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 may be one of my favorite ways to start the morning, whether it be breakfast strata, pancakes, English muffins, crepes, or these delicious bagels.
It’s a delicious, easy, and filling way to start our busy days, fueled up.
Bagels may seem intimidating, but I promise that they really aren’t 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. They’re 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, don’t skip it – it is one of the most important.
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Tips:
- Use a slotted spoon or ‘spider’ strainer to flip and pull the bagels out of the boiling water.
- If you don’t 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. Don’t 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. Don’t just cover with a dry towel, because it will create a hard skin on the top of your dough, which you don’t 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
Chewy and tangy, these are - hands down - the best sourdough bagels.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda + 1 tablespoon sugar for boiling
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 ‘spider’ 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. Don’t 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1004mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 7g
Hope says
These look sooo yummy, especially with all the toppings! I love TJ’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Bagels always intimidate me, I guess because of the boiling step, but going to have to try.
Elizabeth says
I can’t wait to make these! I fed my starter so I can get these going this evening!
Brianna says
During the long fermentation does the dough double?
B Young says
Boy does it ever
Andre says
They’re in the oven! I’m so excited! My boiling process was a bit messy, cause I didn’t have the right spider tool so I had to improvise.. They’re smelling good… Thanks so much
Julie M Langston says
Really excited to try these! Thanks for the tutorial.
Carolyn says
Have you ever tried bagels with fresh ground flour? I have hard red, hard white and soft white. Which would you use? Possibly autolyse the flour and water for a hour before hand?
Thanks so much
Lauren says
I am wondering the same thing about fresh ground flour. I have loved and been so thankful for many of your recipes and how you use fresh ground flour. Curious if you have tried this recipe with fresh ground flour or not?
Kayla says
I have found that when it calls for the unbleached white flour a combination of hard and soft white wheat works really well! Thats what I do for her recipes and so far they have all turned out great, even the no knead sourdough bread!
Val Colvin says
I’m learning about the lowered carbs in long fermented sourdough and tried to understand how many carbs are in each bagel. 1004 mg Carbohydrates equals just a tad over 1 gram?! If I’m right, this is a great bread for keto, or Trim Healthy Mama diets!
I know a blog takes a lot of work and I really have been praying for you! When I listened to your podcast where you talked about curbing your cell phone usage I praised the Lord! These years will fly by(people told me that a lot but with 13 children it didn’t feel like it to me till lately when we have only 2 teenagers at home) and the phone, others expectations for your family/business can rob you and your family of everything important. Be on guard for things that drain you. We had a family run farm with 300 CSA members that taught us this lesson. Keep your focus sweetheart!
Thanks for your recipes and helping me stay in touch with young moms! Sometimes I wish we were neighbors so I could come over and share what the Lord has taught me… Well I guess you can. I have a(not for profit) blog where I do just that.
Val Colvin
Susie Edwards says
For thm they would recommend a whole wheat or spelt flour…. but even with white flour I would use it occasionally because it’s fermented!
Elizabeth says
I haven’t used my starter in a while, but these sound amazing! Definitely want to give them a try.
Ning says
Great idea, thanks! Is the sourdough starter used in this recipe discard or “young”? Thank you.
Rany says
I am excited to try this recipe! Do you recommend feeding the starter before using in this recipe?
Hannah says
Hi, if I would like to freeze some is it better to do so after boiling or after they vome out of the oven?
Thank youfor the great recipe!
Lucy says
Can’t wait to try these! But I’d like to use white whole wheat, do you know if that will work? Thank you!
Abbey says
These were incredibly good and so easy to make. I’ve been intimidated by bagels before, but they were as easy as making a loaf of sourdough. Thank you for this amazing recipe! My kids also have these bagels a 10/10.
Abbey says
Gave* not have.
lea says
can i make these with spelt or einkorn flour?
Lisa says
Yes! I just did 100% einkorn yesterday and they were so good. I haven’t tried spelt yet!
