Sourdough Bagels Recipe
by sourdoughjesha on December 26, 2022
This sourdough bagels recipe makes the best sourdough bagels you’ll ever eat! Soft and chewy, delicious flavor, and gut healthy too!
Sourdough Bagel Recipe
This sourdough bagels recipe makes the best sourdough bagels and proves you can make the most delicious, chewy, soft on the inside, easy sourdough bagels at home. In my easy 7 step process, you will transform a few simple ingredients into delicious, freshly made sourdough bagels to top with all your faves (scallion cream cheese anyone!?).
Ah, also a slow fermented dough = healthy too.
Okay, so for a very long time, I was intimated by the process of bagel making. I figured they would be too complicated to make from home; the tools required, the boiling, even just the fermentation alone seemed far-fetch. Truth-be-told, it wasn’t until I made them from scratch for the first time that I realized that they were actually pretty easy to make. So much so, I even tell people that making sourdough bagels is (in my controversial opinion) easier than making bread. GASPPPP.
If you too have any fears around sourdough, bread making, or more specifically, sourdough-bagel-making – I’m here to guide you along with my easy 7-Step Process.
Sourdough Bagels
Also, for any sourdough bagel newbies, you might be wondering… what makes a sourdough bagel better than a regular bagel (made with yeast). Well, Im so happy you asked. Sourdough bagels are ridiculously soft, their chewy, their kinda like bagels but way healthier, and SO much more flavor. Like its not just the insane texture thing that we love about bagels. But it’s a flavor thing too.
You will be savoring every bite. Mark my words.
Let’s talk nutrition.
Even better, you’ll be wondering: how could something so delicious be so good for me too?! I feel like sourdough does that. One bite, and it’s hard to believe that something this nutritious, this wholesome could also be so darn good.
By giving our bagel dough a long and slow fermentation with sourdough starter — we’re talking 24-72 hours – wild yeast and bacteria degrade gluten proteins, breaks down complex starches (goodbye FODMAPs) and transforms grains into an easy-to-digest, nutritious staple food that supports a healthy gut microbiome.
This is what gets me most excited about sourdough. Truly.
Who’s ready to make sourdough bagels?! Introducing: the easiest homemade sourdough bread recipe. Enjoy!
My 7 Steps Sourdough Bagel Method
- Mix Dough and First Rise
- Overnight Rise
- Divide and Shape
- Final (Very Short) Rise
- Boil Bagels
- Add Bagel Toppings
- Bake
MY BAGEL MAKING SCHEDULE
This is what a typical bagel-making schedule looks like for me.
P.S. Temperature is one of the single most important factors that affect fermentation. The warmer your place, the faster your dough will ferment. So please use my schedule as simply a jumping off point for your own.
Prepare sourdough starter
Either feed your sourdough starter the night before to prepare or if your sourdough starter is in the fridge be sure to feed it every 12 hours, 3 days before you plan to bake.
Day One
- 10 AM – Mix bagel dough, cover and let sit at room temp until it doubles in size (6-8 hours)
- 6 PM – Place dough covered in the fridge for an overnight fermentation (10+ hours). This step is to develop flavor and nutrition… it’s optional, but highly recommended.
Day two
- 8 AM – Divide bagel dough, shape and cover in a closed tupperware. Let it rise for 2 hours.
- 10 AM – Prepare boiling water and preheat oven.
- 10:15 AM – Boil bagels, add toppings and bake.
Ingredients for Sourdough Bagels
Here’s what you’ll need to make sourdough bagels at home.
5 Core Ingredients
- Water: Preferably warm water is best! Warmer water helps kickstart fermentation.
- Sourdough Starter: Be sure you are using active sourdough starter (not discard).
- Bread Flour: A high protein flour is needed for bagel making. You can use a white or whole wheat bread flour. King Arthur has a great bread flour that is usually widely available. I use this one.
- Honey: Instead of a barley malt syrup or sugar, I like to use a touch of honey to sweeten the dough.
