You're going to love making bagels at home thanks to this sourdough discard bagel recipe. Fresh bagels in about an hour, and they're the perfect balance of chewy, crusty, and flavorful. What a great way to put your sourdough discard to good use.
Recipe: $2.63 | Per Serving: $0.29 | Yields: 9 bagels
Whether you're new to baking or looking for an easy homemade bread recipe, these sourdough discard bagels will quickly become a family favorite. Get ready to impress your friends and family with chewy, delicious bagels that taste just as good as your favorite bagel shop.
This recipe is the perfect way to use up that sourdough discard you might be tossing away. Recipes like this one and our Rustic Sourdough Discard Bread and Sourdough Discard Banana Muffins help us to get the most out of our starters.
The best part is that you don’t need any special equipment or advanced baking skills, just a bowl, a spoon, and your hands!
Another reason we love this recipe is how frugal it is. With ingredients that are often already in your pantry, these bagels won’t break the bank and can save you from buying store-bought versions.
For a non-sourdough version, check out our delicious Bread Machine Bagels.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- No special equipment required – This recipe can be made with basic kitchen tools you already have on hand.
- Use sourdough discard – This bagel recipe makes great use of your sourdough starter discard, turning something you might normally throw away into a delicious treat.
- Customizable – Add-ins like grains, seeds, or fruit can be mixed in for extra flavor and texture.
🥘 Ingredients
Bread flour: Provides the necessary structure and chewiness that makes a great bagel. I recommend unbleached bread flour, but bleached will work fine too. Note that all purpose flour will have different results.
Instant yeast: This is what helps the dough to rise quickly, making the bagels light and airy. Without instant yeast, your bagels would take several hours to long ferment.
Sourdough starter discard: Provides a unique flavor and texture that store-bought yeast can't replicate.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Bread flour: You can use unbleached all-purpose flour as a substitute, though it might result in a slightly less chewy texture.
Honey: You can use honey, maple syrup, or even granulated/brown sugar. This is just enough to help feed the yeast without sweetening the bagels.
Egg: Used for egg-washing the bagels, giving them a beautiful, glossy finish. You can actually omit this and just brush the bagels with milk instead.
📖 Variations
Want to make your sourdough discard bagels a bit more exciting? Try adding one of these variations to give them a unique twist. Note that any toppings should be added after the egg wash as that will act as the glue to hold the toppings to the bagel.
- Cheese Bagels: Add shredded cheese to the dough or sprinkle some on top before baking for a cheesy crust.
- Cinnamon Raisin: Add cinnamon and raisins to the dough for a sweet, spiced bagel option. Similar to our Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Everything Bagels: Top your bagels with everything bagel seasoning before baking for a savory treat.
🔪 Instructions for Sourdough Discard Bagels
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add your warm water and yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes to proof. (Image 1).
Step 2: Then add in the bread flour, honey, salt, and sourdough discard. (Image 2).
Step 3: Mix the ingredients well until the dough comes together. (Image 3).
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth and non-sticky. Add more flour if necessary.
Step 5: Place the dough back in the bowl. (Image 4).
Step 6: Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 20 minutes. (Image 5).
Step 7: Divide the dough into 9-10 equal portions. (Image 6). Shape each into a bagel by punching a hole in the center. (Image 7). Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest/rise while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 425°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is at a rolling boil, uncover the bagels (Image 8) and grab a slotted spoon.
Step 9: Carefully lower each bagel into the boiling water for 15 seconds on each side, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Image 9). Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
Step 10: Beat the egg in a small bowl. (Image 10). Brush it over the bagels. (Image 11).
Step 11: Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. (Image 12). Allow to cool before serving.
Enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
- If your bagels haven't risen, they will sink. When boiling your bagels, don’t rush the process. Let them rest a few minutes after shaping to ensure they don’t sink when you drop them into the water.
- Watch the time. Depending on the size of the bagels, they make bake a little faster. Keep an eye on the bagels as they bake, and adjust the time for your oven. You want them golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Ideal bagel dough size. I like to weigh all my sourdough-related recipes, and I have made these bagels so many times over the years. I find that the ideal weight per dough ball is about 106- 110 grams.
🍳 Reheating
To reheat your bagels, slice them in half and pop them in the toaster or toaster oven until warmed and slightly crispy. You can also microwave them for 10–15 seconds if you're in a rush, but to retain the texture, toasting is best. For frozen bagels, thaw at room temperature or microwave for 30 seconds before toasting.
🥗 Side Dishes
Pair your homemade bagels with:
- A smear of cream cheese and a small dollop of strawberry jam for a classic breakfast.
- A fresh fruit salad like our Strawberry Blueberry Fruit Salad or Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Tomatoes for a balanced meal.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Store cooled bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze bagels in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Slice before freezing for easier toasting later.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Blueberries: You can fold in up to a cup of fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries. Fold them into the dough for a sweet bagel twist. Note, if using frozen, I recommend them being ones that were bought fresh and then frozen, not the kind in the bag pre-frozen. Those retain more moisture and will throw off the dough consistency.
Cranberries and Orange: You can even go so far as to add in dried cranberries and orange zest for some tasty Cranberry Orange Bagels. In fact, my recipe for those bagels includes tips to make them with sourdough.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Not for this specific recipe. The yeast works alongside the sourdough discard to ensure a reliable rise in a short amount of time.
However, if you’d like to skip the commercial yeast, you can use active, bubbly sourdough starter instead of discard and opt for a long, slow ferment. After mixing and kneading the dough, cover and place it in the fridge to chill overnight (8–12 hours). This slower fermentation gives the bagels a deeper flavor and allows the natural yeast in your starter to do the heavy lifting. In the morning, shape, boil, and bake as directed.
Bagels can flatten if over-proofed, under-kneaded, or not boiled long enough. Letting them rest before boiling helps them firm up and hold their shape.
Yes! If your starter is active and bubbly, it can be used, but the bagels may rise faster; adjust proofing time accordingly.
❤️ More Delicious Bagel Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Bagels, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Bagels
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups Bread Flour ($0.81)
- 3 Tablespoons Honey ($0.69)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant Yeast (one packet) ($0.63)
- 2 teaspoons Salt ($0.01)
- 200 grams Sourdough Starter Discard ($0.17)
- 1 ¼ cups Warm Water ($0.00)
- 1 large Egg ($0.32)
Optional Add-ins:
- Blueberries, grains, seeds, etc.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your warm water and yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes to proof.
- Then add in the bread flour, honey, salt, and sourdough discard.
- Mix the ingredients well until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth and non-sticky. Add more flour if necessary.
- Place the dough back in the bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 9-10 equal portions. Shape each into a bagel by punching a hole in the center. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest/rise while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is at a rolling boil, uncover the bagels and grab a slotted spoon.
- Carefully lower each bagel into the boiling water for 15 seconds on each side, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl. Brush it over the bagels.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- Recipe Tips: Let shaped bagels rest before boiling, bake until golden, and aim for 106–110g dough balls for best results.
- Add-Ins: Fold in up to 1 cup of fresh or home-frozen blueberries, or try dried cranberries and orange zest for a citrusy twist.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze sliced bagels for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Toast sliced bagels for best texture, or microwave 10–15 seconds (30 if frozen) for a quicker option.
Nicole Durham says
This is one of our favorite sourdough discard recipes. Perfect for quick and easy bagels with a fun sourdough twist.