If you’ve been looking for a cozy, bakery-style breakfast that also helps reduce kitchen waste, these sourdough discard cinnamon raisin bagels are exactly what you need. Soft on the inside, perfectly chewy on the outside, and filled with warm cinnamon spice and sweet raisins, they taste far better than store-bought bagels — with surprisingly little hands-on effort.
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Uses up sourdough discard in a delicious, practical way
- Soft, chewy texture just like a bakery bagel
- Warm cinnamon flavor with pops of sweet raisins
- Mostly hands-off time thanks to simple rising steps
- Family-friendly and freezer-friendly for easy breakfasts
Even if you’ve never made bagels before, this recipe breaks the process down into simple, approachable steps.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 teaspoons yeast
- 1½ cups sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons honey (heaping)
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups raisins
For boiling:
- 2–3 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Step 1: Make the Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water, yeast, sourdough discard, honey, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the raisins and knead for about 2 minutes.
The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and feel slightly spongy. If it’s too sticky, add a little flour. If it feels dry, add water a tablespoon at a time.
Step 2: First Rise
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size — about 2 hours.
Step 3: Shape the Bagels
Cut 8–9 small squares of parchment paper. Divide the dough into equal portions (about tennis-ball size). Roll each piece into an 8-inch rope, wrap it around your hand, and twist the ends together to form a ring. Place each bagel on a parchment square.
Step 4: Second Rise
Place the shaped bagels on a baking sheet and let them rise for 30–45 minutes until slightly puffy.
Step 5: Boil the Bagels
Bring water to a rolling boil and add brown sugar and baking soda. Gently place each bagel into the water (parchment-side up). Peel off the parchment once it releases. Boil for 1 minute per side, then transfer to a cooling rack to drain.
Step 6: Bake
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer bagels to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden brown. Cool before slicing and toasting.
Tips & Variations
- Use bread flour for extra chewiness
- Swap raisins for dried cranberries or currants
- Add cinnamon sugar topping before baking for extra sweetness
- For softer bagels, brush lightly with melted butter after baking
Serving Ideas & Storage
Serve these bagels toasted with butter, cream cheese, or honey. They store well at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. Slice before freezing for easy toasting.
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Easy Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8–9 bagels 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Soft, chewy sourdough discard cinnamon raisin bagels with warm spice and sweet raisins—bakery-style results in about 3–4 hours (mostly hands-off rise time). Perfect for breakfast, toasting, and freezing.
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
4 tsp active dry yeast
1½ cups sourdough discard
2 tbsp honey (heaping)
2½ tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1½ cups raisins
For boiling:
2–3 quarts water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking soda
Instructions
1. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, add warm water, yeast, sourdough discard, honey, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Mix on low until combined (about 30 seconds).
2. Add raisins and knead about 2 minutes more, until dough pulls away from the bowl and feels slightly spongy.
3. If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time. If too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time.
4. Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
5. Cut 8–9 small squares of parchment paper and set aside.
6. Divide dough into 8–9 equal pieces (about tennis-ball size). Lightly flour hands if dough is sticky.
7. Roll each piece into an 8-inch rope, wrap around your hand, and twist the ends over/under to seal into a ring.
8. Place each shaped bagel onto its own parchment square. Set all bagels on a baking sheet.
9. Let bagels rise in a warm spot 30–45 minutes, until slightly puffy.
10. Bring 2–3 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add brown sugar and baking soda.
11. Carefully lower one bagel (with parchment) into the water, bagel-side down. Peel off parchment once it releases.
12. Boil 1 minute per side, then transfer to a cooling rack to drain. Repeat with remaining bagels.
13. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
14. Place drained bagels on the prepared baking sheet and bake 20–25 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
15. Cool before slicing and toasting. Enjoy.
Notes
Parchment squares help the bagels keep their shape when moving to the boiling water.
Drain on a cooling rack after boiling—don’t set on a flat surface or water can pool and turn the bottoms mushy.
For chewier bagels, swap some or all of the all-purpose flour with bread flour.
Storage: keep airtight at room temp up to 2 days, fridge up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months (slice before freezing for easy toasting).
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Boil & Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bagel
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~290 |
| Protein | 9g |
| Carbs | 56g |
| Fat | 2g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sodium | 420mg |
Final Thoughts
These sourdough discard cinnamon raisin bagels prove that homemade baking doesn’t have to be intimidating. With simple ingredients and a relaxed timeline, you get bakery-quality bagels that are comforting, practical, and perfect for slow mornings or make-ahead breakfasts.