- Sea Salt: Enhances flavor (and nutrition) by slowing fermentation.
3 Additional/Optional Ingredients
- Eggs: You’ll brush your bagels with an egg wash prior to adding toppings and give them a beautiful golden brown them
- Optional Toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds
Equipment Needed for Sourdough Bagels
- Dough Mixer or Mixing Bowl (by hand): You can prepare the bagel dough with either a mixer or by hand. Kneading the dough by hand is essential to the bagel-making process (and my favorite part).
- Dough Scraper: Used for dividing our dough.
- Baking Pan
- Baking Scale: Ideal for accurately measuring ingredients and weighing bagel dough after dividing to ensure they are similar in size.
EASY HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BAGEL INSTRUCTIONS
Make sure your starter has been fed and is active when you mix the dough. Starter is optimal when used at its peak in the jar!
1. MIX DOUGH AND FIRST RISE
In a bowl or stand mixer, add sourdough starter, water, honey and salt. Place the dough hook on the mixer and mix the dough on the lowest speed for 3 minutes. Or mix by hand for a couple minutes until a ball forms. Now, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
Place the dough inside a tupperware and close securely with a lid. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 6 – 8 hours or until it doubles in size. If you can, stretch and fold the dough 3-4 times within the first 3 hours of the first rise.
2. OVERNIGHT RISE
Place your dough covered in the fridge for the overnight fermentation. This is where your dough will develop flavor and L.A.B bacteria will get to work enhancing the nutrition of our dough.
3. DIVIDE AND SHAPE
Dump out and divide your dough into 6-8 pieces, you can eyeball it or weigh them out on a dough scale. Shape each into a ball by pulling the corners up and over. Now, use your finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball and rotate the dough with two fingers to form a ring. Refer to visual.
4. FINAL (SHORT) RISE
Place your bagels in a large tupperware and cover with a lid or on a lightly greased tray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 1-2 hours or until puffy to the touch.
5. BOIL BAGELS
Preheat oven to 425f. Fill a large, wide pot water and bring to a boil. Drop bagels in, 1-2 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side and remove with a slotted spoon; drain well. Place on a baking sheet or plate and brush with egg wash.
6. ADD BAGEL TOPPINGS
Dip bagels into your topping of choice and place bagels on a clean, parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. BAKE
Bake bagels for 20 – 23 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.
HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE SOURDOUGH BAGELS
Once fully cooled, keep bagels covered in a plastic container on the counter for a few days. After 3 days, place them in the fridge or freezer.
To freeze: Keep them in a freezer-safe container or bag. When you’re ready to eat them, you can simply pop them right into the toaster oven. Or let them thaw on the counter, cut them in half, and toast.
Sourdough Bagel Varieties
- Plain Bagels: Follow the recipe below. Perfect with your favorite cream cheese, butter, or nut butter and jam.
- Everything Bagels: Simply add everything bagel seasoning.
- Sesame Seed Bagels: Use Sesame Seeds.
- Poppy Seed Bagels: Use Poppy Seeds
- Salt Bagels: Use Coarse Salt.
- Asiago or Cheddar Cheese Bagels: Sprinkle-shaped bagels with cheese right before baking.
- Cinnamon Crunch Bagels: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 Cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar). After brushing the bagels with the egg wash, dip or spoon on the mixture.
Sourdough Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 25 g (1 tablespoon) active sourdough starter
- 80 g (⅓ cups) water
- 80 g (⅔ cups) flour
Bagel Dough
- 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tablespoons) bread flour A high protein flour is needed for bagel making. I like to use King Arther's bread flour.
- 275 g (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) water Warm water is best because it helps kickstart fermentation!
- 125 g sourdough starter active sourdough starter, not discard
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) salt enhances flavor and helps control the fermentation process.
- 18 g (1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp) honey I use raw honey but any will do.
