Description
These easy sourdough bagels are a delightful way to use your sourdough starter or discard, resulting in homemade bagels with a perfect chewy crust and rich flavor that’s far superior to store-bought. With options for both yeast and fed starter methods, these bagels bake up beautifully and can be customized with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 100g Sourdough Starter (discard if using yeast or bubbly fed starter)
- 500g Bread Flour
- 250g Water
- Pinch of yeast (only if using sourdough discard)
- 30g Sugar
- 10g Salt
For Boiling the Bagels
- 2 quarts Boiling Water
- 1 tbsp Honey
Optional Toppings
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Sesame Seeds
- Dried Onions
- Parmesan Cheese
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Minced Onions
- Asiago Cheese
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients (Yeast Method): In a stand mixer, combine water, sourdough starter or discard, yeast, and sugar. Mix loosely. Add bread flour and salt, combine on low speed, then knead on medium speed for a couple of minutes before reducing to low and kneading for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1-2 hours.
- Shape Bagels: Divide the risen dough into 10-12 equal pieces (about 80g each for 12 bagels). Roll each into a ball, then create a hole with your thumb and gently stretch to form a bagel shape.
- Second Rise: Place shaped bagels on a covered tray and let them rise until nearly doubled, about 30-60 minutes.
- Prepare for Boiling: Heat water and honey in a large pot until boiling. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Boil Bagels: Carefully drop 2 bagels at a time into boiling water. Boil for 20-30 seconds each side (up to 2 minutes for chewier texture), then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Apply Toppings: Place boiled bagels on a greased or silicone-lined baking sheet. Add desired toppings such as Everything Bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, dried onions, parmesan, or cinnamon sugar.
- Bake: Bake bagels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Cool and Store: Let bagels cool completely before slicing. Store fresh bagels in a bread bag for 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Alternate Fed Sourdough Starter Method: Mix starter, water, and sugar; add flour and salt; knead for 10 minutes. Bulk ferment overnight at room temperature. In the morning, shape, let rise 1-1.5 hours, boil, top, and bake as instructed above.
Notes
- Boiling time affects chewiness: longer boil equals chewier bagels.
- Use fed sourdough starter for authentic sourdough flavor and slower fermentation.
- You can adjust bagel size by dividing dough into more or fewer pieces.
- Toppings add flavor and texture; feel free to get creative with your favorites.
- Cooling completely before slicing prevents a gummy interior.
- Store bagels in a bread bag to maintain freshness or freeze to extend shelf life.
- Using a stand mixer speeds up kneading but you can knead by hand if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread, Breakfast, Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bagel recipe, bagels, sourdough bagels, homemade bagels, sourdough discard recipes
