Sourdough bagels are savory, chewy, crusty, and deliciously tangy. These are an amazing way to start your morning or to enjoy for a yummy brunch. 

sourdough bagels on a white platter with a cream cheese on a plate

Sourdough may be one of my favorite ways to start the morning, whether it be breakfast stratapancakesEnglish muffinscrepes, or these delicious bagels. 

Itโ€™s a delicious, easy, and filling way to start our busy days, fueled up.

Bagels may seem intimidating, but I promise that they really arenโ€™t that difficult. It’s much like making any baked sourdough recipe, with the added step of cooking it in boiling water for a few minutes before baking.

These sourdough bagels have a yummy and tangy flavor, pairing really well with sweet or savory dishes. Theyโ€™re a wonderful comfort food.

I love slathering cream cheese or homemade butter all over them.

Below, I share a few different variations and a bunch of bagel sandwich ideas. 

everything sourdough bagels on a baking sheet with more bagels stacked in the background

Sourdough Bagel FAQ

Are all bagels sourdough?

No. They are typically leavened with either sourdough or commercial yeast. Unless they are specifically labeled as sourdough, you can expect bagels to be made with commercial yeast.

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Why is there a hole in a bagel?

There is a hole for more even cooking throughout. This also helps with crust development.

Are bagels bad for you?

While they tend to be higher in calories, these simple sourdough bagels are made with wholesome ingredients and healthy fermented grains. 

What do you eat bagels with?

There are so many ways to eat bagels. Most commonly, they are served with cream cheese. See below for sandwich recommendations.

Why are bagels boiled at first?

You boil bagels first to set the crust, which allows them to hold their shape in the oven. The longer you boil them, the thicker the crust. Boiling for 60 seconds on each side yields the perfect result. Although this step may seem silly, donโ€™t skip it – it is one of the most important.

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sourdough bagels with everything seasoning on a parchment lined baking sheet

Tips:

  • Use a slotted spoon or โ€˜spiderโ€™ strainer to flip and pull the bagels out of the boiling water.
  • If you donโ€™t have a sourdough starter, you can check out this post, where I show you exactly how to make a starter from scratch.
  • Cook 2-4 bagels in the baking soda water at a time. Donโ€™t overcrowd your pot.
  • You can knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer. A stand mixer is much easier and less time consuming.
sourdough bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet on a vintage oven

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer

Measuring cups and spoons

Large pot or dutch oven

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

sourdough bagels baked on a stainless baking sheet on top a antique oven

Topping ideas

  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Sesame seeds
  • Dried onion/dried garlic flakes
  • Poppy seeds
  • Everything But The Bagel seasoning
  • Cinnamon sugar topping

Additional Bagel Add-Ins:

Mix in these extras into the dough right before forming into bagels:

Blueberries – add fresh blueberries

Cinnamon and raisins

Chocolate chips

How To Make Sourdough Bagels From Scratch

Add sourdough starter, water, honey, salt, and two cups of flour to a stand mixer. 

Mix until it comes together, about 10 minutes on low speed. The dough will be really stiff and difficult to incorporate.

Add remaining flour, half a cup at a time. Use a dough hook and knead until it is smooth and pliable. You could also knead by hand, but the stand mixer makes this process much easier.

Cover dough with wet tea towel, plastic wrap, or beeswax wrap; allow to ferment for 8 to 12 hours. Donโ€™t just cover with a dry towel, because it will create a hard skin on the top of your dough, which you donโ€™t want.

women shaping sourdough bagels on a white countertop

After the dough has fermented, divide into 8 equal pieces.

Roll the dough into balls, flatten them down a bit, and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Stretch the hole a bit to widen.

hand holding shaped sourdough bagel

Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for two hours or until puffy. The time will depend on how warm your house is. It could take 1 to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda and sugar. 

bagels being cooked in a pot of water, baking soda, and sugar

Using a slotted spoon, gently add bagels to the water and boil for one minute, flip, then boil for another minute.

bagels being placed onto a baking sheet

Shake off excess water and dip into desired toppings (optional).

bagel sprinkled with seasonings before baking

Place boiled bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet.

sourdough bagels on a baking sheet

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on top.

Sourdough Bagel Sandwich Ideas

Truly, a sourdough bagel is a vessel for the yummy toppings you want to add.

  • Breakfast sandwich – add a fried egg, bacon or sausage, cheese, and some lettuce for a yummy way to start your morning.
  • Cream cheese and veggie. Spread cream cheese on bagel, add slices of tomato, cucumber, avocado (optional). Sprinkle with salt and enjoy.
  • Avocado… bagel. Rather than toast. Add sliced avocado and sprinkle with salt.
  • Locks – cream cheese and smoked salmon (locks) make a really delicious sandwich any time of day.
  • Turkey club. Really any of your favorite lunch meat will do; top with slices of cheese, tomato, avocado, and an egg.
  • Ham and cheese. Top with ham and a slice of Swiss or cheddar cheese. Bake it in the oven until the cheese starts to melt. Honey mustard takes this up a notch.
  • Add chicken salad
bagel with cream cheese on a white plate

Find More Sourdough Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! 

