Grab your favorite cream cheese and make a batch of jam! These bagels are chewy, soft and so good for you, thanks to the wonder of sourdough. It took me a hot minute to create a recipe for homemade sourdough bagels that was simple and used less than 10 ingredients. This recipe only uses 5 ingredients for the dough itself and few extra for boiling our bagels and dressing their tops. These don’t last more than a day in our house.
If you are looking for a gut friendly alternative to store bought bagels, look no further. It is made the day before you are going to enjoy it and we use bubbly active sourdough starter to help ferment the grains, benefiting your body in many ways!
Using an active starter will help with flavour development plus give a helping hand towards forming bubbles and air in the dough itself. If you went to the store and looks at bagel ingredients, you would see bleached flour, glucose, preservatives, artificial colours (especially in blueberry bagels, since they have no blueberries in them!) and some even “boasted” of synthetic oils. And the price was a bit too much for my liking. These bagels are affordable and super wholesome.
Why Sourdough?
I was gluten free for years after experiencing migraines and headaches anytime I touched gluten. A friend told me that they found they were able to enjoy ALL glutenous goodness as long as it was made with a fermented sourdough starter. This intrigued me because GF bread was just not doing it for me.
Within 24 hours, I got myself a sourdough starter and began to figure this out. Within a week of eating sourdough fermented breads, I boasted of zero migraines/headaches AND even saw my skin clearing up.
Fast forward to now, I bake all our own bread by use of an active sourdough starter or with the discard. Either way, my body (and my family’s body!) loves it!
Here are some sourdough facts for you:
- Sourdough is easy to digest: It contains a natural bacteria and germ in the fermentation process that will break down the starches in the grains before they even hit your stomach. Basically, very gentle on your gut!
- Blood sugar friendly: With sourdough being fermented, it works against any bad starches and ingredients that can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and spike.
- Full of good acid: The acid in sourdough breads can help your body process foods easier and absorb more minerals, yielding a stronger immune system and better health overall.
- Good for GF sensitivities: In the creation of sourdough bread, gluten is broken down overtime and has changed into amino acids before you enjoy it. This aids in easier digestion and gut health.
- Less preservatives: Sourdough preserves itself naturally using acetic acid, nothing fake here!
- The flavour: Sourdough has a tang and flavour like no other bread. It is hearty, satisfying and extremely delicious.
Sourdough Bagels Ingredients
- Active Sourdough Starter: This is what will work to ferment our dough, create an amazing flavour and help the dough to form air bubbles and tenderness.
- Water: I prefer using filtered water at room temperature for best results in my rising of the dough.
- Flour: The flour I use is sourced from an organic mill in my area, but any all purpose flour will do!
- Sugar/Honey: This is used to soften the bread so it stays tender thru the entire process. I use an organic cane sugar.
- Salt: A little bit of salt goes a long way to help bring out the best flavours. I use any sea salt I have on hand for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: This will be put into your boiling water when it comes time to boil the bagels. The sweet water encourages a tender crust for that classic bagel. I make my own brown sugar at home but any will do!
- Toppings: You can keep the tops plain OR you can add some toppings. I enjoy an everything bagel seasoning, brown sugar and cinnamon, flaky sea salt and toasted sesame seeds. You can use anything you like, get creative here!
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Bagel dough can sometimes be difficult to work with. Some say it is too soft, others claim it can be too stiff. I encourage you to use wet hands when possible when you are handling the dough to reduce stickiness and make the shaping and moving process easier. If the dough does cause some trouble, a few minutes to let it cool after shaping in the fridge can encourage it to be more manageable.
How To Make Sourdough Bagels From Scratch
First, make sure you start the night before you plan on eating this bread. If I want to enjoy this Wednesday, I will make the dough Tuesday evening. It needs that overnight rest to properly ferment and rise the dough.
The dough can be mixed by use of a bread machine or a stand mixer using a dough hook attachment. I prefer my bread machine since it kneads and rises my dough overnight while I sleep!
Baker’s Timeline:
This can be started or made at any time. I like to start doughs at night time so they can become airy and develop in flavour all night. In the morning, they are ready to shape and bake. The time slots are to be looked at as starting that step in between those times. You can easily stretch these times in the day to make it work best for the meal or time you are preparing it for.
STEP 1: MAKE THE DOUGH
Combine your wet and dry ingredients, using either a bread machine or a stand mixer and let the dough sit covered in a warm place overnight. The dough will develop in flavour and texture during this time.
STEP 2: SHAPING THE DOUGH
Remove your dough from the bowl onto a non floured surface and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape them into smooth balls. Cover the dough again with a damp towel for an hour.
After an hour, take each dough ball and make a hole in the centre using your fingers. Repeat to all the dough balls and again, cover them with a damp cloth for an hour.
STEP 3: BOIL
In a large pot filled with water, add in the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Leave this pot lid off and add in 2 bagels at a time. Gently lift the bagel dough from the counter and place them into the boiling water. Let them sit for 30 seconds and then using a ladle, spoon or spindle, flip them over to boil for another 30 seconds on the other side.
