Sourdough Bagels

These sourdough bagels are made with just 7 ingredients (and no supplemental yeast!). They take some time to make, but the final flavor and texture is well worth it, traditional chewy bagels with sourdough depth! Feel free to customize with your favorite seasoning, dried fruit, cheese, etc.

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 20

Proofing Time 18

Total Time 19 5

Servings bagels

Calories 286kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cups (395 ml) warm water
⅔ cup (150 g) active sourdough starter
2 Tablespoons avocado oil (may substitute vegetable oil or canola oil)
3 Tablespoons honey
5 ½ cups (690 g) bread flour + additional as needed
1 Tablespoon table salt

For boiling/cooking

1 Tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
8 cups (2 L) water
¼ cup (60 ml) honey (Or you may substitute 2 Tablespoons barley malt syrup)
Any desired bagel toppings (cheese, everything bagel seasoning, etc.)

Egg wash

1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Instructions

Before you begin, note this dough is a two-day process. The dough will be made in one day and will need to rest for 5-7 hours at room temperature before fermenting overnight (at least 12 hours) in the refrigerator.

Make the dough: Heat water to 105F (41C) and add to a large mixing bowl (see note if you would like to use a stand mixer) along with sourdough starter, oil, and honey, and stir to combine. Add 3 cups (375g) of your flour, sprinkle salt overtop, and stir well.
1 ⅔ cups warm water, ⅔ cup active sourdough starter, 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, 3 Tablespoons honey, 1 Tablespoon table salt
Add additional flour: Gradually, while stirring, add remaining 2 ½ cups (315g) flour as needed until the dough begins to cling to itself (note you may not need all of the flour listed or you may need a bit more, this depends on humidity and your starter).
Knead: Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
Proof: Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly (with a lid or plastic wrap), and allow rise in a warm, draft free place until nearly doubled in size, about 5-7 hours. Then, transfer to the refrigerator to ferment overnight (12-36 hours).

The next day:

The next day, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with cornmeal (if using). Set aside.
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
Shape: Remove dough from the refrigerator and gently deflate by pressing down with your hands. Turn out onto a clean surface and divide into 12 even pieces. Form each piece into a tight ball and use your thumb to gently form a hole into the center that’s about 2” (5cm) wide (the holes will shrink after shaping, this is fine and why we start larger than we actually want).
Proof: Place bagels on prepared baking sheets, spacing at least 2” (5cm) apart, and cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until puffed, about 30-60 minutes.
Preheat and boil: Once bagels are nearly finished rising, preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Pour water and honey into a Dutch oven or a large pot, stir, and turn stovetop to medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
8 cups water, ¼ cup honey
Boil: Working in batches, boil bagels for 45-60 seconds per side then gently drain and return to prepared sheet.
Brush with egg wash: Once all bagels have been boiled, whisk together egg and a teaspoon of water. Brush egg wash liberally over bagels and sprinkle with any toppings, if using.
1 egg, 1 teaspoon water, Any desired bagel toppings
Bake: Transfer bagels to preheated 425F (220C) oven for 17-20 minutes (I bake one tray at a time, the second tray is fine sitting on the counter while the first bakes) until bagels begin to turn golden brown or the internal temperature of the bagel reaches 205-210F (97-99C) if tested with an internal read thermometer.
Allow bagels to cool then slice and enjoy!

Notes

Stand mixer

While this dough can be mixed and kneaded in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, it is a very stiff dough and can be a lot for a mixer, especially the kneading stage.

Storing

After baking, allow to cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Bagels may also be frozen. Individually wrap in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature or reheat from frozen.

Nutrition