These Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels are light and fluffy, packed with fresh blueberries, and have a slight sourdough tang. They're slightly sweet, perfect for breakfast or brunch, and are an easy variation of my Sourdough Discard Bagels recipe.
If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, try these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Waffles, and this Sourdough Discard Apple Pull Apart Bread.
If you're looking for a different bagel flavor, try these Sourdough Discard Bagels in a variety of different flavors:
And if you're new to working with sourdough, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- These bagels are made with fresh blueberries, but can also be made with frozen berries if you prefer! We coarsely crush or purée the blueberries to try to get maximum flavor into the bagels.
- Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels are slightly sweet and perfect for breakfast or brunch.
- This recipe is a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard, but you can also make an easy modification to use active sourdough starter if you prefer.
- Bagels freeze well so it's easy to enjoy a few while they're fresh, and freeze the rest to enjoy later!
Ingredients
I recommend making this recipe with fresh blueberries, but it can also be done with frozen berries. As long as you have sourdough discard, you are well on your way to making these blueberry bagels!
- Bread flour: Using bread flour gives these bagels a crustier exterior. In a pinch, you can use all-purpose flour but know that your bagels will be softer and less crusty.
- Granulated sugar: You will use 1 Tablespoon of sugar in the dough and then 2 Tablespoons of sugar in the water bath when you boil the bagels. The boiling step helps give the bagels a crusty, sweet exterior.
- Instant yeast: Even though we're using sourdough discard, we still need to use a leavening agent (in this case, yeast) to ensure the dough rises predictably.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe.
- Blueberries: I highly recommend using fresh blueberries to make these bagels. We will coarsely crush or purée the blueberries to get as many as possible (and as much flavor as possible) into the bagels! It also works best if the blueberries are room temperature (not cold, right from the fridge).
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
I finally worked up enough courage to try making these. Fantastic recipe! Very easy to follow. Thank you!
- Erica
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to make these bagels with active sourdough starter, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitution). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
- Add blueberry extract - The flavor from the blueberries in the bagels is subtle and may not be what you experience at your favorite deli, for example. If you want even more blueberry flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of blueberry extract!
- Use frozen blueberries - If you're using frozen blueberries, let them thaw before coarsely crushing or puréeing the berries. This will help ensure that you're accurately feeling the water content of the dough. You may find that you need to add some additional water to the recipe when using frozen berries, as they will have lost some of their water content.
- Boil with honey - This recipe boils the bagels in water with 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, but you can also substitute that sugar with honey or agave nectar.
A note on dried blueberries: You can use dried blueberries to make this recipe, but frankly I don't recommend it. The water content changes a lot with the dried berries (i.e. you'll need to add more water), and I find the final flavor is not as good!
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to Make Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels
Kneading the dough (and getting the right consistency) is the hardest part, but you'll have this recipe ready to go in no time!
Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon).
Coarsely crush or pulse to purée the blueberries in a food processor. I like to leave some chunks here - it doesn't need to be completely smooth! Measure this carefully: you want to use 1 cup of crushed blueberries.
Add the crushed blueberries, sourdough discard, and water to the bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. Add more water or flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) if needed. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and let rise for 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough onto a work surface and divide into 8 equal-sized pieces. This doesn't have to be exact (but if you want them to be exact, you can measure each piece on a kitchen scale).
Using your palm to create friction, roll each piece into a ball. Use your thumb to press through the center of the dough ball and stretch to form a hole. Make the hole bigger than you think it should be - this will shrink as the dough bakes and expands. Cover and let the bagels rest for 20 minutes.
Boil the bagels for 15-30 seconds on each size. Shake off any excess water and transfer to your baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
Expert Baking Tips
- Crushing or puréeing the berries allows us to incorporate more berries into the dough, and more accurately measure the amount of liquid in the dough.
- A previous version of this recipe used whole blueberries, that were then crushed during the kneading process. This will work! But it's hard to know just how much liquid will be released by the berries (it's a lot!).
- Use room-temperature blueberries. If your berries are cold (right out of the fridge), this will really slow down your rise.
- Make sure you knead the dough long enough. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. This will give your bagels the correct look and texture!
- Make the center hole larger than you think it should be. The bagels will expand quite a bit during the boiling and baking processes, so make it a bigger hole than you think!
- The boiling step is crucial for forming the crust. Boiling for a longer time will give you a thicker crust.
- Bagels freeze very well. I always eat one or two fresh, and then freeze the rest to enjoy later!
Troubleshooting with Bagels
There are a few common issues that come up when baking bagels.
- Dough is too wet / too dry: After you knead the dough, it should be fairly sturdy (but not hard) and not sticky. If the dough is too wet, add 1 Tablespoon flour at a time until the dough smooths out. If the dough is too dry, add 1 Tablespoon water at a time until you can make a smooth dough.
