Not sure what to to with your sourdough discard or have extra starter that’s been hanging out in the back of the fridge for a little too long? Use it to make a small batch of these homemade sourdough discard bagels. An easy mini bagel recipe to make at home when you don’t want to wait in line for a dozen.
Grab your starter because this recipe is worth saving the discard.
Sourdough discard bagels
Regular bagels contain instant yeast to help the dough rise. This sourdough bagel recipe uses the discard leftover from feeding a sourdough starter.
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A New Yorker that makes her own bagels & why you should try too
Save yourself a trip to the bagel store. This recipe makes a small batch sourdough discard bagels. If you want more than 4 bagels you can easily adjust the recipe up. But as is, it won’t leave you with dozens of bagels to spare.
Create less kitchen waste by reusing your sourdough discard in recipes, like this one here or try this sourdough pretzel bites recipe.
Not as time sensitive as making sourdough. You won’t have to clock backwards or wait as long till you can take a slice of bread.
No mixer necessary. The entire dough recipe can be made by hand with a bowl and spoon.
The dough is easy to work with & the bagels are chewy on the outside and soft and on the inside.
You can customize them as much as you want with all your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
What you need to set up your bagel shop. For the best results, use a kitchen scale (metric) with to accurately measure the ingredients.
- sourdough discard – from an unfed starter (straight from the refrigerator) or the discard leftover from a feed
- Greek yogurt – plain/unflavored, whole milk
- bread flour – is mixed into the dough + you’ll need a little extra (about a teaspoon) when shaping the bagels to prevent it from sticking
- baking powder & kosher salt
- topping of choice – you can leave them plain, but they’ll look & taste better with a sprinkle of your favorite bagel seasonings, including everything but the bagel spice, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced garlic/onion (soak them in hot water to prevent burning).
How to make sourdough discard bagels
Prepare the dough
In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough discard (unfed starter) and yogurt.
Add flour, baking powder and salt.
Use a spoon to mix in the dry ingredients. It will come together into a shaggy dough.
Then switch to using your hands. Knead (inside the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated and forms a smooth ball of dough.
Ready to use or Cover and let the dough rest for up to an hour.
How to shape bagels
This recipe uses the ball technique to create the classic hole in the center of the bagel. Here’s what you need to do:
Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each one into a ball.
Working one at a time, use a finger to poke a hole in the center of the dough. Stretch it out from the center (with both hands) until the hole is ~2 inches.
Return to the parchment and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Carefully drop the bagels into the pot and boil for 1 minute on each side. (The bagels shouldn’t overlap so this will likely take two batches to boil all the bagels.) Remove with a slotted utensil (a fish spatula helps here) and return to the baking tray.
Add bagel toppings
As you remove each bagels, dip or sprinkle them immediately with your choice of seasonings. You can pour it over straight from the container or pour it onto the parchment paper and roll the bagel in it to coat.
If there’s a lot of leftover seasoning on the parchment paper (not coating any bagels), give the pan a gentle shake to slide the spice over to adhere to the bagels.
Ready to bake
Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. Rotating the pan halfway through.
Bagel orders
Now that the bagels are out of the oven, here are some ways to tasty toppings to try.
Spicy Chimichurri Sauce + a piece of cheese
FAQs & Helpful Tips
Yes, this recipe doesn’t include yeast. The sourdough discard is necessary.
The everything but the bagel spice can be replaced with your favorite bagel topping, including sesame or poppy seeds, coarse salt or even your favorite spice blend.
If you use minced garlic or onion, soak in some boiling water to rehydrate. This will help prevent it from burning in the oven. Drain off any excess water before adding the seasoning to the bagel.
Yes, boiling bagels before baking helps set the crust and aids developing the interior’s chewy texture. It also helps adhere the toppings without the use of an egg wash.
These bagels are best on the same day they are baked. They’ll last overnight but won’t taste as fresh the next day and you’ll likely want to toast them first.
Let the bagels cool completely. Leave the bagels whole or pre-slice them in half and place them into a freezer safe bag. Arrange them so they’re not all touching each other. That way they don’t freeze stuck together.
To reheat the bagels, allow them to thaw on the counter or in the microwave. Cut in half (if frozen whole) and use a toaster or pan over the stovetop to heat.
Pin for Later
Sourdough Discard Bagels
Leftover sourdough starter (discard) baked into a small batch of homemade, mini bagels.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (75 grams) unfed starter/discard
- ½ cup (115 grams) whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1¼ cups (150 grams) bread flour + more for dusting
- 1 Tablespoon (8 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon everything bagel spice
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough discard and yogurt. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Use a spoon to mix until combined into a shaggy dough. Knead (in the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated and forms a smooth ball. Cover and let the dough rest for up to an hour.
- Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, over high heat.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared parchment paper. Divide into four equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Use a finger to poke a hole in the center. Stretch it out (with both hands) until the hole is ~2 inches. Return to the parchment and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Lower the heat to keep the water at a simmer. Carefully drop the bagels into the pot. (May have to do this in batches.) Boil for 1 minute on each side. Remove with a fish spatula and return to the baking tray. Sprinkle with toppings.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Rotating the pan halfway through.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 bagelAmount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 740mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g
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