Sourdough Discard Bagel

5 from 1 vote

These chewy Sourdough Discard Bagels are a perfect use for your leftover sourdough starter! They have a crisp, chewy crust and soft crumb, perfect for slathering with cream cheese! Homemade bagels are easier to make than you think!

Prep Time2 10

Cook Time30

Total Time2 40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: Bagels

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Lynn Polito

Equipment

Ingredients

3 ½ cups Bread Flour or All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 ½ cups Warm Water
2 ¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 cup Sourdough Discard
½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water and the yeast. Let that sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
Add the flour, sugar, salt, and sourdough discard. Turn the stand mixer on medium speed. Mix the dough for 5-6 minutes until a smooth ball forms.
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it sit for 60-90 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. The dough is quite wet, so use more flour if necessary.
Shape each of the pieces into balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Stick your finger in the middle of the ball and shape it into a bagel. Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add one tablespoon of honey to the water. The water should be a slight boil, not a rolling bowl.
Add 2-3 bagels to the pot and boil for 30 seconds on each side. The dough will be sticky, so it's easy to cut the parchment paper and all the dough and the parchment paper into the water. When you flip the bagels after 30 seconds, remove the parchment paper from the bagel dough. It will come off easily.
Remove the bagel from the boiling water. If you are adding a topping to the bagel, do that now. Then continue boiling the bagels. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until the bagels are golden brown.

Notes

Once the dough has doubled in size, you can cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. The next day, cut the dough into pieces and shape them. Let the bagels rise for another 45 minutes and then boil them.
For an even bake, rotate the baking sheet halfway through the baking process. This will lead to even baking on all the bagels.
Allow the bagels to cool before cutting into them. If you cut the bagels while they are piping hot, the crumb with be gummy and not pleasant. It might be tempting to have a hot bagel, but cooling it is worth the wait.
Once the bagels are cooled, place them in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container. They will last for 3-4 days. Then they should be frozen.

Nutrition