Sourdough Bagels Recipe

A bowl of sourdough bagels with various toppings.

5 from 3 votes

Use your sourdough starter to make the best sourdough bagels - soft on the inside, chewy on the outside, and perfect for any kind of bagel sammie. This easy, step‑by‑step recipe walks you through mixing, shaping, boiling, and baking homemade bagels that turn out beautifully every time!

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword sourdough bagels

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 23

Total Time 8 23

Servings bagels

Calories 261kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

100 grams active bubbly sourdough starter
200 grams 2% milk - slightly warmed
105 grams warm filtered water
20 grams granulated sugar
500 grams bread flour
10 grams fine sea salt
a pot of water plus a Tablespoon of honey - for boiling

Instructions

Measure ingredients. Combine filtered water, warm milk, and sourdough starter in a mixing bowl and stir well with a fork. Then add sugar, bread flour, and sea salt, and stir again.
100 grams active bubbly sourdough starter, 200 grams 2% milk, 105 grams warm filtered water, 20 grams granulated sugar, 500 grams bread flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 30 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
Do stretch and folds. After 30 minutes, start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about one minute. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS. Form the dough into a smooth ball, and place towel back on the bowl.
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let rise. Let the dough rise for 6-8 hours. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
To avoid getting a crusty layer on the dough during the bulk rise, make sure the bowl is large and the towel is damp. You can also add a light coating of oil over the top of the dough, especially if you are letting it sit out overnight.
Divide dough. Remove the dough from the bowl to a NON-floured surface. Cut into 8 even shapes. Then take each shape and form into a flat ball, smooth on the top. Place on a lightly greased pan (I use parchment paper and spray that). Let sit for 20 minutes so that the gluten relaxes.
Shape bagels. Shape the sourdough bagels by sticking finger through the middle of each shape. Then take it in your hands and gently “pull and roll” so that a larger circle forms. Place back on the pan and continue with remaining shapes. Cover with a damp towel and let the bagels rise again for about 30 minutes. This is the SECOND RISE. For bagels, you won’t need to let them rise for long or double in size.
NOTE: The hole in the middle will shrink as it sits and rises again. Don’t worry about that!
OPTIONAL: After you mix and shape your sourdough bagels, place the dough in the refrigerator to slow down fermentation. The cold environment lets the flavor deepen while keeping the dough from over‑proofing. When you’re ready to bake, pull the bagels out, let them warm up and puff slightly at room temperature, then boil and bake as usual.
Prep for baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then start a pot of boiling water with about one tablespoon of honey added in. When it’s a rolling boil, start adding bagel shapes to the water, just a couple at a time. Count to 30 seconds before removing. I normally turn them over about half way through while they are in the pot.
Then remove them with a slotted spoon and let the water drip off as you do so. Set back on the pan and repeat with remaining shapes.
a pot of water plus a Tablespoon of honey
Add toppings. When the bagel shapes are cool enough to handle (but still wet), push the puffy side (tops of bagels) into any desired toppings (like Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, or toasted sesame seeds pictured), and place on a fresh pan sprayed with spray (or parchment). You can also make these plain, without any toppings.
Bake bagels. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on tops and bottoms. You will see the bagels have slightly puffed up (you often don’t see the holes anymore!).
Serve bagels. These are great eaten fresh out of the oven. Serve with cream cheese, pb&j, butter, or plain. These also make great sandwiches! The sky is the limit!

Notes

Storing – You can store these on your counter, in a ziplock bag, for 1-2 days.
Freezing – These bagels freeze well for up to three months. Keep them wrapped up and in a freezer bag.

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