Make perfect sourdough bagels at home that are chewy, glossy, and full of flavor with this super simple recipe and method that has gotten great reviews from my followers!
Chewy, golden, and naturally fermented bagels - believed to have originated in Poland in the 1600s - were once gifted to new mothers as symbols of good luck. How cool is that?
My sourdough bagel version honors that tradition with simple ingredients, deep flavor, and the perfect balance of chew and crust you expect from a bakery-style bagel.
They are so perfect when toasted, with a smear of your favorite cream cheese or even as sandwiches.
Positive Reviews For My Sourdough Bagel Recipe
Many of my followers have tried my recipe and this is what they have to say:
"I just made your sourdough bagels and they turned out great. It's the first sourdough recipe besides my everyday bread that has actually been a success, so I'll keep making them and perfecting until they look like yours. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with your community." - Follower via Instagram DM on a story about my sourdough bagel recipe
"I make your recipe once a month. Love it!" - Follower via Instagram DM on a story about my sourdough bagel recipe
"I made your bagel recipe. They are so good." - Follower via Instagram DM on a story about my sourdough bagel recipe
"These bagels are amazing. I was about 30 grams short of starter last night, but they're still wonderful!" - Follower via Instagram DM on a story about my sourdough bagel recipe
"Amazingly simple and delicious recipe. Blown away." - Follower via Instagram DM on a story about my sourdough bagel recipe
Other Bagel Recipes
Make sure to checkout my other bagel recipes, like:
What Mixer To Use To Make Sourdough Bagels
If you enjoy making bread often, I highly recommend using a mixer like my beloved Bosch (use code Maria to get $$ off and free shipping).
If you only have a conventional stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid with the dough hook, that works great too, but here are some things to keep in mind:
- If you have the larger 7q bowl, you should double the recipe, otherwise it will be hard to mix the dough properly.
- If you have the smaller bowl, do not double the recipe. You want the mixer to do a good job at kneading the dough.
- For either larger or smaller stand mixer you will have to hold the mixer down during the later part of mixing, and you might need to turn it off for a few minutes in between mixing, so it doesn't overheat.
Make Sourdough Bagels In Bulk For Gifting or For Sale
If you are paid subscriber of my Substack, Bringing Bread Back, checkout all the premium content I shared with you there, including:
-Details on where I source the ingredients from
-Advice on making and baking these in bulk for gifting or for sale
-Recommended equipment and tools with discount codes
-Packaging and labeling tips and links
-Pricing and profit calculations and considerations
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Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
Ingredients To Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- 16 grams (1 tablespoon) sourdough starter at peak
- 92 milliliters (6 ½ tablespoons) filtered water room temperature
- 92 grams (¾ cup) bread flour
Ingredients for 12 bagels:
- 520 milliliters (2 cups + 3 tablespoons) filtered water
- 200 grams (1 cup) active sourdough starter
- 1000 grams (8 cups + 5 tablespoons) bread or all-purpose flour
- 20 grams (4 teaspoons) salt
- 80 grams (¼ cup) honey
Instructions
Day 1:
- In the morning: Feed a portion of your starter at a 1:6:6 ratio: 16 grams starter, 92 milliliters water, and 92 grams flour. Leave at room temperature, and use in the evening after it has reached peak activity.
- In the evening: Mix all the ingredients until smooth using a stand mixer. It will take about 8 minutes of mixing at speed 3.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature until the next morning.If your kitchen is very warm, you can refrigerate overnight instead
Day 2:
- In the morning, split the dough into 150 grams pieces and form balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 1 hour.
- Boil a pot with water and a lot of honey. Measure with your heart until the water is really dark. You can use barley malt syrup or molasses.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Use the convection setting if you have it. I find the toaster oven does a better job at baking bagels evenly.
- Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make holes in the balls and use your fingers to *very gently* stretch and turn to shape as a bagel, trying hard not to degas them too much.
- Put them in the boiling water, and boil the bagels for 1 full minute on each side.
- Take them out using a strainer spoon and place them briefly on a napkin to ensure their bottoms are dry. Dry only their bottoms, not the tops.
- Top them with toppings such as Everything Bagel seasoning, cheddar cheese and jalapeños, or cinnamon sugar.
- Place them on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake them at 450°F (232°C) for 20 minutes or until golden brown. You can use convection if you prefer.
- Let them cool down for a few minutes and enjoy warm. Or slice and toast if you prefer.
- Store in a sealed bag for up to 2 days. They go stale after that because we are not using preservatives. Do not refrigerate them or they will get super hard.
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