These Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bagels are a holiday favorite and packed with cranberry flavor. This recipe uses dried cranberries, so there is a sweet note to these bagels, which makes them perfect for breakfast or brunch.
These are very similar to my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, so check those out if you like another sweet bagel option!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Bagels are an easy weekend bake! Once you realize just how easy it is to make homemade bagels, you may never run out to the store for bagels on the weekend again. Try these Sourdough Discard Bagels and Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels, too!
- This recipe takes less than 30 minutes of hands-on time. Most of the time making this recipe is rise time.
- Bagels freeze well! Enjoy a few now and freeze the rest for later!
- This recipe is made with sourdough discard, but you could easily modify to make with active sourdough starter if you prefer.
- If you're looking for other winter recipes, try this Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Loaf and these Sourdough Discard Shortbread Cookies.
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Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring these cranberry bagels together.
- Sourdough discard: The discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough discard with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part water and 1 part flour). If your sourdough starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Dried Cranberries: Using fresh dried cranberries (rather than berries that have been sitting in the pantry for over a year) will give you a better end result. If your dried berries are a bit old and seem extra shriveled, you can soak them in warm water for at least 20 minutes to help them puff up a bit before adding them to the dough.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - To make these bagels with active sourdough starter, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You will also need to increase the rise times.
- Using fresh cranberries - If you want to make these bagels with fresh cranberries, you can. Keep in mind that fresh cranberries are more tart, have less sugar then dried berries, and have more moisture. With that, you may want to add a bit more sugar to the bagels (1-2 Tablespoons), and 1 Tablespoon of orange zest to balance out the tart flavors.
- You might also like these Sourdough Cranberry Orange Muffins!
- Add walnuts - Reduce cranberries to ½ cup, and add ¼ cup crushed walnuts to the dough as you're mixing.
- If you're looking for other sourdough discard brunch recipes, try these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and these Sourdough Sweet Potato Waffles.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bagels
These cranberry bagels come together in a few easy steps! The full recipe with detailed direcionts is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl, if mixing by hand).
- Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Step 3: Transfer to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth. The dough should be completely soft and smooth, and not sticky. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
- Step 4: Divide the dough into 8-10 equal-sized pieces. For mine, 8 bagels were about 160g each.
- Step 5: Using one palm for friction, roll the dough into a ball. Use your thumbs to press a hole in the center of the bagel. Stretch this hole larger than you think it should be. Transfer to a baking sheet, then cover and let rise for the second time.
- Step 6: Boil the bagels for 15-30 seconds on each side. It's important here that the bagels float. Return to the baking sheet, then bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- Once kneaded, the dough will be soft and smooth and should not be sticky. If needed, add more flour or water (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired dough consistency.
- When dividing the dough, you can either use a kitchen scale to make perfectly equal-sized bagels or eyeball it. Both will work! Dividing the dough into 8 pieces will make large bagels, and 10 pieces will make smaller bagels.
- Make the center hole bigger than you think it should be. These bagels will rise and expand quite a bit, so you want to make that center hole much bigger than you think!
- Make sure the bagels pass the float test. During the boiling step, the bagels should float. This indicates that the dough has risen enough. If they don't, cover the unboiled bagels and let them rise for 10 more minutes, then try again.
- Make your bagels more or less crusty to suit your taste by boiling them for a shorter or longer amount of time. Boiling for less time will create a less chewy crust. Boiling for longer will create a chewier crust.
Passing the Float Test
When you put your bagels in the boiling water, they should float (this is called "passing the float test"). I recommend doing this with one test bagel first, so you can adjust if needed. If the bagel floats, it has passed the float test! And if the bagel does not float, then they're not yet ready to boil and need to take a bit more time to rise.
This recipe tends to make a heavier bagel (the add-ins are literally heavy), and can need a bit of extra rise time. That's ok! I often find that you need to give these bagels a "nudge" once they're in the boiling water to get them to rise to the surface.
If the bagels float: This indicates that the dough has risen enough and the bagels will be light and airy once they're baked. Go ahead and boil and bake the bagels as directed!
- A bagel is considered "passing the float test" if it floats right away, or even if it sinks to the bottom, then slowly floats back up to the top. Both of these options pass!
If the bagels do not float: This indicates that the dough is too dense and has not risen enough. If you boil and bake them now, your final bagels will be dense and chewy. Cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel again, and let sit for 10 more minutes to let the dough rise more. Then, try again.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: These bagels are best fresh! Once cooled, they can be stored in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat the bagels in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: These bagels also 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 FAQs
If you want to make these bagels with fresh cranberries, you can. Keep in mind that fresh cranberries are more tart, have less sugar then dried berries, and have more moisture. With that, you may want to add a bit more sugar to the bagels (1-2 Tablespoons), and 1 Tablespoon of orange zest to balance out the tart flavors.
They likely just need a little more time to rise! If your bagels aren't passing the float test in the boiling water (even after you "nudge" them to try to get them to rise to the surface), cover the unboiled bagels with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 10 more minutes. Then, try again.
You can let the first rise happen in the refrigerator overnight. When you're ready in the morning, let the dough come to room temperature, then shape, boil, and bake as directed.
More Sourdough Discard Bagel Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bagels or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 3 Tablespoons bread flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups water warmed to 110℉
Instructions
- Combine flour, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (the rest will be used in the boiling step), yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment*. Mix to combine.
- Add the sourdough discard, dried cranberries, and ground cinnamon. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the warm water until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes (or knead by hand) until a smooth dough forms. The dough should not be sticky. If needed, add more water or flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach the right dough consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 ½-2 hours at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Turn the dough onto a work surface and divide into 8-10 equal-sized pieces (you can eyeball this, or use a kitchen scale to measure exactly). 8 pieces will make 8 large bagels; 10 pieces will make 10 smaller bagels. For this recipe, I made 8 bagels, weighing about 160g each. Using one palm for friction, roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball with the seam-side against your palm. Press your thumb through the center of the ball to create the hole. Stretch the hole to reach your desired bagel shape (keep in mind these will rise and expand so make the hole larger than you think it should be).Place the bagels on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes while you prepare the next step.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220℃). Bring a pot with 2 quarts of water and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar to boil.
- Place the bagels in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds on each side**. The bagels should float (if not, see notes below). You can likely fit 2-3 bagels in the pot at a time, just make sure there is enough room for them to float openly as they will expand. Remove from the boiling water using a slotted spoon, shake off any excess water, and return to the baking sheets. If needed, you can reshape the bagels a little after they've cooled.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Jessica Vogl says
Love how these bagels are slightly sweet - they're the perfect winter bagel flavor!