Description
These New York-Style Sourdough Discard Bagels are a delicious way to use your sourdough starter discard. Featuring a chewy interior and a golden crust, these bagels are boiled and baked to perfection with a hint of sweetness from maple syrup or honey. Perfect for a breakfast treat or a snack, they can be customized with your favorite toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or dried onion flakes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard (fed or unfed)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
Other Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for greasing)
- 1 tablespoon baking soda (for boiling water)
- 1 tablespoon malt syrup or honey (for boiling water)
- Optional toppings: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, or coarse salt
Instructions
- Activate yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm water, maple syrup (or honey), and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy to activate the yeast.
- Mix dough ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the sourdough discard, yeast mixture, and salt. Stir to combine evenly.
- Add flour gradually: Gradually add bread flour, ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition until a dough forms.
- Knead dough: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Shape bagels: Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then poke a hole in the center and stretch to form classic bagel shapes.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Boil bagels: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add baking soda and malt syrup (or honey). Drop each bagel into the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Drain and place on baking sheet: Remove bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add toppings and bake: Sprinkle the bagels with desired toppings and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Allow the bagels to cool on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
- For best results, use bread flour for a chewier texture, but all-purpose flour will work.
- If you don’t have malt syrup, honey can be used as a substitute in both the dough and boiling water.
- Boiling the bagels before baking creates their characteristic shiny crust and chewy interior.
- Feel free to customize with various toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt before baking.
- Bagels can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