- Bagels are sticking to the parchment paper: There are a few things that could cause this.
- First, make sure to shake off the excess water after boiling the bagels. Excess water can make the bagels sticky.
- Check the type of parchment paper you're using. Some are not designed for higher baking temperatures (and we're baking at a high temperature for this recipe!). I recommend using this parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (such as a Silpat mat).
- Lastly, some ovens (like mine) heat unevenly and are hotter on the top or the bottom. Make sure to flip and rotate your pans while baking so the bagels on each pan bake evenly!
- Bagels look shaggy after baking: If your bagels are looking shaggy and not smooth after baking, the dough was not kneaded for long enough. Make sure to knead until you have a smooth dough!
- Center hole has completely filled: This means the hole was not shaped to be large enough. Remember that the dough rises and expands quite a bit! Stretch the hole to be larger than you think it should be.
Equipment
I like to make the dough in a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer, but this can also be made in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Use a kitchen scale to measure and weigh the sourdough discard. You'll need a large bowl to let the dough rise, then two baking sheets, a large pot for boiling water, and a cooling rack.
I recommend using a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the bagels from the boiling water.
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Half-Sheet Baking Pan
Perfect for everything from bagels to pretzels to pizza night!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: These bagels are best fresh, of course! Once cooled, they can be stored in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for up to three days. Reheat the bagels in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: These bagels freeze well! Once fully cooled, transfer the bagels to a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in individual plastic bags so I can reheat just one bagel whenever I like. Reheat frozen bagels in the microwave for about 60 seconds until warm and soft again.
Recipe FAQ
Sourdough discard is what is left over after you feed your sourdough starter. You can either literally discard this (in the trash or compost), or use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one!
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth guides on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
Yes, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough stater (1:1 substitution). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
Yes! See the "substitutions" section above for directions on how to adapt this recipe for frozen blueberries.
Sourdough discard is not as active as the active sourdough starter. Therefore, you need to use a leavening agent (in this case, yeast) to make sure the dough rises predictably.
I recommend freezing them! Once fully cooled, transfer the bagels to a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in individual plastic bags so I can reheat just one bagel whenever I like. Reheat frozen bagels in the microwave for about 60 seconds until warm and soft again.
Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups bread flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries at room temperature
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Combine flour, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook*. Stir to combine.
- Coarsely crush or purée the blueberries in a food processor. You will need 1 cup (220g) of crushed berries.
- Add the sourdough discard and crushed blueberries to the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the warm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough to a work surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until a smooth dough forms. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If needed, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and divide into 8 equal-size pieces. Using the palm of your hand, roll each piece into a smooth ball. Use your thumb to press through the center of each ball, stretching the hole to form your bagel shape. Make this hole larger than you think it should be - the dough will expand quite a bit while boiling and baking. Lightly cover the bagels with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap to rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the next step.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Bring a pot with 2 quarts of water and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar to boil.
- Place each bagel in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds on each side**. You can likely fit 2-3 bagels in the pot at a time, but make sure there is enough room for them to float openly. Remove the bagels from the boiling water using a slotted spoon or spatula, letting excess water drip off, and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. If needed, you can reshape the bagels a little after they've cooled.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool fully before slicing and serving.
Deb Malay says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it about 10 times. I was making bagels with the fed sourdough starter, and this is so much easier and faster! I did add the blueberry extract this time, had to order it, could not find it in my town I’m hoping it will be a little bit more blueberry flavored. So easy to make! Thank you, Jess, for the recipe!
Jessica says
I've made these with discard and they turned out great. I was curious if I make them with active starter should I also take out the sugar that is added to the flour in the first step? Or is that sugar necessary? I've also made your cinnamon raisin discard bagels and they are yummy! Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
So glad you loved them! I would keep the sugar (to feed the yeast in your active starter).
Linda R says
Made these today with fresh starter, which clumped when I mixed it with the flour and blueberries. The added water did nothing to correct it. I proceeded with the recipe, but the bagels rose slowly and after an hour left to rise they sank when I put them in the boiling water. Eventually they rose and I baked them. The flavor is good, but they are way too hard. I only tried it with two. The other six I left in the hopes that they will rise eventually. If I make these again, I will mix the starter and warm water together before adding to the blueberries and flour.
Debbie says
These look amazing, I like to bake with weighing my ingredients so clicked on that option and it says 150g of blueberries in us measures it says 1 1/2 cups and in your written instructions you say 1 cup 220g. So I just wanted to get clarification, how many grams of blueberries should it be 150g or 220g please and Thank you
Can’t wait to bake these
Jessica Vogl says
Good catch! 220g would be the correct measurement. I'm updating that now!
