Homemade Sourdough Bagels Recipe

Poppy seed sourdough bagels on a cooling rack

5 from 2 votes

Homemade Sourdough Bagels Recipe

Make easy, chewy sourdough bagels at home with this simple recipe. Boiled and baked to perfection, they’re perfect with cream cheese or your favorite toppings.

Prep Time50

Cook Time45

Idle Time9

Total Time10 35

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough, bagels, sourdough bagels

Servings: bagels

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Kaity Farrell

Ingredients

200 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
420 g water
40 g honey (or barley malt syrup or brown rice syrup)
675 g bread flour
75 g rye flour (or whole wheat flour)
16 g kosher salt
3 tablespoons honey (or barley malt syrup or brown rice syrup for boiling)
1/4 cup poppy seeds (or sesame seeds, onion flakes, caraway seeds, everything bagel mix, etc.)
1/4 cup cornmeal (for parchment paper)

Instructions

Mix the dough

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine water and active sourdough starter. Stir to break up the starter. Add bread flour, rye/whole wheat flour, salt, and honey/barley malt syrup.
Mix with a dough hook on low speed for 5–8 minutes, or knead by hand until a smooth, tacky ball forms.

Bulk ferment

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
Bulk ferment the dough at room temperature until it doubles in volume (about 8 hours) and is soft and puffy. You may see 1 or 2 large bubbles form.

Portion the dough

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Let rest 10 minutes before shaping.

Shape the bagels

Transfer the balls to two parchment paper lined baking sheets and cover one sheet with a kitchen towel, while you work on shaping the other sheet into bagels. Lightly dust the dough and your hands with flour if the dough feels tacky.
Press your thumb through the center of each dough ball to form a 2″ hole. Stretch gently into a ring.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets dusted with cornmeal and cover with a towel. Proof at room temperature until puffy and slightly springy (~1 hour).

Boil the bagels

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add honey, barley malt syrup, or brown rice syrup.
Boil 2 bagels at a time for 30–45 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, briefly drain, and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with or dip into toppings immediately.

Bake the bagels

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Optional: cover sheet pan for the first 5 minutes with an inverted roasting pan for steam.
Bake 5 minutes at 450°F, then reduce to 425°F (220°C) and bake 20 minutes more, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Rotate trays halfway through for even baking.

Cool and serve

Transfer bagels to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with cream cheese or your favorite toppings. Freeze extras in a plastic bag; toast from frozen for best texture.

Video

Notes

Scheduling:

Day 1: Mix dough in the evening and bulk ferment overnight at room temperature. In a warm kitchen, check the dough before bed and refrigerate if it’s rising too fast. Bring to room temperature in the morning to finish bulk fermenting if needed.
Day 2: Shape, proof, and bake the bagels in the morning.

Flours: Bread flour works best. Add a bit of rye or whole wheat for extra flavor if desired.

Sweeteners: Honey is preferred, but barley malt syrup is traditional. Brown rice syrup is a good substitute.

Tips:

A disposable roasting pan helps create a crisp, chewy crust but is optional.
Bulk fermentation may vary with temperature. Use 8 hours as a guide and watch the dough for puffiness and softness.

Nutrition