Fair warning: these sourdough bagels are so delicious, your family will be asking you to make them often and you’ll be surprised at how fast they get gone! Try not to rush the process though and I promise you’ll love what a blessing to your belly these bagels are in the morning.
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Why sourdough bagels?
When you find yourself with a bubbling jar of active starter dough on your counter top most days, you will also find yourself looking for new ways to use it.
Maybe you’ve already made two loaves of sandwich bread this week. Maybe you want something besides breakfast toast in the morning.
Look no further! This is the breakfast recipe you want to try ASAP. These sourdough bagels will have you never thinking of bagged store bought bagels ever again.
They are fluffy and delicious. Our family loves them best when fresh out of the oven and the cream cheese just melts into bagel halves.
Ingredients
3/4 cup of sourdough starter (active or not, I’ve made these bagels with both)
1 cup of warm water
2 tbsp organic cane sugar
4 cups organic all-purpose flour like Arrowhead Mills
1/2 tbsp Redmond’s real salt
2 tbsp local raw honey
Constructing your delectable bagels
Begin with your starter, sugar, and water being mixed together well in a bowl. Then add flour and salt to the mixture. Use your mixer’s dough hook attachment or really get in there with your hands in this dough. I’ve done both. If you enjoy less dishes to wash, use your clean hands. The dough will look very dry and flaky but do not worry! This will change overnight. Stick whatever flakes you can to your dough ball.
Now let your dough rest for 30 minutes. When time is up, knead it for 5 minutes. If you’ve had a particularly stressful day, now is your time to shine and knead out some frustrations. After you’re done, wrap your bowl with the dough inside in plastic wrap. Let it rest at room temperature for about 10 hours, give or take. This is why this recipe is great to get going at nighttime. You can sleep while your dough is doing some behind the scenes work on your behalf.
The Next Morning
Remove the dough and divide it into 10 equal dough balls. Each will roughly be about 90 grams. Roll each dough ball between the palms of your hands to create a nice round ball.
Next, poke your finger through the center of each dough ball then gently stretch the center out with your fingers. Put each shaped bagel on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to await their bath time.
Into the bath
Now go ahead and bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the honey to the boiling water and give it a quick stir with a spoon. Now is also a great time to prepare your seasonings if you want to use any. Select shallow bowls or plates for your seasoning. Spread seasoning liberally over the plate. You will season bagels immediately after their bath.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Next, carefully add 2 bagels into the water, one at a time. I use a spatula to gently ease them into the water to avoid splashing myself with hot water. Allow each bagel to simmer on each of its sides for 30 seconds. Do the flipping over gently with your spatula.
To season or not to season
Directly out of the bath and into the seasoning, if you choose. My family loves Everything Bagel seasoning, a simple brown sugar and cinnamon seasoning, and some just plain.
Adding the wet bagel right to the seasoning from the bath helps the seasoning to stay on the bagel best. Season only one side then move the bagel to the baking sheet.
Final procedure
This is it! Don’t get scared now. Time to bake your bagels.
To start the baking process, make sure your bagels have some separation between each on your baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until as golden brown as you desire.
Remove from oven. Barely allow them to cool. Slice and spread cream cheese as carefully as your fingertips allow and then enjoy that HOT DELICIOUS HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BAGEL!
How long can sourdough bagels be stored for?
HAHA! If you even have any left to store…
Seriously, these are so good our family of 4 can just about eat them all in one day. We try to pace ourselves but it is hard. Especially when we make an Everything Bagel into a fried egg and cream cheese sandwich, then you’ve gotta have some sweet to go with it, so of course we’ll eat a Cinnamon Crunch one too.
To store, wrap each bagel in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up tp 3 days. If you will not eat them in 3 days, store individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
Sourdough Bagels Overnight
Ingredients
Method
- Start with your starter, sugar, and water being mixed together well in a bowl. Then add flour and salt to the mixture. Use your mixer's dough hook attachment or with your hands. The dough will look very dry and flaky but do not worry! This will change overnight. Stick whatever flakes you can to your dough ball.
- Now let your dough rest for 30 minutes. When time is up, knead it for 5 minutes.
- After you're done, wrap your bowl with dough inside in plastic wrap.
- Let it rest at room temperature for about 10 hours, give or take.
- Remove the dough and divide it into 10 equal dough balls. Each will roughly be about 90 grams.
- Roll each dough ball between the palms of your hands to create a nice round ball.
- Next, poke your finger through the center of each dough ball then gently stretch the center out with your finger.
- Put each shaped bagel on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Now, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add your honey to the boiling water and give it a quick stir with a spoon. Now is also a great time to prepare your seasonings if you want to use any.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Carefully add 2 bagels into the water, one at a time. Allow each bagel to simmer on each of its sides for 30 seconds.
- Directly out of the bath and into the seasoning, if you choose.
- Adding the wet bagel right to the seasoning from the bath helps the seasoning to stay on the bagel best. Season only one side then move the bagel to the baking sheet.
- Make sure your bagels have some separation between each on your baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until as golden brown as you desire.
- Remove from oven. Let cool then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Like this? Try these:
Lightly sweetened cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing
Graham Crackers from sourdough discard
Be a Pal?
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