Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
This easy sourdough blueberry bagel recipe makes soft and chewy sourdough bagels with tons of blueberry flavor. The overnight dough comes together quickly with the help of your stand mixer. Just mix the dough before bed, let it rise, shape, boil, and bake in the morning. So easy!
These blueberry sourdough bagels are sweet, with swirls of blueberry in every bite!
Soft on the inside with a chewy texture, they bake up beautifully and are just as easy to make as our sourdough bagels and sourdough asiago bagels, but with the added goodness of blueberries.
Enjoy them toasted with cream cheese for breakfast or plain, straight from the oven, for a snack.
Either way, they will become your new favorite way to use sourdough starter. Making sourdough bagels is easy!
Carmyn's Notes
We tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries because they’re readily available year-round and easy to prepare.
You'll find some recipes that use dried or freeze-dried blueberries, but we didn't because they're harder to find. We want to ensure everyone can make this recipe easily!
Ingredients & Equipment
- blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used in this recipe. Because of their high water content, they replace most of the liquid that would normally be added. ½ cup of rehydrated dried berries can be added to our original sourdough bagel recipe.
- sourdough starter: Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly when you mix the dough.
- flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour, but you can swap it with bread flour or whole wheat flour. Add more water to adjust the hydration if the dough is too dry.
- honey: A liquid sweetener adds to the dough's hydration. You can use honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup. If using granulated sugar, add a small amount of water if needed.
- salt
- water
Sample Baking Schedule
Let's first look at a typical schedule for making blueberry sourdough bagels.
My kitchen is 68°F (20°C). If your kitchen is colder, fermentation will take longer. If it's warmer, the phases will be shorter. Watch your starter and dough to make sure they don't over-prove.
- 8 AM: Feed starter. (At 68°F my starter can be used in 8-12 hours)
- 8 PM: Mix the bagel dough in a stand mixer, cover it, and let it sit at room temperature overnight.
- 7 AM: Divide the bagel dough, shape, and cover with a tea towel.
- 7:30 AM: Prepare the boiling water and preheat the oven.
- 8 AM: Boil the bagels and bake.
Fresh versus Frozen Blueberries
For the best blueberry flavor, use frozen blueberries instead of fresh blueberries.
The bagels in the sample photo were made with frozen blueberries. You can see how deep the color of the dough is, creating a lot of blueberry flavor!
How to make sourdough blueberry bagels
When you mix the dough, make sure your starter is fed and active. It's best to use it at its peak.
If you are using frozen blueberries, thaw them before making the blueberry puree. You will use the blueberries and the liquid from the thawing process.
Step 1: Mix the dough
Place the blueberries and liquid, if using frozen, in a food processor and pulse to break up the flesh, leaving some larger pieces.
With a spatula, stir together the blueberry puree, starter, water, honey, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the flour and use your hands to combine the ingredients as best you can. The dough will be stiff. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 2: Knead in a stand mixer
Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes. If the dough is too hydrated from the blueberries, add 25 grams of flour at a time until the dough comes together and is not sticky.
If you do not have a stand mixer, knead the dough on a clean work surface for 6-7 minutes to help develop the gluten.
Step 3: First Rise
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours or until it has doubled.
Step 4: Shape
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Each portion should weigh roughly 120 grams.
Take one portion at a time and roll it into a ball shape.
Use your thumb to poke a hole into the middle of each dough ball.
Pick up the bagel dough and gently shape it into a ring by twirling the inside with your two pointer fingers while stretching it. Place it on the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Arrange the bagels evenly on a sheet of parchment paper, cover them with a tea towel, and let them rest for 30-60 minutes or until puffy.
While the bagel dough rises, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°) and bring a large pot of water, at least 6" deep, to a boil.
Step 5: Boil
Cut the parchment paper into squares and use the paper to drop the bagel dough into the boiling water. The paper will peel off easily after the bagel has been in the water for 30 seconds.
Boil for 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spatula to transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake
Bake the bagels at 425°F (218°C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the bagels to a cooling rack to cool.
How to Store Blueberry Sourdough Bagels
Cooked bagels can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container or plastic bag, for up to five days.
To freeze baked bagels, let them cool completely. Wrap each bagel in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat bagels, if they are frozen, let them thaw on the counter. Cut them in half and heat them in a toaster or toaster oven.
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Blueberry Sourdough Bagels
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
- 1 pint (275 g) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- ⅓ cup (80 g) water
- 4 tablespoons (80 g) honey (or sugar)
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (500 g) all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
Water Bath
- 6 cups water
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
- If you are using frozen blueberries, thaw them before making the blueberry puree. You will use the blueberries and the liquid from the thawing process. Place the blueberries, and liquid if using thawed blueberries, in a food processor and pulse to break up the flesh, leaving some larger pieces.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the blueberry puree, 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 stiff. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour.
- Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 6-7 minutes. (Or 6-7 minutes by hand.) If the dough is too hydrated from the blueberries, add 25 grams of flour at a time until the dough comes together and is not sticky. Cover the bowl and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces, approximately 120 grams each. Shape each piece into a ball. To shape the bagel, place a dough ball on the work surface and use your thumb to poke a hole straight down through the middle of the dough. Pick up the bagel dough and gently shape the ring by twirling the inside of the bagel with your two pointer fingers while stretching it. Place it 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.)
- Place the oven rack in the center position and preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large stockpot.
- Cut the parchment paper into squares and use the paper to drop the bagel dough into the boiling water. After the bagel has been in the water for 30 seconds, the paper will peel off easily. Boil for 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the bagels at 425°F (218°C) for 25 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.
- To Reheat: Allow the bagels to thaw on counter, if frozen. Cut in half and heat in toaster or toaster oven.
Nutrition
FAQs
Yes, many blueberry bagel recipes are made with either fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries, dried blueberries or freeze-dried blueberries.
Sourdough blueberry bagels are delicious toasted and topped with cream cheese, honey, butter, or jam.
Yes, eggs are delicious on blueberry bagels! We recommend over-easy eggs or sunny-side-up eggs and a side of maple turkey sausage.
I wanted this recipe to work so badly. It was so sticky and my bagels sunk when I tried boiling. they proofed for 12 hours. I might try again and just omit the water since my frozen blueberries seemed very wet.
Could you replace blueberries for strawberries?
Hi Emily, we haven't tested this recipe with strawberries, so we are not sure exactly how they would come out. If I were to test it, I would replace withe blueberries with the same weight in starwberries. Let us know how it turns out if you decide to test it out!