Best Homemade Sourdough Bagels: Soft & Chewy Recipe
These delicious sourdough bagels turn out perfectly soft and chewy every time! Customize with your favorite toppings. These bagels store great in the freezer for a fresh, NY style bagel whenever that craving hits!
Equipment
- 1 Large glass bowl
- 1 Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- 1 Large Baking Sheet
- 1 Bench scraper or sharp knife
- 1 Tea towel
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
Bagel Dough Ingredients
- 150 g active sourdough starter 3/4 Cup
- 250 g warm filtered water 1 Cup + 2 Tb
- 24 g organic cane sugar 2 Tb
- 500 g organic all-purpose flour 4 Cups + 2 Tb
- 9 g salt 1 1/2 tsp
Water Bath Ingredients
- Filtered water
- 20 g raw honey 1 Tb
Toppings (Optional)
- Seeds or other desired toppings like poppy, sesame, fennel, flax, cheese, everything but the bagel seasoning.
Instructions
Mix The Bagel Dough
- Combine active starter, water, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together with a fork until there are no clumps.
- Add the flour and the salt. Combine everything together, finish mixing with your hands. The dough is really stiff and dry. That’s ok!
- Cover the bowl with a very damp tea towel, and let it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- After the resting time, use your hands to shape the dough into a ball
- Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and leave it to bulk rise for 10-12 hours. The dough should double in size.
Shape The Bagels
- Remove the bagel dough onto a lightly floured surface. I like to use my wood cutting board for this.
- Work the dough into a long rectangle, and divide it evenly into 8 equal pieces. I like to use a bench scraper for this step, it cuts through the dough really easily. A sharp knife will work too though! It’s easiest to divide it in half, and then each half into 4 equal parts.
- Take each piece of dough, and work it into a ball. Let the bagel balls rest for 10-15 minutes on your work surface.
- While the dough rests, prepare your sheet pan. Cover it in parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment paper with coconut oil or cooking spray. I like to use a silicone brush to spread coconut oil on the parchment paper.
- Shape the dough balls into bagels by poking a hole in the center of the ball, and stretching it slightly. I like to pick up the bagel, and use both of my index fingers to gently pull and roll the bagel so the hole is even. You want the hole to be about the size of a ping-pong ball. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, and place them on the prepared parchment paper. It’s okay if the hole shrinks a little.
Final Rest
- Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Stir in the honey and mix well to dissolve completely.
- reheat the oven to 425. If desired, add toppings/seeds to a small plate or shallow bowl.
Boil & Bake
- Depending on how big your pot is, add 3-4 bagels at a time to the boiling water. Boil bagels for 30 seconds, and then flip over for an additional 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bagels back to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure they have the rounded side or pretty side up for baking.
- Once slightly cooled, dip the bagels into desired toppings.
- Bake your bagels for 20 minutes on the center rack of your oven. Once they are golden brown, flip them over for an additional 1 minute to get the bottoms cooked.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool