So I am a level 1 sorcerer with a cha of 20. This gives me a bunch of bonus spells including levels much higher than I can cast. So my question is what happens to these bonus spells before I can cast them. For example, could I use a level 4 bonus spell slot to cast a maximized burning hands? If I had the spell and feat obviously. If I can't apply the metamagic feat to anything beyond the spell level I can cast, can I at least use the level 4 spell slot to cast a level 1 spell?
You don't gain the bonus spells until you are of a high enough level to cast that spell.
So as a 1st level sorcerer you would gain your 2 first level bonus spells. Once you reach level 4, and thus the ability to cast 2nd level spells, you would then gain your level 2 bonus spell.
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No. You only get the bonus spells if your class level grants you access to those spell levels. You can't even use them for lower-level spells. See page 16, Abilities and Spellcasters section: "In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of a high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level. "
For example, a 1st-level wizard with 18 Intelligence has (according to table 1–3: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells) 1 bonus spell at spell levels 1, 2, and 3. However, he can only use the 1st-level bonus spell because as a 1st-level wizard he only has access to 1st-level spells (his class-based number of 2nd- and 3rd-level spells per day are "—", meaning "no access to spells of this level"). As soon as he becomes a 3rd-level wizard, he gains access to his 2nd-level spell slots and can use that bonus 2nd-level spell slot from his high Intelligence, and likewise for 3rd-level spells and bonus spells at wizard level 5.
Basically, ignore the columns for higher-level spells on table 1–3: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells until your class grants you access to those spell levels.
