Easy Sourdough Bagels

This recipe 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.

Easy 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!

7 Steps to make Easy Sourdough Bagels

1. Mix Dough and First Rise
2. Overnight Rise
3. Divide and Shape
4. Final (Very Short) Rise
5. Boil Bagels
6. Add Bagel Toppings
7. 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 with tea towel. 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 Easy Homemade 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

• Olive Oil: Used to grease the bowl where are bagel dough will rise.
• 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 accurate measuring of ingredients and to weigh dough balls 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.

Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.  Let the dough rise at room temperature for 6 – 8 hours or until it doubles in size.

2. OVERNIGHT RISE

Place your dough covered in the fridge for an overnight proof. This is where your dough will develop flavor and L.A.B bacteria will get to work enhancing the nutrition of our dough. Remember, the longer we ferment the better for us it gets!

3. DIVIDE AND SHAPE

Dump out and divide your dough into 8 pieces, you can eyeball it or weight 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

5. BOIL BAGELS

Preheat oven to 450f. Fill a large, wide pot water and bring to a boil. Drop bagels in, 2-4 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 baking sheets and brush with egg wash.

6. ADD BAGEL TOPPINGS

Dip bagels into topping of choice and place back on the baking sheet.

7. BAKE

Bake bagels for 25 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 in half, and toast.

Sourdough Bagel Varieties

1. Plain Bagels: Follow the recipe below. Perfect with your favorite cream cheese, butter, or nut butter and jam.
2. Everything Bagels: Simply add everything bagel seasoning.
3. Sesame Seed Bagels: Use Sesame Seeds.
4. Poppy Seed Bagels: Use Poppy Seads
5. Salt Bagels: Use Coarse Salt.
6. Asiago or Cheddar Cheese Bagels: Sprinkle shaped bagels with cheese right before baking.
7. 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 mixture.

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