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Bagels and cream cheese is one of my favorite breakfasts

While store-bought bagels are fine, I love homemade bagels

These bagels are soft but also dense

Perfect for spreading cream cheese

But also great for other things

I made cheddar bagels into hamburgers and they were so yummy

This is a great recipe to make multiple batches and store most of in the freezer for another day

While I love baking, i will always make more and freezer prep if that is an option

That way I don’t have to make several types of bread every week

My family really enjoys this recipe so I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup sourdough discard

3.5 cups bread flour

1 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (one packet)

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp salt

Instructions:

Start by putting the water, honey, and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook

Let it be for 5 minutes

Then add all the other ingredients while leaving the flour until the end

Start mixing on low until the middle is starting to combine before slowly increasing the speed to medium

Knead in the mixer until the dough is smooth

If it is dry, add some water

If it is sticky, add some flour

You should end with a smooth dough that will stick to itself but is easy to handle

Put dough is a lightly oiled bowl and cover for an hour to double in size

Separate the dough into 8 pieces and roll into a bun shape

Stick your finger through the middle and squeeze the dough into a bagel shape

Place on a cooking sheet with parchment paper for an hour to rise again

With a half hour left, turn on oven for 425 degrees

Start heating a pot of water and add about a tsp of baking soda per liter (I don’t really measure this)

Bring water to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer

Add a few bagels to the pot but don’t overcrowd them

They should not be touching while they simmer

Let simmer for 30 seconds before flipping them and simmering for another 30 seconds

Then remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and return to the parchment lined cooking sheet

Brush the boiled bagels with egg wash before adding desired toppings

I do a mixture of regular, cheddar, and jalapeno cheddar

But I have added everything bagel seasoning before too

This part is completely up to you

Then put in the over for 20-25 minutes until the center is 210 degrees

Let cool before cutting

You can eat these right away or freeze for another day

Will these have a strong sourdough taste?

When you make the recipe according to the instructions, there is a light sourdough taste at the end

This is my favorite

If you want more sourdough flavor, the discard need to sit longer

One way to do this is by putting the dough in the refrigerator overnight before the first rise

This will increase the sourdough flavor

You can also use active starter and opt out of using the dry yeast

Then you can slow rise the dough

The longer the sourdough starter gets to develop, the stronger the sour taste

How long do the bagels last?

Since these bagels don’t have any preservatives, I try to use them in about 3 days or freeze them

If the freezer, they easily last a few months if I make sure the air is out of the bag to avoid freezer burn

Then all I need to do is defrost and eat them when I’m ready!