Sourdough Bagels
If you’re looking for something besides bread to make with your sourdough starter, these bagels are soft, chewy and full of sourdough flavor. They’re great plain or with your favorite toppings!
Prep Time: 36 hours (accounting for all steps including fermentation and cold proofing)
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1.5 days
Yield: 6 - 8 bagels
Ingredients
½ cup (100 grams) active sourdough starter
2 tablespoons (40 grams) honey
1 1/4 cups (260 grams) warm water
4 cups (500 grams) bread flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 teaspoons (12 grams) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for the water bath)
Optional Flavors / Toppings
Asiago cheese
Everything bagel seasoning
Poppy seeds
Sesame Seeds
Instructions
5 hours before you plan to start your bagels, feed your starter if it’s not already active. To feed your starter add about a 1/2 cup of AP flour and 3-5 tablespoons of water and stir until the consistency is like thick pancake batter. Let the mixture sit at room temperature in a loosely covered jar for 4-5 hours until it expands by 2 – 3x and is bubbly. If you already have active starter, proceed to step 2.
In a large mixing bowl add active starter and water. Whisk with a fork until combined and frothy, then add the honey and whisk to incorporate.
Add flour and salt. With a spatula or a bread whisk, mix all ingredients together until a shaggy dough starts to form.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed or with your hands on a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with a towel. I also like to put the towel-covered bowl in a bag to keep the dough from drying out. Let rest on the counter for 8-10 hours to bulk ferment. The timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen (my dough is usually ready in 8 hours in a 70-degree kitchen). You’ll know it’s fully fermented when the dough has doubled in size.
Once fermented, section the dough into 6 equal-sized dough balls. Roll in your hands until smooth then using your thumb, poke a hole in the center of the ball and lightly expand it until you have a bagel shaped ring. Place bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge to cold proof overnight.
In the morning or once you’re ready to cook the bagels, take the baking sheet out of the fridge and let the dough come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 425 °F and prep a water bath by filling a large pot with water, adding a tablespoon of sugar, and bringing to a boil over high heat. Add bagels three at a time to the boiling water and boil on each side for 2 minutes.
Once all bagels have been pre-boiled, place them back on the lined baking sheet and add any toppings you’d like (I like to do a mix of a few plain, a few with shredded Asiago cheese, and a few everything seasoning). Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for 10 minutes then enjoy as-is, with a spread of cream cheese, or as the base for a breakfast sandwich!
Tips & Tricks
Similiar to the sourdough bread, I recommend using a food scale and measuring in grams with this recipe- that will allow for more precision and the right ratios.
The water bath is an important step to get that chewy bagel texture, make sure the water is fully at a boil before adding your bagels.
I’ve listed a few topping ideas within the recipe, but you can add pretty much any flavor to these bagels before you bake them! Feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings or dough inclusions (jalapeno cheddar, blueberry, cinnamon sugar, etc.)
Nutrition Facts (per 1 bagel serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~375 kcal
Protein: ~11.5 g
Total Fat: ~1.5 g
Carbohydrates: ~75 g