Remove the bagels using a small sieve or a spoon with holes in the bottom to drain extra water. Place onto your baking sheet and sprinkle on any desires toppings such as flakey sea salt or everything bagel seasoning or leave them plain. Repeat to all the bagels.
STEP 4: BAKE
Bake your bagels for 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye on them for that golden colour.
Let them cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying! Our favorite way to have these is toasted with butter and jam OR as a ham and swiss sandwich melt!
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How To Store
Keep your bread loaf in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months in a freezer bag.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to share and tag me @sarahthereseco on Instagram and come back here to rate and leave a comment!
Sourdough Bagels
Equipment
- 1 bread machine
Ingredients
- 1¼ Cups Water
- 170 Grams Bubbly Starter
- 4 Cups Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
Instructions
- In the evening, around 8:00-10:00PM, add all your ingredients in order as listed, minus the brown sugar, into your bread machine. Set the machine to a dough cycle which will work to knead and rise the dough a few times during its cycle. I use the KBS bread machine and for me it is cycle 14 titled “Leaven Dough”. Go to bed while the machine works!
- If using a stand mixer, add in your wet ingredients, give it a good stir and follow up by adding in your dry ingredients and incorporating them using a dough hook. I personally prefer using a bread machine because of its multi knead and rise cycles, but if you are just using a stand mixer, you may have to let the dough knead for quite awhile to achieve that elastic dough texture. When finished, cover with a wet tea towel and let it sit in a warm place over night.
- In the morning, remove the dough from your bread machine or bowl onto a non floured counter. Wet your hands as you remove the dough since it will be a little too sticky for dry hands to work with. Shape into a ball, cover with a damp towel and let sit for about 20 minutes.
- Now divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape them into smooth balls (I pull the dough towards myself with my palms facing me and my pinkies resting on the counter to do this). Cover the dough again with a damp towel for an hour.
- After an hour, take each dough ball and make a hole in the centre using your fingers. Stretch out that hole until you have formed a large bagel shape. The hole will shrink so don't be afraid to make it quite large. Repeat to all the dough balls and again, cover them with a damp cloth for an hour.
- In a large pot filled with water, add in the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Also, prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Feel free to sprinkle corn meal onto the parchment paper at this point or leave it plane. I love the flavour of a cornmeal dusting on the bottom of a bagel, but totally optional!
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Leave this pot lid off and add in 2 bagels at a time. Gently lift the bagel dough from the counter so as to not deflate or disrupt their shape and place them into the boiling water. Let them sit for 30 seconds and then using a ladle, spoon or spindle, flip them over to boil for another 30 seconds on the other side.
- Remove the bagels using a small sieve or a spoon with holes in the bottom to drain extra water. Place onto your baking sheet and sprinkle on any desires toppings such as flakey sea salt or everything bagel seasoning or leave them plain. Repeat to all the bagels.
- Bake your bagels for 20-25 minutes, keeping your eyes peeled for that golden brown colour. Let cool about 10 minutes before slicing and eating or store in a bag in the fridge for 10 days. These also freeze well for up to 3 months in a freezer bag.
- Enjoy easily by either toasting the bagels, heating them up or just devouring them cool from the fridge.
So far the only recipe that I can get nice fluffy bagels! So so good!
Amazing! I am so glad! We are making another batch this week of bagels, they are such a great bread to have on hand!
You don’t say the settings for the bread machine when it comes to the bagels
I have tried 3 different sourdough bagel recipes, and this one by far is the best. Thank you so much for sharing it with the rest of us!
I am thrilled, thank you Esther!!
Waw. I folloew you for years and enjoying so much your style, your energy, your totality. I make your cookies regularly and just made these amazing bagles. They came out wawwwwwww
So thankful for you!! So glad!
Haven’t tried yet, but wanted to see if I can do this recipe without a bread machine. If so, how do I go about it?
Hi Danyelle! All it takes is some arm strength and patience. Mix the wet ingredients together, sprinkle the dry on top and begin to stir the ingredients together using your fingertips. Once a good dough shape has formed, start kneading it. This can take 10 or more minutes of kneading to achieve a good dough ball. For the next hour, every 10-15 minutes, knead the dough again. This will help the gluten rest and yield a glossy dough. Cover for the night and start as instructions say next day!
would you add flour each time you knead the dough, since its so sticky? Or do more of a streatch and fold?
You could try 2 ways: Either stretch and folds OR wet/oil your hands during the kneading process. Still too sticky? Yes, add in a bit more flour!
I’ve tried quite a few different bagel recipes over the years and these are my favorite! My kids love them topped with sesame seeds or cinnamon sugar before baking.
I love them with sesame seeds too! Thanks Toni!
Wow! It was the first time my bagels were fluffy and not stiff. Thank you so much, Sarah!!!
