Sourdough Bagels
This easy sourdough bagels recipe makes the most delicious, chewy bagels you'll ever have!
Only a few ingredients and minimal steps are needed for this simple overnight recipe.
I'm so excited to share this bagel recipe with you guys! When I say it's the easiest sourdough bagel you'll ever make, I'm not exaggerating!
Just like our sourdough dutch baby, sourdough english muffins, and our soft sourdough berry sweet rolls, you'll love the minimal steps that stand between you and your sourdough dreams!
The topping choices are endless and you'll love the chewy texture and amazing sourdough flavor in every bite.
Making bagels has never been so easy, so let's get started!
Sample baking schedule
Before we dive into the details, let's look at a typical schedule for making these sourdough bagels.
For reference, the ambient temperature of my kitchen is 68°F (20°C). If your kitchen is colder, fermentation could take longer during each phase. If it's warmer, the phases will be shorter.
- 8 AM - Feed starter. (At 68°F my starter can be used in 8-12 hours)
- 8 PM - Mix bagel dough in a stand mixer, cover, and let sit at room temperature overnight.
- 7 AM - Divide bagel dough, shape, and cover with a tea towel.
- 7:30 AM - Prepare boiling water and preheat the oven.
- 8 AM - Boil bagels, add toppings, and bake.
If your kitchen is warmer than 70°F, the fermentation will be shorter than in the example above. You will need to keep an eye on your starter and your dough to make sure it does not over-prove.
In warmer kitchens, the sourdough starter could be ready to bake within as little as 4 hours.
Adjust the baking schedule to accommodate the ambient temperature of your kitchen. This can take some trial and error!
Step-by-step instructions
Make sure your starter has been fed and is active when you mix the dough. The starter is optimal when used at its peak in the jar!
1. MIX DOUGH AND FIRST RISE
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the starter, water, honey, and salt with a spatula.
- Add the bread flour and use your hands to bring the ingredients together as best as possible. The dough will be very stiff.
- Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours or until doubled in size.
2. DIVIDE AND SHAPE
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and use a bench scraper to divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and use your thumb to poke a hole into the middle of each piece.
3. SECOND RISE
Arrange the bagels evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with a tea towel, and let them rest for 30-60 minutes or until puffy.
- While the bagel dough is rising, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°) and prepare a pot of boiling water, at least 3" deep, with 1 tablespoon of sugar added.
4. BOIL BAGELS
- Boil the bagels, a few at a time, for 2 minutes on each side and place them back onto the parchment paper.
5. ADD BAGEL TOPPINGS
- Let the bagels cool off enough to handle them and dip one side of each bagel in your choice of topping, or leave plain. Place back onto a baking sheet.
6. BAKE
Bake the bagels for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.
Homemade bagel varieties
Try any of the following or a combination of them.
- sesame seeds
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- poppy seeds
- salt - sprinkle on top, do not dip!
- shredded cheese
Best bagel toppings
My favorite way to enjoy these sesame seed sourdough bagels is toasted and then topped with cream cheese and a ripe tomato slice. Here are a few other options!
- avocado and eggs over easy
- bacon, egg, and cheese
- sausage, egg, and cheese
- peanut butter and jelly
- Nutella
- ham and cheddar
- pizza bagels
- peanut butter and banana
- bagel burgers
- ham or turkey sandwich
Tips for Success
Why are bagels boiled before baking? Boiling the bagels quickly cooks the outside of the bagel which ensures that they hold their shape during baking.
Boiling also causes the starches to release and become gelatinous on the outside of the bagel. This sticky coating helps the toppings to stick before baking and gives the bagels that shiny, crispy exterior we all love.
Why do you add sugar to the water when boiling bagels? The sugar adds caramelization and crispiness to the outside crust.
If you don't have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes. The dough is very thick and requires a lot of elbow grease.
Don't have a kitchen scale to measure flour?
Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
Because flour is measured by weight in these recipes, if the flour is scooped straight out of the bag with the measuring cup, there will be more flour than is called for in the recipe.
Tips for baking in warm and/ or high humidity areas - When baking in high humidity and/or warmer areas, it's often a good practice to use less water and bake a little longer than the recipe calls for. Reduce the water by 50 grams in the initial mix and then slowly add the remaining water until you achieve the correct hydration level. You may need to bake the bagels a few minutes longer. This will take some trial and error!
How to store and freeze bagels
Store cooked bagels, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Storing in the fridge is not recommended.
To freeze baked bagels, let them cool completely. Wrap bagels individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat bagels, let them thaw on counter if frozen. Cut in half and heat in a toaster or toaster oven.