Additional/Optional Ingredients
- Olive Oil or preferred oil of choice used to grease the pan or plate where shaped bagels will rise
- Eggs Wash (1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water) used prior to adding toppings and gives bagels a beautiful golden brown color
- Optional toppings: everything bagel seasoning sesame seeds, poppy seeds
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter: Roughly 8-12 hours before you mix the bagel dough, feed your sourdough starter. Your starter is ready to use when it has approximately doubled in size and the peak has just begun to drop back down in the jar.25g active sourdough starter, 80g water, 80g flour.
- Mix the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the bread flour, water, sourdough starter, honey, and salt. With the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 6-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes.
- First rise: Place dough in a bowl or Tupperware and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, until it roughly doubles in size.
- (Optional) Stretch and fold the dough: Stretch and fold your dough 3 times during the first rise, beginning at the 30 minute mark. Repeat every 60 minutes until you've completed three sets of stretch and folds (this step is optional but it's a relatively easy way to add additional structure and volume to your dough). To perform one set of stretch and folds: Start by splashing some water on your hands so they are damp. Then, grab one side of the dough with your hand, strecth it up and fold it all the way over the other side of the dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat this process with the next side. Once you've completed this process with all four sides, cover the dough and let it continue to rise until it's time for the next set.
- Cold proof: Transfer your dough to the refrigerator to proof overnight (~8-12 hours). This is when your dough will develop flavor and the L.A.B bacteria from your sourdough starter will get to work enhancing the nutrition of your dough. The longer it ferments the better for us it gets!
- Shape the bagels: The next day, dump out your dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces, about 125g (4.25oz) each. Shape each piece into a ball by pulling the corners up and over. Now, use your finger to poke a hole through the center of each ball and rotate the dough with two fingers to form a ring, as I do in this video.
- Final rise: Place the shaped bagels on a greased baking tray and let rise at room temperature for 1-3 hours, until puffy. If you have a proof box or an oven/countertop oven with a proof setting, you can expedite this process by proofing at 90 degrees for 1 hour.
- Boil the bagels: Preheat the oven to 425F (220c). On the stove, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches of two or three (depending on the size of your pot), boil the bagels for one minute on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Add egg wash and (optional) toppings: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the bagels with the egg wash. If adding toppings, dip the tops of the bagels in your topping of choice or you can sprinkle on top of the bagels. 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon water
- Bake the bagels: Bake the bagels in the preheated oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Allow them to fully cool on a wire rack before serving.
- Serve and enjoy! Once your bagels have cooled, slice and serve with your favorite topping! I love to pair mine with some delicious homemade cream cheese.
Okay this is totally on me for not using my common sense, but pls pls pls flour ur surface while you shape your bagels. Its essential not only to prevent sticking to the surface but to prevent sticking to the parchment and plastic wrap. Otherwise you’ll be left with miss shaped blobs of dough by the time u boil them simply because it’s impossible to unstick the dough after it’s short rise 😭
Hi Coco!! awe no!! yes flour if you need, i edited the directions based on this recommendation. Thank you!! And because I do the cold overnight proof always, I never have to flour my work surface because the dough is so easy to work with.
This was my first time making bagels and wow did they turn out great! Loved the photos and easy to follow instructions.
Hi Lauren!! I am so happy you enjoyed the bagels! Keep me posted on everything your baking!!
Hello,
You may want to include the flour in the first step.
Thanks.
Hi Marianne! Thanks for this feedback! Did you make the bagels?
Jesha I love your YouTube videos, which is how I found you!! I tried bagels for the first time, and used your recipe, with a few adaptions. Myself and my entire family had agreed that these are the best bagels we’ve ever had in our lives!!
I do have a few questions, so when I read your post, above the posted recipe, it states to cold proof, after the bulk ferment and the dough has doubled. But if you look at the recipe underneath, it says to cold proof, after shaping and the short ride. I just wanted to know which way you recommend to do it? Also, do you boil your bagels in anything (like baking soda and brown sugar, etc)? Thank you for sharing all your guUuUut healthy recipes 🤪
great recipe
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
It would be soooo awesome, fun and helpful if you made a full video tutorial on a basic sourdough loaf!