Rhoda says
Just inherited kitchen aid mixer. Made Bagels —Delicious!! Thank u so very much🤗. I’ve made ur English muffins and pancakes too. Come out amazing. Thx for sharing👏❤️
Amy says
Just made these and they are so delicious and the recipe was easy to follow. I have a decent amount of baking knowledge but never tried bagels and I’m so glad I did. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Everyone do yourself a favor and add cinnamon brown sugar to the top of a few. They were outstanding! 😊
Emily says
Mine are still warm out of the oven and are SO good! We made lunch sandwiches:)
Gabriela says
Hi Lisa! I made the recipe today and I love it, last night by hand I prepared the dough, left for 8 hours to ferment and this morning I baked. I have made it before normal bagel recipes and require more work in my experience and the final result it’s ok, sometimes good. Your recipe for me was easy and the result was great, chewy, good flavor, good shape, definitely the recipe I will use every time :). Thank you !
Ali says
Does the 8-12 hour “long ferment” take place on the counter or in the fridge? I’d like to make these but wasn’t sure where to leave them.
Michelle L Bird says
Hey! Just a note, the print button just redirects back to the top of the page. It would be really nice if I could print a clean copy to add to my binder.
Thank you!
Jessica says
The dough was wet after the first two cups of flour, then when adding the 2nd 2 cups it was SOO DRY! Like my dough hook on the kitchen aide was like having a very hard time turning the dough. This happened twice. The first time I trashed the dough… the second time I added a half cup more water and still super tough. Is the dough supposed to be insanely dry and tough? (My friend had a similar issue)
Lisa says
Yes! It is supposed to be extremely dry, almost to the point that it is hard to incorporate all the flour. It works because of the boiling stage later.
EmilyC says
Thank you for asking this question because mine has turned out the same way.. so incredible dry and I almost gave up on it but found your question! What a relief because I followed the directions to the tee. I can’t wait to see the end result.
Colleen says
These are amazing and so easy to make! Made some yesterday and making a fresh batch now to share with friends 😊
Nicole says
The “print” button is not working for me. 🙁
Lisa says
I just tried it on my end and it works. I’m not sure why that is. I had someone else say this too, so I’m going to try to figure that out!
Brenda says
Made these yesterday absolutely delicious. Thank you for much for sharing your fabulous recipe. My husbands favourite is some old cheddar grated on top so much better than the cheese buns he usually buys. Have enjoyed making so many of your recipes. My sourdough starter Freda is a year old now and I have shared bits of her with many friends. Thank you again.
Kaitlyn says
THESE ARE SO DELICIOUS! Thanks for another amazing recipe, Lisa! I’m going to need to upgrade to a larger recipe binder pretty soon, thanks to you! 😉
Tabitha says
I love these bagels! If I wanted to try making cinnamon raisin bagels, would I just add those ingredients into the dough while it’s mixing?
Lisa says
I add them in after the bulk ferment, so in the morning right before shaping!
Cheryl says
These came out incredible! So easy to make. Everyone was so impressed. We’re in New Jersey where getting a good bagel is a big deal. My son said these were better than our top local bagel shop’s. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Jessica says
I don’t know if anyone can help me, but my daughter tried making this recipe and used discard instead of fed starter. Is there anyway to save the dough? I would hate to dump it. Thank you
Lisa says
What day are you on? Is it an established starter?
Michele says
Does the fermentation process take lace on the counter or in the fridge? It’s not noted in the recipe.
Jordan says
Any tips for bagels that fall flat in the oven? Mine looked amazing while rising, after boiling, pulled them out of the oven and they were flat. They taste amazing. Just wish they didn’t fall.
Teena Wharton says
My bagels didn’t float. Wondering why?
Carrie Carboni says
Mine didn’t either!!! Wond ring what went wrong.
Megan says
Mine didn’t either!!! I’m now doubting the quality of my starter…
Brittany says
To make these with jovial all purpose einkorn, will I need to adjust the liquid any…or just follow recipe as is? Thank you!
Sunny says
Hi! Should a dough hook be used the entire time when mixing, or just when adding the final 2 cups of flour? I used a dough hook the entire time, and it never came together. It has been mixing for 30-45 minutes! Help!
