Description
This Sourdough Bagels recipe yields soft, chewy, and flavorful homemade bagels using an active sourdough starter and a straightforward baking process. The dough undergoes a slow bulk rise to develop depth of flavor, followed by shaping, boiling in a honey bath to achieve a shiny crust, and baking until golden brown. Perfect for topping with classic or creative toppings, these bagels are a delicious artisan bread treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 150 grams active sourdough starter (3/4 cup)
- 250 grams warm water (1 cup + 1 Tablespoon)
- 500 grams bread flour (3 1/2 cups)
- 40 grams sugar (3 Tablespoons)
- 12 grams salt (2 teaspoons)
For the Boil Bath
- 20 grams honey (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
Optional Toppings
- Everything Bagel Seasoning (white and black sesame seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes, sea salt)
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Garlic flakes
- Onion flakes
- Cheese such as Asiago
- Cinnamon Crunch (brown sugar, white sugar, coarse sparkling sugar, cinnamon, flour, vanilla, butter)
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a straight-edge bowl, mix active sourdough starter, warm water, and sugar by hand or with a Danish dough whisk until the mixture looks milky. Then add bread flour and salt, stirring until fully incorporated into a dough.
- Knead the Dough: Knead by hand for 5-6 minutes using the pull, fold, and push technique with the heel of your hand, rotating the bowl as you go. The dough should be stiff and slightly bumpy. Cover with plastic and let rest for 60 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold: After resting, perform another 30 seconds of kneading with the same method until the dough is smoother. Cover again and place in a warm spot to bulk rise.
- Bulk Rise: Allow the dough to double in size over 8-12 hours in a warm (about 69°F) environment.
- Shape the Bagels: Remove dough to a work surface without flour. Stretch into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal triangular pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, then use your thumb to punch a hole and stretch it into a 2-inch ring. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place for 20-60 minutes.
- Boil Bath Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring about 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, adding honey and whisking until dissolved.
- Boil the Bagels: Carefully drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling honey water, boiling for 30 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack.
- Add Toppings: Gently dip the tops of boiled bagels into your choice of toppings on a small plate to adhere. For cheese toppings, dip the bottoms too for extra crunch. Place bagels back on parchment-lined sheet.
- Bake: Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes at 425°F until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 200-210°F. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
- Serve: Slice bagels while warm and spread with butter or your favorite toppings. Enjoy fresh!
Notes
- Simple Baking Schedule: 8pm – Make and knead dough, rest 1 hour; 9pm – Knead 30 seconds, cover and bulk rise for 8-12 hours; 7am – Shape bagels and rest 20-60 minutes; 8am – Boil, top, and bake.
- Topping Ideas: Everything seasoning, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic or onion flakes, Asiago cheese, cinnamon crunch.
- Alternate Serving Suggestions: Bagel chips, egg sandwich with avocado, savory bagel burgers, or mini ‘bagel bites’ with marinara and cheese.
- Storage: Store bagels in a plastic bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze whole or sliced in gallon bags up to 3 months. Reheat via microwave for 10 seconds or toast after thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bagel (approximately 115g)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 1.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