Hi Hannah! Ah okay I definitely will!!
Hi Jesha,
When adding the starter to the mixer for the first step do I need to add it with the warm water first then the flour? Or does everything go in at once?
Thanks!
Hi Marisa! Everything can go in at once! How did you like them?!
Hi Jesha! I loved this recipe. The dough rose well over night, doubled in size, etc. However, after shaping them and letting them sit for an hour, it was really hard to unstick them from the parchment paper. So when putting them into the water to boil, they began to fall apart. Further, they definitely fell and became flat when I cooked them in the oven. Any suggestions?
Hi Kathleen! Thank you for letting me know about this! I updated the recipe with your help. Can you make them again and instead add the bagels to a greased baking sheet or tupperware!
I’ve made these twice now. Delicious and really easy recipe. The dough is very easy to work with. Today I made cheddar, everything bagel and poppy seed. So, so good.
Hi Bebe!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I am so happy you’re loving this recipe 🙂 Keep in touch!!
Do I need to add anything to the boiling water?
These were so delicious! Such an easy recipe to follow. Made them for a family brunch and everyone loved them!
In the body of this article it says to rise on the counter 6-8 hours, then put it in the fridge, then in the morning form the bagels. In the actual recipe it says to form the bagels, 1-2 hour rise, then put in the fridge overnight…which is correct?
Question before I try this recipe. Could you also add cheese to the dough? If so when would you add it?
Hi! I’ve had great success making these but I wanted to mention.. your blog post says to let the dough ferment in the fridge before separating them, overnight. But the recipe card says to separate and shape them and then let them ferment in the fridge. I have loved the results I’ve gotten but think this might confuse people that haven’t worked with sourdough or haven’t made sourdough bagels. Regardless, they are SO good and I’m so beyond happy to have a long ferment recipe. First time eating bagels in so long. My whole gluten intolerant family loves them too! Thanks 🙂
hey there! looking to make this for the weekend. wondering how long the window for the fridge proof is? i saw in the blog post 24-72 hour fermentation but want to ensure i can increase fridge time. thinking of starting them this morning and cooking them friday. thanks in advance! ps i’m a sourdough girly who after years of baking at just starting to get creative and i have loved your site 🙂
Hi, your recipe says to shape them before you overniggt ferment, however in the steps above with the pictures it says shape after the overnight fermentation. Which one is correct please?
Do you have the macros for these?
I am confused because in one section you say to let dough ferment/rise in fridge before shaping but in the recipe instructions it says to make bagels then put in the fridge. Which way should I go?
I’m not sure this question will reach you in time; making bagels for the first time, I missed step 8. After I shaped the dough and put on a greased pan I put them in the fridge right away. And this morning they look exactly the same. Do I leave them in the fridge for longer and hopefully they rise or do I take them out and let them rise? But if they get room temp do I put them back in fridge to cool them off for better handling? Thanks so much
How come the directions at the top with pictures is different from the instructions listed out under the recipe? Which one should I follow?
I thought they tasted pretty good I’m just sad mine were pretty flat it’s like the bagels didn’t want to rise. I’m not sure if it’s my starter, house temp or bulk rise time. I let the dough rise for over 8 hours and then did the shape and rise and after baking this morning they are flat. 🙁 At least they taste good!!
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The first part of your post you have the bagels being shaped in the morning. The written recipe has them being shaped at night before the fridge. Does it matter either way? Thx
Sourdough bagels are delicious! I love watching your shorts on YouTube. I want to try all the different flavors of bagel recipes you have! You seem like so much fun, like we would be friends 🙂
I just finished these this morning and they are insanely delicious!! My go to for sourdough bagels now and I’ve wanted to try your recipes for a while.
