ€™ve done anything different. Do you have any recommendations or ideas? Thank you!!

  5. 5 stars
    I made everything & cinnamon sugar bagels. Whew. These are phenomenal. I even love the process of making them. They are chewy and have the perfect outside texture as well. Would definitely recommend them! I uploaded into my fitness pal under โ€œDiscard Bagels AOSโ€ for anyone who may need. Thank you Courtney!!

  6. 5 stars
    Last summer I gave up on bagels. I just couldnโ€™t get them right. But your recipe solved that AND gave me something new to do with my discard. Thank you! Weโ€™re going to be enjoying bagels regularly from now on!

    1. 5 stars
      These are amazing! I used grated Parmigiano Regiano and extra old cheddar. Super tasty. ๐Ÿ‘Œ Heed Courtenay’s advice. When she says make the hole bigger, make it WAY bigger than you think it should be. LOL.

      I’m also away from home for the winter, so kneaded by hand for 6 minutes, and slapped the dough about ยฝ dozen times, test for window pane.

  7. 5 stars
    So yummy. My kids ate them right up and I love how simple they were.
    One question, if I made them blueberry, when do you add them?

  8. 5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic. I really hate wasting discard. I was looking around for discard bagel recipes and came across this one. Itโ€™s so much better than my go to regular non-discard sourdough one, Iโ€™ll use it from now on. I love that I donโ€™t have to let it rise overnight. The insides are perfect texture, like a bagel shop bagel. They are perfectly chewy.

    What is the purpose of the baking soda in the water bath?

    Thanks.

  9. 5 stars
    These are so good!!! My son who is extremely picky said they are better than Einstein bagels. The texture (which he is very sensitive to is perfect!) I was wondering if I could prep this ahead? Could I let them rise and shape them the night before and put in fridge? Then boil and bake in am, or would they go flat?

  10. This was my first time using sourdough discard and first time making bagels!!! Turned out great. Some of mine looked more like dinner rolls lol but thatโ€™s user error and I learned a lot and canโ€™t wait to make more!!

  11. 5 stars
    I’ve made these several times & have always loved them. Yesterday, I used all bread flour for a chewier bagel & used brown sugar instead of regular sugar in the water bath. I thought the brown sugar would caramelize a little better. These are over the top!!! Yes, they baked up with a beautiful bronze finish & the inside is even chewier than the original. Thank you for a great recipe, even though I played with it a little bit!

  12. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! Iโ€™ve made it twice, first time I baked it a little too long and it was a bit dense. Second time I made just it was the right consistency for the dough and watched the oven like a hawk when they baked and they turned out bomb!

  13. Hi Courtney! I have lots of discard in my fridge but some of it is a few months old. Can I still use this discard? Itโ€™s not fresh but has been in the fridge the whole time or should I throw it out and use fresh discard? Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. As long as there is no mold, your starter is good! There may be a layer of liquid hooch on top, just pour that out, give your starter a good stir and you’ll be good to go ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. 5 stars
    These were amazing!!!! I will NEVER buy a bagel again! Thank you so much for sharing!
    Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside! PERFECTION! ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. 5 stars
    Made these three times and they get better every time. I make a herb & garlic parmesan topping. 8 bagels equal to 122 grams per dough ball. Thank you for the recipe!

  16. Iโ€™ve seen where in other recipeโ€™s youโ€™ve said that cinnamon can break down the dough a bit.
    If you wanted to add it to the dough and not just on top, when would be the best time?

  17. If I just fed my discard yesterday and it’s been in fridge since lastnight, can I just take out what is needed for this recipe and use it today?

  18. 5 stars
    I just made these bagels – fantastically easy and they came out perfectly! I mixed 1/3 wholemeal flour and 2/3 normal flour as I have a wholemeal starter. I put sunflower and flax seeds on some and EBTB seasoning on others. They have become the โ€˜bread orderโ€™ from my husband in front of the wholemeal sourdough I normally bake!!
    (BTW in the recipe I think there is a small typo – add 1TSP of baking soda and then 1 TSP sugar or honey (it says boiling water)
    Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe! A winner!

  19. 5 stars
    Excellent instructions! Made the bagels yesterday times four batches. The whole family loves them. Thank you so much!

  20. 5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe! The dough is so lovely to work with and they turned out beautifully! Thank you for the recipe!

  21. 5 stars
    We love making these!! They are fantastic every time! Do you think you can freeze them for later? Thank you!

  22. Have you ever frozen the bagels after theyโ€™ve cooled? Being a household of one, donโ€™t want them to go to waste.

    1. Yes! They are good in the freezer for up to three months, and if you want bagels in the morning just let them thaw overnight on the counter ๐Ÿ™‚

  23. 5 stars
    Tried them last weekend and they were amazing.
    I was wondering whether you have tried putting the dough into the fridge after the rise (before shaping the bagels and boiling)?

  24. I accidentally used dry yeast instead of instant. Newbie here. I didn’t know there is a difference! Did I ruin them? ๐Ÿ™

  25. 5 stars
    This is the best bagel recipe! And a perfect way to use up some of that sourdough discard. Iโ€™ve made this recipe a dozen times now; itโ€™s a weekend staple in our house!

  26. 5 stars
    I made these today.. I mean I’m literally writing this review while eating a bagel. They turned out perfect!! I personally did only about 20 seconds per side in the boiling water. I baked them just oven 25 minutes to get a more golden crisp and wow thanks so much for this recipe it will be in my rotation!

  27. 5 stars
    OMG! They are so delicious. Way better than any commercial bagel and they taste just as good (if not better) than those I’ve had from bakeries and bagel shops. And they are easy enough that I will no longer be buying bagels. Thank you!!

  28. 5 stars
    I’m excited to try this recipe! wondering if I use active starter should I omit the yeast? and how would I alter the rise times? Appreciate all your delicious recipes ๐Ÿ˜‹

  29. 5 stars
    The bagels were delicious exactly what you expect a bagel to taste like inside and out. I will definitely be making this my go to anytime I want to make bagels.

  30. 5 stars
    These were delicious!!
    I have a few family members asking for the recipe but they donโ€™t use/have sourdough discard. What would be different in ratio if that were omitted?
    Thank you!

  31. Good morning – Iโ€™d like to make onion bagels and I presume I use dehydrated onion. So do I hydrate the onion in a bit of water and then put it on top of the bagels or do I put it on dried?

  32. 5 stars
    I have made the discard bagels before and loved them, thankyou! My question is can I make them with active starter? I think I have seen that comment on another recipe but I can’t recall which recipe addressed this question and if it would apply to other recipes.

  33. I am looking for the recipe for the bagels that you allow to rise overnight. This recipe on website is different. Where is the overnight version?

  34. 5 stars
    Wow these are amazing! ๐Ÿคค I’ve tried other recipes but this will definitely be my go to from now on. Thank you! โค

  35. 5 stars
    I donโ€™t think I ever need to make any other recipe for bagels. These turned out insanely good my first attempt and are a hit in my home, fantastic.

  36. 5 stars
    Did these last weekend and they were a huge hit! I think I over baked them because the bottoms were a bit crunchy but that was my favorite part. They were huge and so fluffy! I did plain, ETBTB and cheddar. This weekend I wanna try onion, jalapeรฑo (maybe with cheddar) and cinnamon raisin. But because those are all mix ins Iโ€™m gonna have plenty to freeze. I definitely need to work on the shaping a bit but never did I think they would be so simple and delicious!