I love a good mashup recipe and these Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels are the perfect combination of two favorites! My Sourdough Discard Bagels and Sourdough Discard Pretzels are two all-time favorites, so it's a match made in heaven! They have the soft interior and shape of a bagel, and the crusty, salty exterior of a soft pretzel.
If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out these Sourdough Discard Rolls, this Sourdough Discard Focaccia, and these Sourdough Discard Pretzel Buns.
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This recipe combines two all-time favorites: Sourdough Discard Bagels and Sourdough Discard Pretzels. You'll get a soft, bagel interior with a crusty, salty pretzel exterior!
- This is an easy recipe that is great for kids or beginner bakers.
- Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels freeze well. Enjoy a few now, and freeze the rest for later!
- You can easily modify this recipe to be made with active sourdough starter instead of discard, if you prefer.
- You can think of these like pretzel buns when it comes to serving. They're great for sandwiches, with eggs for brunch, and more!
Ingredients
There are just a few pantry staples that you'll need to bring these bagels together!
- Bread flour: Bread flour is the base of these bagels, and will give us a more crusty exterior than using all-purpose flour.
- Instant yeast: Even though we are 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 adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Baking soda: You will use ⅔ cup of baking soda in the boiling step. Yes, this is a lot of baking soda. No, this is not a typo! This boiling step and the baking soda is what gives the bagels their classic pretzel exterior, so don't skip this!
- Egg wash: You will make an egg wash that is 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon of water. This will help the flaky sea salt stick to the bagels, and also helps with some of the dough's final baked color. If you're not baking with eggs, there are some substitutions listed in the section below.
- Flaky sea salt: I like to use Maldon Sea Salt to finish the pretzel bagels. You could also use pretzel salt, but I do not recommend using regular table salt (the granules are too small).
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 - If you'd rather use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitute). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
- Egg alternatives - If you're not baking with eggs and want to avoid the egg wash, you can use melted butter or even water in place of the egg wash. You could also use a liquid vegan egg substitute (like Just Egg). The point of the egg wash is to help the salt stick to the dough, so anything that will achieve the same purpose will work well!
- Make the Pretzel Bagels larger or smaller - This recipe makes 8 large bagels, but you could easily divide the dough into more pieces (16 or even 24 pieces) to make mini Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels.
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 Pretzel Bagels
There are just a few easy steps to bring this recipe together! For the first half, think of the recipe like you're making bagels. For the second half, think of it like you're making pretzels, if that helps!
- Step 1: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl) until you have a shaggy dough.
- Step 2: Knead by hand until a smooth, soft dough forms. Transfer to a large, oiled bowl and let rise for 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Step 3: Divide the dough into 10 equal-size pieces. I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure each piece.
- Step 4: Using the palm of your hand for friction, roll each piece of dough into a ball (seam-side down).
- Step 5: Use your thumb to press a hole in the center of the bagel. Stretch this hole using two fingers, until it's larger than you think it needs to be. The bagels will rise and expand a lot during boiling and baking.
- Step 6: Boil the bagels in a pot of water with baking soda for 1 minute on each side. This is what gives the bagels their classic pretzel exterior.
- Step 7: Lightly brush the bagels with egg wash.
- Step 8: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then bake until golden brown (like a pretzel!). Let cool, then slice and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to knead the dough long enough. The dough should be completely soft and smooth before the first rise. If you don't knead long enough, your final bagels will look a big shaggy or uneven in texture.
- Be patient with the rise. Rise times can vary based on the temperature of your room. Dough will take longer to rise in cool room, and less time to rise in a warm room.
- Make the holes larger than you think they should be. The dough will rise and expand a lot during the boiling and baking processes, so make the center hole of the bagel larger than you think it should be. There is almost no such thing as "too large" here.
- Make sure the bagels pass the float test. If they don't float when you add them to the boiling water, cover them and let rise another 10 minutes, then try again.
- Don't forget the sea salt! Combined with boiling in baking soda, the flaky sea salt is what gives these bagels their pretzel-like exterior!
Passing the Float Test
When you put your bagels in the boiling water, they should float (which 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 ready to boil and need a bit more time to rise.
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: If the bagels sink to the bottom and say there, this indicates that the dough is too dense. 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 a little more. Then, try again.
A note on boiling time: Boiling the bagels for longer will give them a thicker crust. Boiling the bagels for a shorter amount of time will give them a thinner crust.
How to Serve Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels
Think of these like a pretzel bun. They're delicious with eggs, to make a sandwich, spread with cream cheese or butter, and more. You could also treat them like a soft pretzel and tear pieces to eat with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce or this Beer Cheese Dip!
Equipment
I like to use a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer to mix the dough, but this is optional. You can also make the dough in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand. Use a kitchen scale to measure your sourdough discard and divide the dough.
To boil the bagels, you'll need a large pot (such as this Staub Cocotte), a slotted spoon or spatula, and two half-sheet baking pans lined with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Use a silicone brush for the egg wash.
kitchen essentials
My Favorite Flaky Sea Salt
This flaky sea salt is perfect for bagels, pretzels, focaccia, and more!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: These Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels are best fresh, of course! If you're going to eat them quickly (the next day or so), keep them in a paper bag at room temperature. Reheat the bagels in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: These Pretzel 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 FAQ
Yes! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active sourdough starter (1:1 substitute). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
If your bagels aren't floating in the boiling water, cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 10 more minutes. Then, try again.
Yes. Boiling in baking soda is how you get that classic pretzel exterior. Also, boiling for a longer time will give you a thicker crust.
If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.
Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 200 grams (about ¾ cups) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
For Boiling
- 10 cups water
- ⅔ cup baking soda
For Topping
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tablespoon water to make an egg wash
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Combine flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer* fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix to combine. On low speed, add the sourdough discard and water, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead by hand for 3-4 minutes until a smooth ball forms. This will be a fairly sturdy dough and should not be sticky. You may need to add more water or more flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach the right dough consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface and divide into 10 equal-size pieces. This does not need to be exact, but I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure and divide the dough if you do want them to be exactly the same (mine were about 109g each).
- Using one of your palms for friction, roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Use your thumb to press through the center of each ball, stretching the hole to form your bagel. Stretch this hole larger than you think it should be - the bagels will rise and expand quite a bit during boiling and baking. Cover the bagels with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the next step.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. Bring 10 cups of water and ⅔ cup baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
- Place your bagels in the boiling water for 1 minute 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 or spatula, shake off excess water, and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. If needed, you can reshape the bagels a little after they've cooled.
- Whisk together the egg yolk with 1 Tablespoon water to create the egg wash. Lightly brush the bagels with egg wash, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
cj says
Love these! Used “baked” baking soda for the boiling step, it’s a stronger alkaline (closer to lye, the traditional but lowkey dangerous method) and gives even more of the pretzel flavor and crust!! They taste great either way though!
Teresa says
Tried these today & they are next level YUM! Is the egg wash necessary to get the deep brown color?
Jessica Vogl says
So glad you loved them! It does help with the color and helps the salt stick to the surface.
Elizabeth says
Can you use all purpose flour for this recipe? I'm running dangerously low on it lmfao
Jessica Vogl says
You could. Bread flour will give you a better crust, but AP flour would work in a pinch.
Chris says
These were amazing! They are so good with cream cheese or with ham, cheese & honey mustard! I love all of your recipes
Margaret Gonzalez says
This is one of my favorite This Jess bagel recipes! I make it every Sunday to have on hand for breakfast for the week! Now this is a breakfast I look forward to! I switch the sugar for honey but that’s the only change I make and it works perfectly every time!