Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
Cozy up with pumpkin spice sourdough discard bagels! Chewy, warmly spiced, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar crust, its perfect for fall mornings!
Pumpkin season is the perfect time to bake up something special, and these sourdough discard pumpkin bagels are just the thing. With warm spices in the dough and a golden cinnamon-sugar crunch topping, they’re inspired by Panera’s famous Cinnamon Crunch Bagels, but made right at home.
Soft, chewy, and full of fall flavor, these bagels are perfect for toasting and spreading with cream cheese on a crisp autumn morning.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Great fall flavor – These bagels are packed with pumpkin, cinnamon, and spices!
- Easy recipe – A great use of sourdough discard that adds the perfect hint of sourdough flavor but is made quicker with the addition of instant yeast.
If you are looking for all things pumpkin spice to make with your sourdough starter, then you’ve come to the right place! These discard pumpkin spice donuts are utterly lovely, sourdough pumpkin bread is a classic recipe to try, and these sourdough pumpkin spice cookies are probably the best recipe I have ever created. Give them try!
How to make these bagels
Here’s a brief overview so you know what to expect when you make these. For the full set of directions, including ingredient amounts, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step one: Mix the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the wet ingredients until smooth. Add the spices and flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Knead for 6-8 minute until the dough becomes smooth and tacky.
Step two: Bulk fermentation
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled, about 1.5 – 2 hours. Please note that the pumpkin and the cinnamon will slow fermentation time, so it might take longer than a typical bagel recipe).
Step three: Shape
Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, poke a hole into the center ad then stretch into rings. Place the bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step four: Final proof
When all the bagels have been formed, cover the baking sheet and allow them to rise again until slightly puffy, about 20 minutes. While you are waiting, preheat the oven, prepare the cinnamon crunch topping, and bring a large pot of water to boil.
Step five: Boil and bake
Place bagels in the boiling water with sugar added, 1 or 2 at a time, boiling for only 1-2 minutes per side, before returning to the baking sheet. Lightly brush each bagels with egg wash and then generously sprinkle and press the cinnamon crunch topping on each one.
Bake the bagels for 18-25 minutes, or until the bagels are golden brown, glossy, and the topping is crisp and caramelized. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe uses bread flour, which helps to give the bagels the correct texture and structure. Substituting with all purpose flour will NOT yield the same results.
- Do not replace the pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie filling, as it contains sugars, spices, and additional ingredients which will trow off the dough. Only use pure pumpkin puree.
- Boiling the bagels in sweetened water helps to create that signature chewy texture. If you skip this step, they will have more of a roll-like texture.
- Since the pumpkin adds extra moisture to the recipe, using a digital thermometer is the best way to check and see if they are done without overtaking them. The internal temperature of the bagels should be 200-205 F.
Storage information:
These bagels are best eaten the same day they are baked, or the day after. The combination of the pumpkin and the cinnamon topping shortens the shelf life. You can freeze pre-sliced bagels that have been individually wrapped for longer storage.
Reheat or toast in a toaster oven, oven, or air fryer. I tend to avoid toasting this in a traditional toaster because of the cinnamon crunch topping, which causes things to be quite messy.
Serving suggestions
The topping is rather delicate and it does tend to crumble when slicing. I suggest using a very sharp serrated knife, being as gentle as possible. And when topping comes off, I just crumble it back on top of the cream cheese.
I like serving these with plain cream cheese, but you could also serve them with honey or maple butter or even a cinnamon cream cheese for more fall flavor.
Sourdough is better when shared
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bagels
Ingredients
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together sourdough discard, pumpkin, warm water, yeast, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and bread flour (start with 520 g / 4¼ cups).
- (Tip: Make sure the pumpkin and discard are room temperature to avoid slowing the rise.)
- Fit a stand mixer with a dough hook and mix on low until the dough comes together.
- Increase to medium speed and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1½ to 2 hours.
- (Pumpkin and spices slow fermentation, so this rise may take longer than a typical bagel recipe.)
- Overnight option: After mixing, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. The next day, bring to room temperature for 30–45 minutes before shaping.
- Punch down and divide into 8 equal pieces.
- Shape into balls, poke a hole in the center, and stretch into bagel rings.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise again until slightly puffy, about 20–30 minutes.
- (If your kitchen is cooler, this may take longer — bagels should look plump and lighter before boiling. They don’t need to double, but shouldn’t feel dense when picked up.)
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon crunch topping until crumbly.
- Bring water and brown sugar to a boil. Boil bagels 1–2 minutes per side, then return to the baking sheet.
- Brush each bagel lightly with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle and press the cinnamon crunch topping generously over each.
- (Some topping will naturally fall off when spreading — this is normal. Be sure to use parchment paper for easier cleanup.)
- Bake for 18–25 minutes, checking at the 18-minute mark. Bagels should be golden brown, glossy, and the topping crisp and caramelized. The internal temperature should read 200–205°F when done.
- Cool on a wire rack before slicing