I followed the second set of directions and am I going crazy or are they different from the top directions? Either way I love them. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hello, so far my bagels have risen adequately, I am at the step where I should leave them in the refrigerator for 12 hours, but I will not be able to bake them exactly the 12 hours indicated on the refrigerator, can i leave them in the refrigerator for longer and how much?
I’ve made sourdough bagels a few times with different recipes. These actually turned out softer than other recipes, which I liked..they were less chewy. But they deflated after coming out of the fridge which has never happened to me. I greased the baking sheet and they still managed to get stuck just enough that when I scraped them off with a spatula they all deflated. Even after the fridge they were much harder to handle than I’m used to. The other issue with this recipe is the 2-3 minutes of kneading. That isn’t enough time at all to create the elastic bagel dough that I’m used to making using other recipes. Especially since the stretch and folds are written as optional. I did the stretch and folds. My dough was still much looser and softer than I’m used to making bagels, which might be why they were actually softer in the end but probably why they deflated so easily. I’m used to kneading for 10 minutes at least. They tasted good, didn’t look great. I won’t use this recipe again.
Hi Jesha, I used active sourdough and did all the steps but my dough wouldn’t rise. I did use warm water so maybe I killed it? 🙂 The taste was amazing though!
I’ve made these several times and they are great! However, the blog post steps are different than the recipe part. Are you supposed to do the overnight in the fridge before or after you shape the bagels? The blog post says before and the recipe list part says after.
So I just realized I’m doing this wrong. I have been making the dough and letting it bulk ferment for 6-8 hours and then throwing it in to the fridge before I shape and let them rise. They taste delicious but aren’t shaped very nicely. I’ll have to try again. And I forgot the 3 stretch and folds. Do you do these stretch and folds during the 6-8 hour bulk fermentation or do you do them every 1-1.5 hours and THEN 6-8 hour BF and then shape and over night in fridge?
Did you add baking soda to the boiling water?
The long blog directions vary from the recipe steps… do I shape and then cold ferment overnight in fridge… or, cold ferment, shape and let sit out before boiling…
Hi there !! First of all, love love LOVE these! Always such a hit and so easy! Made these bagels dozens of times and wanted to try making mini bagels, so cutting the dough into 16 equal parts instead of 8. I am guessing I cut the baking time in half?/ would I need to change / modify anything else in the recipe? Thank you!
Hello sourdoughjesha.com webmaster, Thanks for the well-organized and comprehensive post!
Hi! I’m confused, in the detailed recipe instructions it says to do a fridge fermentation and then divide the dough into bagels but in the recipe at the bottom it says to divide the dough and then do a fridge fermentation. Which way is the correct order please?
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Hi Jesha!!
I love this recipe- but everytime I go to boil and bake them, they flatten into a pancake looking bagel. Not sure how to fix that? I follow the recipe to a T, and they rise overnight in the fridge, just when I put them in the boiling water and then into the oven they flatten.
These were absolutely delicious!! Best sourdough bagels I’ve made yet!
These are amazing!
What is the nutritional info for these bagels?
An amazing recipe! Easy to follow and understand! This is my second time making bagels, and these came out amazing! I have a bigger family so I did double the recipe and still great!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! ❤️🩷
I have tried several bagel recipes trying to find one that works for me and I finally found it with this recipe! I really like that you recommend stretch and folds as well as a cold proof. It’s the first recipe I’ve come across that includes these steps and I really think it made all the difference for me. Every batch I’ve tried to make before turned out to be practically inedible dense bricks! But I got a nice rise with your recipe and a nice soft inside. I did a cinnamon raisin version and they turned out amazing!
I’ve had my sourdough starter for almost 2 years but when I make sourdough things it’s always hit or miss. This recipe was so easy to follow and the bagels came out amazing!! Definitely will be making again! Thank you!
Can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Maddy! I wouldn’t recommend using all purpose flour. You really need a high protein bread flour to get the classic bagel texture and rise. All purpose flour has a lower protein content so it won’t work as well.
I would definitely recommend this recipe!