How to Make Sourdough Bagels
Learn how to make sourdough bagels that are soft and chewy and just the right amount of crusty in each bite. Bagels are a request each time we go to the store, but I got tired of buying them and knew that a sourdough bagel recipe that became a part of our routine must be up next for all the things sourdough that I make.
Sourdough bagels seemed a bit intimidating at first due to having to boil them before baking, but really they are not as difficult as I was making them out to be. And the taste can’t be beat so they are totally worth any work put into them.
We enjoy having our bagels for breakfast simply with cream cheese or butter. They can also be dressed up and used as a base for a great breakfast sandwich with egg, ham, and some micro greens.
This easy recipe for sourdough bagels will have your family begging for more. It’s flavorful and not too dense. And if I could only make one bread product, this recipe would be it. Right out of the oven, warm and chewy, these bagels are heaven.
You will need a bubbly, active starter for this recipe.
Why do I have to boil the bagels before cooking?
Basically it is what makes a bagel and bagel. It would just be bread if you didn’t boil it first. Boiling the bagels helps set the crust before baking so that it won’t rise up too high and puffy while in the oven.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sugar (my favorite is the maple syrup)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon baking soda for boiling
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Step By Step Instructions for Bagels
Add sourdough starter, water, honey/maple syrup/sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour to a stand mixer.
Mix with a paddle attachment until it comes together. It will be stiff. Add the other 2 cups of flour and again mix until everything is incorporated.
Switch the paddle attachment to a dough hook and knead until it is smooth and pliable. It could take up to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure you machine can handle the dough.
Leave in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel (or put in my favorite dough rising container) for a long ferment of 8-12 hours.
After the long ferment, divide your dough into 8 equal pieces.
Shaping the dough
There are two ways to shape:
First, you can shape into balls and then poke a hole with your finger and stretch and turn at the same time to make the hole bigger. The other way is to make a long snake like line and meld the two ends while rolling it. Either way works and I would suggest trying out both ways to see what you like best.
When the bagels are shaped, put them on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. Cover with the damp tea towel and let rise again. This timing really depends on the temperature of your house and could be anywhere from 1-4 hours. Watch for them to look puffy.
When they are ready, turn on your oven to 425 degrees and get a big pot of water boiling. Once the water is boiling, add the baking soda and sugar.
Using a slotted spoon, lower 3-4 bagels into the boiling water at a time. Set the timer for one minute. Flip the bagels over and set the timer for 1 additional minute. Remove the bagels after the second minute with the slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet.
If you are dipping the bagels into a topping, do it now.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack after a few minutes.
Make sure you eat at least one bagel right away when its good and hot.
This is a very dry and stiff dough. It makes it quite hard to mix, but easy to shape. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid. The dough needs to be this way for a classic tight interior crumb a bagel is known for.
Tips for Making Sourdough Bagels
Because this is such a dry stiff dough, it can be quite tricky to get this dough mixed well without the use of an electric mixer.
I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for this dough and it can do it, but it has a little bit of a tough time with the kneading. It cannot do a double batch. I tried once and almost burnt up the motor. I do like to do a double batch, but I have to make 2 separate batches and put them together to rise. You might have a mixer that can handle it though.
Be patient with the dough. The more you make this recipe, the better acquainted you will be with how the dough is supposed to look and feel. The times are a bit broad for how long it should rise, but with practice, you will get to figure out what it should look like for a the best outcome.
Make the hole in the middle of the bagel bigger than you think it should be because it will shrink as the bagel get puffy in the second rise.
Timing
I usually make sure that my sourdough starter is fed in the morning before I want to make these bagels and then put the dough together in the evening before bed. That way they are ready to make the next morning. You will have to start fairy early if you want to eat them for breakfast since they have a second rise. We usually have them later on instead of eating for a regular breakfast time.
How Do I Store the Bagels?
The best way to store the bagels is in a plastic bag for a few days. They are best right away, but still good warmed up in the oven for the next couple of days.
They are usually gobbled so quick they don’t make it to the freezer even though they do freeze beautifully. I like to make a double batch (see notes above for a trick to this) and freeze as many as I can.
Sourdough Bagels
Learn how to make sourdough bagels that are soft and chewy and just the right amount of crusty in each bite.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sugar (my favorite is the maple syrup)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon baking soda for boiling
Instructions
Add sourdough starter, water, honey/maple syrup/sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour to a stand mixer.
Mix with a paddle attachment until it comes together. It will be stiff. Add the other 2 cups of flour and again mix until everything is incorporated.
Switch the paddle attachment to a dough hook and knead until it is smooth and pliable. It could take up to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure you machine can handle the dough.
Leave in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or a tall plastic container with a lid works well too for a long ferment of 8-12 hours.
After the long ferment, divide your dough into 8 equal pieces.
There are two ways to shape: First, you can shape into balls and then poke a hole with your finger and stretch and turn at the same time to make the hole bigger. The other way is to make a long snake like line and meld the two ends while rolling it. Either way works and I would suggest trying out both ways to see what you like best.
When the bagels are shaped, put them on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. Cover with the damp tea towel and let rise again. This timing really depends on the temperature of your house and could be anywhere from 1-4 hours. Watch for them to look puffy.
When they are ready, turn on your oven to 425 degrees and get a big pot of water boiling. Once the water is boiling, add the baking soda and sugar.
Using a slotted spoon, lower 3-4 bagels into the boiling water at a time. Set the timer for one minute. Flip the bagels over and set the timer for 1 additional minute. Remove the bagels after the second minute with the slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet.
If you are dipping the bagels into a topping, do it now.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack after a few minutes.
Make sure you eat at least one bagel right away when its good and hot.
Notes
This recipe needs to have a bubbly active sourdough starter.
The dough is a very dry and stiff dough. Resist the urge to add extra liquid to it. It needs to be this way for the crumb to turn out right.
It is so stiff that I have to be very careful with my Kitchen Aid mixer and I cannot do a double batch without burning out the motor!
Some people add honey insted of sugar and baking soda to the boiling water when boiling the bagels.
Topping ideas include everything but the bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, parmesan cheese, cinnamon
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