Amazing! Thanks Xenia!
❤️🙏
This looks amazing and would like to try maki g it with dried blueberries. When do I add the blueberries if using a bread machine to leaven overnight ? THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECIPES !
I tried these today, I had never made bagels before and they turned out amazing! Thank you Sarah, looking forward to making these every week!
Cheers Chiara!
What order do you put the ingredients in when using your breadmaker?
As listed in order!
I find myself making these almost as much as I make bread each week. With a bread machine, this recipe is so quick and easy (and, of course, delicious!).
This was the first recipe I tried with my sourdough starter and they turned out AMAZING!! Thank you, Sarah.
I’ve loved my instant yeast bagels for so long that it took me a while to try a sourdough recipe. These were easy to make and taste phenomenal. I’ll be making these from here on out 🙂
I would recommend on the ingredients list separating your brown sugar from the other ingredients and putting in subtext water bath. Can be a little misleading for someone who skips your first comment if they don’t have a bread machine and that’s the only place you say to not put the brown sugar in.
I definitely added the brown sugar to the dough. I’m scared to see what happens in the morning. I will read the entire post next time. It was pretty late and I was really tired.
I agree… I didn’t read that or ahead and now just noticed that when I got to the boiling directions. I’m hoping they still turn out well with the extra sugar mixed in.
Actually fluffy bagels !
Made these without a bread maker , I just kneaded my dough really well. They came out so well that not even 24 hours later I am prepping another batch for guests that are coming over tomorrow! Epic recipe , thank you
Thanks Jessica, you are indeed epic too 😉
If I need these quick, can I add a teaspoon of yeast?
Yes you can! Did that a few days ago for a same day picnic!
They came out perfectly, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe ❤️🥰😋
My kids devour these- I put a cup of rye flour and caraway seeds in the dough this go around-hoping they come out the same way! Thank you for sharing!
I have tried my hand at quite a few bagels, both conventional yeast and sourdough; these by far are some of the most AMAZING bagels I’ve ever had! I also used your recipes for blueberry muffins, chewy granola bars, pickled red onions and quick hamburger buns that I made into hotdog buns, none of them disappointed!!! Thank you Sarah, for your well thought out directions and beautifully mastered recipes. I now also use a bread machine to process all of my dough because of you and it has really upped my game! Thank from our family!
Awh I am so thankful, wow! Thank you SO much for sharing! <3
Another totally amazing recipe using my bread machine! These came out puffy and flavorful with the delicious taste of sourdough. It’s going to be hard not to make these every week! So good!
My friend said there were the best bagels she’d tasted! Easy and straight forward recipe.
I felt like such a pro making these and they were absolutely delicious bagels!! I ended up using a bit more flour, because it was really humid in our home. These will definitely be in our regular recipe rotation from here on out!!
Best bagels ever! I’ve tried many different recipes before, this one works every time. Rise on the counter though not a pan as they do not stick to the counter, no idea why it works, but it does!
I mixed everything bagel seasoning in the dough and sprinkled some on time before baking. So so so good!
Now i’m just not very patiently waiting for your blueberry bagel recipe! Can not wait.
Literally the best sourdough bagel recipe, that actually stays together and doesn’t lose it’s shape when boiling. Even with my starter not looking very bubbly, these came out perfectly! So easy in the bread maker!! Have been topping with a homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning, and they are incredible! Just made a batch of smaller half sized ones for in my kids lunchboxes tomorrow.
Even though I mistakenly added the brown sugar to the dough, these bagels are AWESOME!!!!!!!
Me too on the sugar to the dough! Welcome brown sugar bagels !
Thank you Sarah, they taste amazing! I just started baking with sourdough and they were so easy to make!
These are by far the best sourdough bagels I’ve ever tried. Perfectly chewy, fluffy and crispy!
Best bagels I’ve ever had! Thank you for the recipe! ❤️
These were amazing! So fluffy yet wonderfully dense like NY style. I wanted to do an overnight proof, so after doing a bulk fermentation over a few hours on the counter with folds every 20-45 min, I popped it in the fridge overnight. Then took them out in the morning, shaped them right away, placed in a barely warm oven to proof for an hour, boiled them, then baked (started at 5:30 and had them ready for breakfast at 8!). They were perfect! Used your tips to dehydrate blueberries from your blueberry sourdough recipe (https://sarahtherese.co/sourdough-blueberry-bagels/) – worked beautifully! Thanks so much for this keeper!
Fluffy on the inside, chewy on the outside! I added Everything but the Bagel seasoning before baking but it burned the flakes so I’ll try adding it to the dough next time.
Made these and they were the best bagels EVER! If you wanted to do these in the bread machine in a day with traditional yeast, how would you make that swap?
Check out my blueberry bagel discard recipe! You can omit the blueberries and vanilla and it will make a same day plain bagel!
Ummm ok these are the best sourdough bagels on the internet. I had a go to recipe but I’m so glad I decided to give these a try!