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Sourdough Discard Bagels

Homemade sourdough discard bagels made with sourdough discard have a deliciously chewy texture. They’re the perfect way to start a morning or for use in breakfast sandwiches.
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Ingredients

  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast 9 g
  • 1 cup warm water 236 g
  • 1 cup sourdough discard 285 g
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup 42 g
  • 2 teaspoons salt 10 g
  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 560 g

For Boiling the Bagels

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

  • Whisk the warm water and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. It should get nice and bubbly
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the sourdough discard, honey, salt, and flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 5-10 minutes.
  • Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, beeswax wrap, plastic wrap, or a wet tea towel. This keeps it from drying out on top.
  • Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size. The amount of time can depend on how warm your kitchen is.
  • After rising, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. These absolutely do not need to be perfect, but they will each be about 137-140 grams.
  • Roll each piece of dough into balls, flatten them down a bit, and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Stretch the hole a bit to widen. Cover with a tea towel and place the dough in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until puffy.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C), prepare your water bath, and place parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda and sugar.
  • Using a slotted spoon, gently add bagels to the boiling water. Boil for one minute, flip, then boil for another minute.
  • Shake off excess water and dip into desired toppings (optional). Place boiled bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds, everything but the bagel seasoning, or even some brown sugar.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Move to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

To achieve that typical chewy crust that bagels are known for, boiling is a must. It seems like a silly step, but they just won't be the same without it.
If you are sensitive to baking soda, you can just boil the bagels in sugar.
The dough may be hard to mix together, but don't give up. It will come together eventually.
Lisa Bass is a mother of 8, homeschooler, and homesteader on 7 acres in Missouri. She shares from-scratch recipes, her Victorian farmhouse, and natural living articles on her blog Farmhouseonboone.com
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