Sourdough Bagels

4.73 from 1277 votes
Chewy and tangy, these are – hands down – the best sourdough bagels.
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 15 hours
Total: 15 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 bagels
sourdough bagels with everything seasoning on a parchment lined baking sheet
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Ingredients 

  • ยฝ cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active (113 grams)
  • 1 cup water, 236 grams
  • 2 tablespoons honey, 21 grams
  • 2 teaspoons salt, 10 grams
  • 4 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 560 grams

For boiling the bagels

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions 

  • Add sourdough starter, water, honey, salt, and two cups flour to a stand mixer.
  • Mix until it comes together, about 10 minutes on low speed. The dough will be really stiff and difficult to incorporate.
  • Add remaining flour, half a cup at a time. Use a dough hook and knead until it is smooth and pliable.
  • Cover dough with wet tea towel, plastic wrap, or beeswax wrap and allow to ferment for 8 to 12 hours.
  • After fermentation, divide into 8 equal pieces.
  • Roll the dough into balls, flatten them down a bit, and poke a hole in the middle with your finger. Stretch the hole a bit to widen.
  • Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1-4 hours or until puffy.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda and sugar.
  • Using a slotted spoon, gently add bagels to the water and boil for one minute, flip, then boil for another minute.
  • Shake off excess water and dip into desired toppings (optional).
  • Place boiled bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on top.

Notes

  • Use a slotted spoon or โ€˜spiderโ€™ strainer to flip and to pull the bagels out of the boiling water.
  • Cook 2-4 bagels in the baking soda water at a time. Donโ€™t overcrowd your pot.
  • You can knead the dough by hand or use a stand mixer. A stand mixer is much easier and less time consuming.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1007mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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1,234 Comments

  1. Katya says:

    Can you make these with bread flour?

    1. Lisa says:

      I haven’t tried that. It will likely change the texture, but if you try it, please let us know how it turns out!

  2. Susan B. says:

    Hi Lisa,

    I made you sourdough bagel recipe for the first time and was amazed at how easy it was to follow your instructions. I need to work on my shaping the hole better but other than that they turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipes and videos to follow. my husband loves your sourdough English muffins, and I am sure he will love these bagels as much as I do.

    1. Lisa says:

      That is so wonderful to hear. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I actually have a few more bagel recipes coming out in the next few weeks.

  3. Kaitlyn says:

    Hey there! This recipe is fantastic thank you so much. It was my first time making bagels ever and I was so hesitant, but these turned out AMAZING. My question for you- how do you recommend storing them? I put them in Ziplock a little too early so they got a little soggy, then moved them to a brown paper bag where they’re now a bit hard. I heat them up and they’re still delicious, but wasn’t sure what the best storing method was. Thank you!

    1. Lisa says:

      I would recommend letting them cool completely before putting them in a ziplock, that should help the sogginess. You can keep them out at room temp, but make sure they are covered in some way to avoid drying out.

  4. Megan says:

    Can you ferment these for 24?

    1. Lisa says:

      You could, but you run the risk of over fermentation. You can let it about double in size and then place in the fridge to slow down the fermentation if you are not ready to shape them.

  5. Beverly says:

    I followed the instructions, weighted my ingredients, and they turned out perfect. Thank you!

    1. Lisa says:

      Wonderful! So glad they turned out well for you. Enjoy!

  6. Alina says:

    I have made these bagels probably 5-6 times now. We love the great taste and texture. But EVERY TIME my bagels stick to the parchment paper. It is very frustrating.Please help me!

    1. Lisa says:

      Hmm .. I have not experienced this, but maybe add a little non stick olive oil spray to the parchment paper. Hopefully that will help!

  7. Katie says:

    Hey! I have made these bagels several times now and often do a double batch and freeze them. I am wondering if you could freeze the dough after the first fermentation to reduce the space taken up in the freezer? Thanks!

    1. Lisa says:

      I would think this would work great. You may just need to let the dough come back to room temp before shaping, rising, boiling and baking.

  8. Catherine says:

    Finally tried this with my sourdough! Came out absolutely perfect! Nothing like homemade bagels ๐Ÿ˜

    1. Lisa says:

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe!

  9. Janae says:

    These were super easy and fun to make!! Iโ€™ve followed your blog for a couple years and was always intimidated to make them. On one of your YouTube videos you said they are so easy, just โ€œmix, sit, roll, boil and bake..โ€ something like that lol. I was like okay I can try!! I will definitely be making more of them.

  10. Cz says:

    I missed my peak but the dough came out great. My timing is all off, do you think it’s ok to cold ferment overnight about 20 hours before shaping, rest and boiling?

    1. Lisa says:

      It would probably work fine as long as the refrigeration is after the bulk rise. Never tried it to be sure.