These Sourdough Discard Stuffed Bagels are a fun brunch treat or afternoon snack filled with cream cheese! They're also great for kids or eating on the go (picnic, anyone?). Fill them with your favorite cream cheese flavor and change up your toppings for an easy customization.
Looking for a traditional bagel? This recipe is a variation of my Sourdough Discard Bagels recipe.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy weekend bake! Once you make homemade bagels once, you'll realize how easy they are you may never run out to the store for bagels on the weekend again!
- Looking for some other bagel options? Try these Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, and Sourdough Discard Bagel Bites, too!
- This is a same-day recipe with one rise, and you'll have fresh bagels to enjoy in just a few hours.
- This recipe is made with sourdough discard, but you can easily modify to make them with active sourdough starter if you prefer.
- They freeze well so it's great to make a batch and then freeze the bagels to enjoy throughout the week.
- Pick your cream cheese flavor and toppings to suit your taste! Try sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, or flaky sea salt!
- In a savory mood? Try these Sourdough Discard Rosemary Salt Bagels, too!
Jump to:
Ingredients
There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to bring these stuffed bagels together.
- 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.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Cream cheese: Choose a block (or tub) of cream cheese in your favorite flavor! I find the block very easy to divide and work with. I do not recommend whipped cream cheese.
- This recipe does not work well with dairy-free cream cheese. The texture is different and tends to melt away completely while the bagels are baking. I don't reocmmend it, unfortunately!
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 like to make this recipe with active sourdough starter, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You will also need to increase the rise times.
- Active Dry vs. Instant Yeast - You can use either active dry or instant yeast to make this recipe. Active Dry yeast needs to bloom on a warm liquid before it's added to the other ingredients, whereas Instant Yeast doesn't need to be bloomed.
- To use active dry yeast in this recipe, let the yeast bloom on the warm water for 5 minutes before you continue adding the other ingredients. If the yeast does not bloom, the yeast is dead and you will need to start over with fresh yeast.
- Use flavored cream cheese - This is great with plain cream cheese, but also works well with flavors! To note, I do not recommend whipped cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese for this recipe.
- Use different toppings - Try flaky sea salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, and more!
- Looking for some protein-packed breakfast recipes? Try these Sourdough Discard Protein Bagels and Sourdough Discard Protein Waffles (with cottage cheese).
How to Make Sourdough Discard Stuffed Bagels
There are only a few key steps to bring this recipe together. The full recipe with detailed directions is at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Combine all the ingredients for the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Step 2: Knead by hand until you have a smooth, slightly tacky dough. Transfer for a large, oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Step 3: While the dough rises, divide the cream cheese into 12 equal-size portions. Roll into balls in the palm of your hand, then place in the freezer.
- Step 4: After the rise, divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces using a kitchen scale.
- Step 5: Press each piece into a rough circle, approximately 4 inches in diameter.
- Step 6: Place one of the frozen cream cheese balls in the center of the dough.
- Step 7: Gather the dough around the cream cheese and press the seams closed so that no cream cheese will leak out while baking.
- Step 8: Roll the stuffed bagel into a ball in the palm of your hand. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover. Let rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the next step.
- Step 9: Boil the bagels for 30 seconds. They should float! See notes below on "passing the float test."
- Step 10: Brush the bagels with egg wash, then sprinkle with your chosen toppings. Bake until golden brown.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use metric measurements for at least the flour and sourdough discard. These are two ingredients where there can be a huge variation in using cups vs. metric measurements. Using a kitchen scale for metric measurements for at least these two ingredients will set you on the right path!
- Once kneaded, the dough will be smooth and soft, and maybe slightly tacky as it goes into the first rise.
- This dough has a little more liquid than my Sourdough Discard Bagels so it's easier to shape and actually close the dough around the cream cheese. If your dough is too stiff (not enough liquid), it's harder to shape the dough around the cream cheese.
- When you shape the bagels, make sure to seal the seam completely so no cream cheese melts out. And if there is a thin spot in your dough, that's where the cream cheese is likely to burst out.
- Boil the bagels for about 30 seconds. If you go for longer, you're running the risk of melting the cream cheese, and making it more likely to leak while baking.
Passing the Float Test
When you put your stuffed 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 yet ready to boil and need to take 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.
- Sinks to the bottom, then slowly floats back up to the top.
- Sinks to the bottom, but then begins floating when you nudge it with a spoon.
If the bagels do not float: This indicates that the dough is too dense and has not risen enough yet. If you boil and bake them now, your final bagels will be dense and chewy. Cover the unboiled bagels with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest for 10 more minutes. Then, try again.
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Homemade bagels are best fresh, of course! Once cooled, store them in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator 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 stuffed 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 FAQs
They're accurate! I use the metric measurements for my own baking, especially with the flour and sourdough discard, so I recommend you do the same! There can be such a huge variation in cups measurements, particularly for those two ingredients.
Unfortunately, I find that this doesn't work. The size of the bagel (and amount of dough) is important to fully encase the cream cheese, and also protect the cream cheese from completely melting during the boiling and baking steps. With smaller bagel bites, it's more likely that the cream cheese leaks out or melts while baking.
I have a recipe for Sourdough Discard Bagel Bites, too, if you want to try them without a cream cheese filling!
You can use any flavor of cream cheese, but I do not recommend using non-dairy cream cheese or whipped cream cheese. Those types have a different texture and melt differently, making it more likely that the cream cheese melts completely away while baking.
More Sourdough Discard Bagel Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Stuffed 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 Stuffed Bagels
Ingredients
- 4 cups 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
- 1 ¼ cups + 1 Tablespoon warm water
- 8 ounces cream cheese
For Topping
- 1 egg white + 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
- Toppings optional
Instructions
- Combine flour, 1 Tablespoon 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 until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes until a smooth ball forms*. This will be a fairly sturdy dough, but soft (not sticky). You may need to add more water or more flour (1 Tablespoon at a time), depending on your sourdough discard, to reach the right dough consistency.Note: the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar will be used during the boiling step.
- Grease a large bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, divide the cream cheese into 12 approximately equal-sized portions (dividing a block of cream cheese is easiest, but you can also make 1-Tablespoon portions from a tub of cream cheese). Roll each piece into a ball, then place in the freezer.
- After rising, turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and divide into 12 equal-sized pieces using a kitchen scale. To do this, measure the weight of your full dough, then divide that number by 12. For me, each piece was about 90g each.
- Flatten each piece into a rough circle approximately 4 inches in diameter. Place a frozen ball of cream cheese in the center, and gather the dough around the cream cheese. Press the edges together to completely seal the cream cheese inside and roll the dough in the palm of your hand to make it round. Place the stuffed bagel balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover 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. Bring a pot with 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a boil.
- Place your stuffed bagels in the boiling water for 30 seconds. 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. Remove from the boiling water using a slotted spoon or spatula and return to your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If needed, you can reshape the bagels a little after they've cooled.
- Whisk together the egg white and 1 Tablespoon of water to create the egg wash. Lightly brush the bagels with egg wash, then sprinkle with your toppings (optional) such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.
Jessica Vogl says
These are so fun (to eat and to make), and I love that you can use any cream cheese flavor for the filling!