Sourdough Discard Bagels

These homemade sourdough discard bagels are the perfect balance of chewy and soft. The recipe was specially developed through months of testing to ensure that they are still tasty for several days after they're made, too!

A Quest for Soft Bagels (that stay soft!)

The challenge I ran into in my bagel journey, was that the very best bagels out there are most enjoyable when they're fresh out of the oven, but chewy like shoe-leather not too long after.

I needed a bagel that tasted great fresh, but also was still enjoyable a few days later. And I'm happy to report after months of testing, I landed on a nice soft and chewy bagel. The trick was finding the right ratio of water to flour.

What is Sourdough Discard?

You get sourdough discard when you feed a sourdough starter. You typically need to discard a portion of it before feeding it with fresh flour and water to keep it active and healthy.

Obviously no one likes to waste food, so you can add the discard into various baked goods, such as pancakes, waffles, crackers, and bread recipes, to impart that distinct sourdough flavor and health benefits of sourdough.

However, discard is NOT active starter, so it won't cause breads to rise. Thus why in this recipe and a lot of sourdough discard bread recipes, you'll see use of active dry yeast.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Bagels

Thanks to conventional yeast, these bagels come together in under 3 hours including proofing time.

1. Step 1: Bloom the yeast then add all the bagel ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until a shaggy dough ball forms. Let the shaggy dough rest 10 minutes. The dough will seem dry, but trust the process. Resting will allow it to become more workable. After 10 minutes, knead for 8 minutes until you dough is smooth.

2. Step 2: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough has risen to double in size.

3. Step 3: Punch down the dough ball and divide into 8 equal pieces (I weigh the whole dough and divide by 8 to then measure out each portion - you don't need to be that precise).

4. Step 4: Take each portion and roll it into a 5 inch rope, then twist the rope (to create surface tension on the outside of the bagel).

5. Step 5: Secure the ends and roll to make it seamless.

6. Step 6: Place the formed bagels on a baking sheet to proof.

7. Step 7: Once the bagels have puffed up, they're ready to boil.

8. Step 8: Boil the bagels in your water and molasses mixture, working in batches, boiling each bagel 20 - 30 seconds per side. Brush each with egg wash and any desired toppings.

9. Step 9: Bake the boiled bagels at 475F for 10 - 15 minutes until they're golden. If you have an instant read thermometer, they're done when the internal temperature is 200F to 210F.

Tips for Perfect Homemade Bagels

Don't Over-Boil Your Bagels

This was where so many recipes led me astray when I first started messing around with bagels. I saw folks boiling for a minute or more on each side. Which, if you love that super duper chewy, shoe-leather effect, go for it. But, I find 20 - 30 seconds each side to be total perfection. A hit of chewy exterior, a nice touch of color, that's all ya need.

High Heat Is Key

Want that lovely golden brown color on your bagels? The molasses in the boiling water helps. The sugars caramelize when baking.

But the other key is a hot hot oven. I tested at 400F and 425F and my bagels came out more blonde in color. 475F or 500F if your oven goes that high will give you a nice rise and signature golden color.

Make Ahead

I love to prep these bagels in the evening and bake them off the next morning. To do that, just follow the directions up to the point of shaping your bagels. Then instead of letting them puff up at room temperature, cover them with plastic wrap and stick them in the refrigerator overnight. The cold temperature will slow down the second rise process.

In the morning, just preheat your oven to 475F and get the water boiling. I boil the bagels directly from the refrigerator and then proceed with baking per the recipe. They're outta this world enjoyed fresh!

Freezing Bagels

They also freeze exceptionally well. Once they've cooled, I pre-slice them, stick them in a freezer bag and freeze them up to three months for optimal freshness. When you're ready to enjoy, pop them into the toaster to reheat and enjoy.

You can also freeze them unsliced and just let them come to room temp naturally in a bread box or plastic bag to help them retain their moisture.

I always have a stash of bagels, a sliced loaf of sourdough sandwich bread and cottage cheese blueberry muffins in the freezer to make weekday breakfasts and lunches easier.