Other recipes you may like:
- einkorn sourdough bread
- slow cooker sourdough bread
- sourdough banana nut muffins
- sourdough banana bread
We really hope you enjoy this recipe. Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
Sourdough Bagels Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) water
Bagel Dough
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (255 g) water
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey (or sugar)
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 g) bread flour
Water Bath
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Optional Toppings
- sesame seeds
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- salt ( sprinkle on top, don't dip)
- poppy seeds
- shredded cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (The ingredients will create a total of 115 g active starter but, because some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the starter, water, honey and salt with a spatula. Add the bread flour and use your hands to bring the ingredients together as best as possible. The dough will be very stiff. Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes. (Or 10 minutes by hand.) Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours. (See notes for cinnamon raisin bagels.)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. To shape the bagel, place a dough ball on the surface in front of you and use your thumb to poke a hole straight down through the middle of the dough. Pick the bagel dough up, gently shape the ring and place on the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes or until puffy. (See notes about parchment paper.)
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) making sure that the oven rack in the center position. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Once the bagels have finished rising, boil them for 2 minutes on each side. (Only boil 3-4 at a time, making sure not to crowd the pot.)
- Use a mesh stainer to remove the bagels and let rest on the parchment paper until cool enough to handle. Once cool enough, dip one side into your choice of toppings and place back onto the parchment paper.
- Bake the bagels at 425°F (218°C) for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.
NOTES
- Parchment Paper: I recommend using Kirkland brand parchment paper from Costco. I've used it for years with zero sticking issues with any of my recipes. Flour the bottom of the bagels or the parchment paper after shaping them if you issues with sticking.
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. After kneading the dough, add ¾ cups of raisins and knead them into the dough to distribute evenly.
- How to measure flour without a scale: Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
- Tips for baking in warm and/or high humidity areas: Reduce the water by 50 grams in the initial mix and then slowly add the remaining water until you achieve the correct hydration level. You may need to bake the bagels a few minutes longer. This will take some trial and error!
- To Store: Keep baked bagels covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Storing in the fridge is not recommended.
- To freeze baked bagels: Let the bagels cool completely. Wrap bagels individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Freezing Unbaked Bagels: After shaping and letting the bagels rise, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for 1–2 hours. Once firm, transfer to a freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. When ready to bake, thaw the bagels overnight in the fridge to prevent overproofing. There is no need to bring them to room temperature after thawing; remove them from the fridge, boil, and bake.
- To Reheat: Allow the cooked bagels to thaw on the counter, if frozen. Cut in half and heat in a toaster or toaster oven.
Great recipe! I’ve been baking sourdough for a while and did a same day bake instead
Last night: fed sourdough starter a bit
7:30h starter had risen and fallen so fed again. Put in oven with light on.
9:45h starter was ready! Already just starting to fall
9:45h mixed all ingredients. Hand kneed dough
Sped up proofing by putting in oven with light on (and off sometimes or else it gets too warm)
15:15h dough had doubled so shaped into balls / bagels
I wanted more of a larger hole so actually stretched dough enough to fit all 8 fingers. each ball was 90g. I was very happy with the size of the bagel after the bake
35min rest in the oven on parchment
16:00h boiled
Baked for around 30min. Perfect!
If I had overnight proofed, I think It definitely would have been over proofed.
The basic recipe is really great. Thank you!
I loved this recipe!! Bagels were perfect! Had a great chew and flavour! First time baking them and couldn’t be happier! Great instructions! Thanks for posting them!
I made this recipe let them bulk rise for 12 hours seemed fine until I went to work with the dough to form the bagels and it was just so sticky. I had to use flour did you get from sticking to my hands and the cutting board?… what did I do wrong?
It was more than likely over-proofed. Did they turn out well after you baked them?
Can I use whole wheat flour?
I'm going to post my whole wheat sourdough bagel recipe soon. I use half whole wheat flour with half regular flour. You can use all whole wheat but the bagels will be very dense.
Have never tried sourdough bagels before but these were great! Directions were spot-on. End-product was very fluffy although I can’t say with confidence that they looked like bagels ha!
So unfortunately this recipe has never worked for me. I’ve tried it 4 times and am a regular sourdough bread baker. I always get overproofed dough in the morning. I think perhaps because of the honey in the dough? Most recently it proofed overnight for only 8 hours next to an open window to keep it cool and it was still overproofed. 🙁 I wanted to share because I think changing bulk rise to a shorter time or suggesting not overnight would be helpful for some.
I have made these once per week for our home and for my closest friend every other week, for months now. I have never had a failure. Sometimes life has gotten in my way, I have overproofed - still comes out great! Like with other sourdough recipes for absolute best results, watch the dough, not the clock.
Have been making these for a while now and am often recommending this recipe to friends who also bake with sourdough. You can’t go wrong with the detailed instructions even if you’re a beginner.
Thank you Felicia! 🙂
This is my second time making this recipe. The first time is always trail and error. I thought they were okay but I have a question. It says to let them rise 30-60 minutes or until puffy. Not sure what you mean by puffy but mine don’t seem ‘puffy’. Should I let them rise a bit longer or??
Thanks
They should look slightly larger than when you first shape them.
I ran out of time and am putting the shaped bagels before rising and boiling them into the refrigerator. I’ll let them rise in morning. Hope this works
Yes this should be fine Sue.
This was my first time trying bagels with my sourdough starter and they turned out lovely! I will for sure make these again!