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](https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/sourdough-bagels-14-copy-2-1024x683.jpg)
Sourdough may be one of my favorite ways to start the morning, whether it be breakfast strata, pancakes, English muffins, crepes, or these delicious bagels.
Itโs a delicious, easy, and filling way to start our busy days, fueled up.
Bagels may seem intimidating, but I promise that they really arenโt 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. Theyโre 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.
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.
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, donโt skip it – it is one of the most important.
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Tips:
- Use a slotted spoon or โspiderโ strainer to flip and pull the bagels out of the boiling water.
- If you donโt 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. Donโt 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.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
Large pot or dutch oven
Parchment paper
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. Donโt just cover with a dry towel, because it will create a hard skin on the top of your dough, which you donโt want.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 โspiderโ 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. Donโt 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.
Natalia Skuba says
Do I let the dough to ferment for 8-12 hrs in the fridge or room temperature? Thank you.
Lisa Bass says
Room temp!
Anonymous says
Thank you. I had the same question!
Veronica Coates says
Can I do a longer ferment? Like 12 hours on the counter and then 12 hours in the fridge? My daughter has trouble digesting gluten.
Shelley Williams says
I would raise your bulk ferment too much you don’t want it to over fermented. You could leave in the fridge 24-48 hours for most recipes. They will have more of a sourdough flavor. or you can reduce your starter for a longer BF without over fermenting.It depends on the temp of your BF and starter amount for how long it will take.
Leanne Pachet says
Hi Lisa, great recipe- thank you! In your YouTube video, you said you always double this recipe. Does your kitchen Aid fit all the ingredients? Thank you. Leanne
Lisa Bass says
Yes. I have a professional Kitchen Aid mixer and it is able to handle a double batch.
Andrea says
I bought a second bowl for my regular size Kitchen Aid mixer, so I can do two batches side-by-side. Much cheaper โfixโ than graduating to a commercial sized unit. Maybe someday. =)
Lisa Bass says
Great idea!
Michelle Asher says
They were great and easy to make. But I did toss a lot of the dough because it was so crumbly and wouldnโt incorporate with the rest of the dough. Did I do something wrong? Do you know why this would happen?
Lisa Bass says
Was there a layer of crust at the top after it fermented?
Theresa says
Iโm going to make this recipe. Can you omit the honey or added sweetener?
Lisa Bass says
You could!
Addie says
Hello! I am struggling with getting my dough mixed. Iโm using a standing mixer, but my dough is super flaky and not coming together, even after a LONG time in the mixer. I followed the recipe with how to incorporate the flour as well. My only question is, do you use the dough hook when you are adding the first set of ingredients (starter, water, honey etc)?
Lisa Bass says
You can use the dough hook then. I typically add everything into the mixer while it is going.
Joanne says
These are the best sourdough thing I have made! I put it off for so long because the recipe was somewhat more involved than bread making (your sandwich loaf is also amazing!), but I am so glad I did. They are the perfect combination of chewy, a little crispy and soft. I now double the recipe so we don’t run out as fast, and I mix it by hand. So fun and rewarding to make!
Lisa Bass says
So glad you liked it!
Elizabeth says
I tried one fresh and it was great. Next day though, my bagels were very dense and a bit too chewy. How can I make these softer/fluffier?
Lisa Bass says
I like to put them in the oven on 350 for a few minutes. I feel like the texture is a little better.
Olivia Lawrence says
I made these and they were great! They puffed up a lot after shaping, but then I put them in the fridge, and they turned flat. They still tasted amazing though!
Familyof9 says
These turned out great! I have a question though about the hole in the bagel- the whole got much smaller during the second rise. I tried to loosen a few before boiling but then the bagels became flat so I didn’t want to fuss with them. Do you have this issue as well? Or should I just make the hole much bigger next time? I may split them into 16 next time and make mini bagels. Thanks for another great recipe!
Lisa Bass says
Yes, the rise will make the hole in the pretzel become a bit smaller! You can really stretch out the hole before the rise. That will help a bit.