Homemade Sourdough Discard Bagels

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Bakery-style sourdough discard bagels with a shiny crust and delightfully chewy center.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Proof Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: bagels

Calories: 203kcal

Before you begin: Warm the water to 110º F to 115º F (use a thermometer, hotter than 115º F kills the yeast). Pull the discard out of the fridge. Have your stand mixer ready with the dough hook attached.
Combine the warm water, brown sugar, and olive oil in a measuring cup. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Place the bread flour and instant yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low for 5 seconds to distribute the yeast.
Add the warm water mixture and the sourdough discard to the bowl. Mix on low until everything is moistened, about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle in the salt while the mixer runs on low.
Increase to medium-high speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid, speed 2 on a Bosch). Mix for 6 minutes. Adjust with a Tablespoon of water if too dry, or a Tablespoon of flour if too wet.
Form into a tight ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and proof in a warm spot for 30 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces (about 3 ounces each).
Shape each piece into a tight ball, then poke a hole in the center with your finger and stretch the hole to 2 inches wide.
Cover and let rest 10 minutes while you bring the water bath to a boil.

Bring 64 ounces of water to a boil in a wide pot. Add 2 ounces of honey or maple syrup and 1 Tablespoon of salt.
Preheat the oven to 425º F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and sprinkle with semolina or cornflour.
Boil the bagels 3 to 4 at a time for 30 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon to flip and lift them out. Place on the parchment-lined sheet pans.
Whisk the egg and water together. Brush each boiled bagel with egg wash, then sprinkle on toppings.
Bake at 425º F for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until deep golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Ingredient notes:

Bread flour gives the chewiest classic bagel texture. AP flour works but the bagels are softer.
The recipe uses 1 cup of sourdough discard added to my master bagel formula. To keep the hydration consistent with the master recipe (53%), the added water is reduced from 16 oz to 14 oz. Dough behaves identically to the master, no shaping or proofing differences.
For active dry yeast, use the same amount (14g) and proof the dough 90 minutes instead of 30 to 60.

Pan options:

Two parchment-lined half-sheet pans hold 18 bagels comfortably.
Sprinkle the parchment with semolina or cornflour after boiling to prevent sticking.

Make-ahead and storage:

Mixed dough in the fridge (before first proof): up to 24 hours. Let come to room temperature 30 minutes before shaping.
Shaped bagels in the fridge (overnight method): up to 24 hours. Boil and bake straight from the fridge.
Frozen unbaked bagels: shape, freeze on a sheet pan for 2 hours, bag, up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge before baking.
Baked bagels at room temperature: up to 2 days in a paper bag.
Baked bagels in the freezer: slice in half first, wrap individually, up to 3 months. Toast straight from frozen.

Substitutions:

Active starter swap: 1 cup active starter at peak instead of discard AND reduce yeast to 7g. Proof 60 to 90 minutes.
Buttermilk for water swap: not recommended, water is what gives bagels their lean chewy character.
Whole wheat: up to half the bread flour swapped for whole wheat. More than half makes the bagels too dense.
Flavor variations: see the Make This Recipe Your Own section above for 12 variations (everything, cinnamon raisin, jalapeño cheddar, blueberry, etc.).

Critical do-nots:

Don't skip the boil. The boil creates the chewy shiny crust. Skip it and you get bread rolls.
Don't make the hole too small. It shrinks during boiling and baking. 2 inches wide minimum.
Don't use water hotter than 115º F. Kills the yeast.
Don't slice warm bagels. Steam trapped in the crumb makes them gummy. Wait 20 minutes.
Don't use plastic bags to store baked bagels. Traps moisture and softens the crust. Paper bag or tea towel.