Sourdough Bagels

5 from 2 votes

Perfect homemade sourdough bagels with a chewy texture and that classic sourdough tang. You will never want grocery store bagels again.

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: Bagels

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Kristin

Feed your starter equal parts flour and water for a 1:1:1 ratio, 6-8 hours before making the dough.
The exact time will depend on how long it takes for your starter to double in size.

Start off by warming the water up to 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the starter, warm water, and salt. Mix with a fork until everything is combined.
Add in the bread flour and with a dough hook attachment, start mixing the bread on low-medium speed.
Run for 5-8 minutes. It should start to form a ball and is no longer sticking to the sides. If it is still sticking, add a small amount of flour at a time.
Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and let it rest for 1 hour.

After the 1 hour rest time, take a large bowl and lightly coat it in olive oil.
Carefully turn the dough onto the counter and shape it into a nice round ball. The dough should be smooth, soft, but not sticky.
Place in the bowl and cover with a warm, damp towel and let it rise 8-12 hours, or overnight .

First prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Give a light spray with cooking oil or a very thin layer of olive oil. This will help the bagel dough from sticking. Set aside.
Carefully remove the dough and turn it onto a clean work surface. Using a bench scraper, divide it into 12 or 8 equal pieces. ( Depending on the size of bagels you prefer. )
Taking each ball of dough, make them into a taut ball.
Now, take your finger and poke a hole right in the middle of the dough. Take the dough and using both hands form it into a ring. Try to make the rings as symmetrical as possible to ensure even cooking. This can take some practice.
Place formed bagels on the prepared parchment paper.
Once the bagels are shaped, they need to have a second rise. Cover with a light towel and rest for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Fill a large pot or Dutch Oven about halfway full of water. Make sure it is a heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven.
Bring the water to a boil. Add in about 2 tablespoons of honey. This will help caramelize the outer layer of the dough.
Make sure the pot is at a rolling boil. You do not want the water to stop boiling once the dough is added.
Taking 2-3 bagels at a time, place in the water, bottom side up.
Boil for 30 seconds, flip with a slotted spoon or skimmer, and boil the other side for 30 seconds.
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Shake off any excess water and place on the baking sheet.
Repeat until all the bagels are done.
Add toppings if desired.

Once all the bagels are boiled, place in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown.
For 8 bagels, bake for 28-30 minutes
For 12 bagels, bake for 23-25 minutes.
They are done when the tops are a nice golden brown color.
Remove from the oven when done and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve finished bagels with some chive cream cheese or turn it into a delicious breakfast sandwich.

Tips, Tricks and Notes:

See the full post for all my details. Here are the important things to rememeber.

Bread flour. All purpose will give the dough a different texture.
Active sourdough starter: Use an active sourdough starter with 100% hydration.
Warm Water: preheat water to 85-90 degrees before mixing with the starter.
When proofing, cover with a warm, damp towel. This will keep the dough from drying out.
Use a heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven for boiling. The water needs to maintain a rolling boil while the bagels are being added. A dutch oven works best for this.
Add some honey to the boiling water. This will help caramelize the outside of the dough.
Bake until they are golden brown.