Lindsey says
I love love love this recipe!! This is maybe a stupid question but my starter unfortunately bit the dust this weekend so discard isn’t an option. However I absolutely LOVE these bagels!! Any idea if I can adjust it to make it without discard? I know these are literally discard bagels but I figured I’d ask
Merri Leach says
I thought these were really tasty!! I missed a step (the main rising of 90 minutes!), but formed into bagel shaped, then let rise on a cutting board placed on a heating pad. This is my first time of making bagels, let alone sourdough discard bagels. I will likely make these again (and follow the directions correctly!! ) 😉
Ann says
I made these, today. Very good! I will definitely make these, again. They remind me of Einstein’s Bros Bagels, which are my favorite. These are just as good - even better!
Brenda Bishop says
I made these last week. They turned out great! They were the third blueberry bagel recipe I’ve tried. This recipe is a keeper. Also made the pretzel bites for the Super Bowl. I have tried several different recipes for these as well. Will look no further. Thank you.
Jenifer says
I think my dough was a bit drier than it should’ve been, but overall they still turned out good! they were a bit tougher to work with but that’s my bad. definitely recommend 🙂 i made the holes in mine a bit bigger just because that is how i prefer them.
Kimberly Stuart says
Could you substitute the same amount of strawberries instead of blueberries?
Jessica Vogl says
Ohhh interesting! I haven't tried it, but this should work! Just keep an eye on the water content of your dough as you're kneading - it may need a little more flour or warm water (1 Tbsp at a time) if the dough is seeming to wet or too dry. Blueberries have a very high water content, but I'd imagine that strawberries are close to the same.
Kimberly Stuart says
Thank you so much! So far I’ve made the blueberry, plain, and cinnamon raisin bagels and they have turned out perfect! I’ll definitely try the strawberry and let you know. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes!
Desiree says
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh? Thank you
Jessica Vogl says
Yes. If you're using frozen blueberries, let them thaw before coarsely crushing or puréeing the berries. This will help ensure that you're accurately feeling the water content of the dough. You may find that you need to add some additional water to the recipe when using frozen berries, as they will have lost some of their water content.
Amanda says
I attempted this recipe and for some reason my dough didn’t rise well and then when I tried boiling them, they sunk to the bottom ☹️
Jessica Vogl says
Oh no! If they don't pass the float test, that means they need some more rise time. Sorry to hear these didn't work out for you!
Olivia Smith says
I made these but accidentally forgot the sourdough discard, they were still yummy
Brooke says
Truly incredible! I’ve been making weekly batches although they are definitely all eaten before then!
Jessica says
If our bagel sinks can we just let them rise on the pan for longer and try again later?
Jessica Vogl says
If your bagels aren't floating, cover the unboiled bagels with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, let rise another 10 minutes, then try again. If they've already been boiled, you don't need to boil them again (and you can still bake them).
Devon Tarewicz says
Wonderful bagel recipe! If I mix the dough in the evening, can it go into the fridge after proofing for 90 minutes. I would love to wake up, portion, shape, boil, and bake in the morning.
Jessica Vogl says
You could let that first rise happen in the fridge overnight, yes. And then in the morning, shape / boil / bake as directed!
Brittany says
My kids love all off the different bagels I’ve made thanks to you!! So thank you so much!!
I do have a question… When I made the blueberry bagels, they didn’t have a blueberry flavor. What do you think I did wrong? lol. Is there something I can do to bring out the blueberry taste?
Jessica Vogl says
Thank you!! I've tried to pack as many berries into this recipe as possible, but if you want even more blueberry flavor, you could always add blueberry extract!
Maryann says
I've made these twice now, it's a keeper! They came out grest! Thank you so much for posting it!
Megan says
I'm a first time sourdough discard baker. I haven't even made my forst loaf yet. My starter is just a week old. Thus recipe for blueberry bagels was AWESOME! My bagels came our darn near perfect! My fiancé loved them so much that he ate 2. I wonder how you would make coffee bagels? Perhaps add the grounds to the dough? Any ideas? I can't wait to try the pretzel ones and the crackers and the brownies! I want to try them all. Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
So glad they worked out for you! Coffee bagels is an interesting idea. I suppose you could use brewed coffee in place of the warm water (I'm personally not a coffee drinker, so not sure how much coffee flavor you might want in there, but could be a fun experiment!). I wouldn't use the grounds - those will likely still taste grainy in the dough if they're never brewed.
Anita Gilmore says
I want to make these bagels with dried blueberries, my grandson won’t eat fresh blueberries in baked goods. Do I need to change the amount of water?
Jessica Vogl says
Yes, you will need to add more water. It's almost more like making cinnamon raisin bagels (adding that link here, just for your reference: https://www.thisjess.com/cinnamon-raisin-sourdough-discard-bagels/). You might need as much as 1 cup of water (or more, this is a guess!). I'd start low and just add more water until your dough reaches your desired consistency.
Maryann says
Made these today and they were outstanding! This is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!