AC says
These are so good!! Made them yesterday and just had one for breakfast!! I was wondering though, did your parchment paper burn in the oven?? I’m not sure why mine did but it burnt pretty bad!
Yolanda says
This is a fabulous recipe! I’ve made it many times and it never fails to impress. Love the new website! Much easier to navigate.
Serena says
Everything went great except my bagels stuck to the parchment paper?? So I lost the bottoms.
Sofiabonita says
This happened to me too I have no idea why. I ended up with some wonky looking bagels but the imperfection proves their homemade right?! Right?!?!
Brittany says
Can the second rise be done in the fridge overnight? I want to be able to bake these first thing in the morning and last time when I let the shaped bagels rise for 2 hours it didn’t seem to be enough.
natalie says
I made these this morning and they were so delicious – thank you.
Quick question. I ran into an issue with the dough sticking to the cookie sheet after I left them to puff up, so I ended up with less than round bagels after trying to reshape them without patting them down too much.
What type of surface do you put yours on before boiling?
Thanks!
Sharon V says
I’ve made these a few times. As I am getting accustomed to baking with sour dough, they are improving. Thank you for your clear step by step instructions. They are easy to follow and make the procedure less intimidating.
Sally Purkey says
Love this recipe! My family and friends love this recipe! I have shared with many.
I can hardly wait to eat one when the come out of the oven.
I have made these with my grandchildren, which I hope is a life time memory.
Recipe is easy to follow.
Meri says
Just made these yesterday, ate one for breakfast this morning and nearly shed a tear! No joke it was THAT good,I’m so thankful I found this recipe! When I’ve tried sourdough bagels in the past, there were so many confusing steps and they ended up wrinkly and dense – not these! Perfect chewy bagel texture, tangy and sweet flavor, just perfect!
I added chocolate chips to half and cinnamon raisins to the other half, then dipped the bottoms in cornmeal after boiling for that bakery authenticity 😉
natalie says
Hi Lisa! Do you weigh or just measure your ingredients by the cup?
Sally says
I love these bagels
I make them almost every Sunday.
Easy delicious and so much fun.
Elaine says
New to Sourdough and loving it. Made these bagels last week. What a treat. Thanks for your step by step instructions
Mary Ann Haller says
Lisa, after many tries, my sourdough starter finally doubled and I was thrilled. I will definitely try your bagels, they look so good.
sarah Baumeister says
I have made these several times and they are Easy to follow and tasty. Just fed my starter! This time I’m going to try blueberry.
Anna says
Can you use sugar instead of honey?
Kate says
Is this recipe easy to double? Large family over here that loves bagels. Due with another baby in October and wanting to make a bunch for the freezer ❤️
Lisa says
Yep! I always double it.
HollyG says
These are so easy and we’re delicious. Ours just came out of the oven – Yum and Thank you for the recipe.
Laura says
Hi Lisa – I’m fairly new to sourdough. I keep my jar of starter in the fridge. For the bagel recipe, should I pull my starter out and feed it and leave on the counter for 4 hours before pulling out the 1/2 cup starter for the bagel recipe? Or can I use it straight from my jar without feeding first?
Lisa says
Ideally yes! I prefer to use fed starter for these.
Kaylee Steinbrueck says
Hi Iisa,
Very new to sourdough here, have been working my way through your recipes (used your starter recipe too). Just made these today and ran into some issues. They never really poofed up during the rise once shaped, my house is consistent 73 so can’t imagine it was too cold! They taste AMAZING but are pretty heavy and dense. Also some of them never really floated to the top of the water but kind of rolled around in the middle… wondering there I went wrong.. maybe I should have added a bit more water? Trying to troubleshoot here in the newness of sourdough! My start it very bubbly too, so I believe it’s active?! Thanks for this wonderful blog!
Megan says
This is happening for me as well!
Clydia Kissinger says
I can’t believe it! I put the tablespoon of baking soda in the mixer with the dough. Will that ruin my bagels? I should have read it completely.
Olivia says
Hi! so excited to make these. Does the 8-12 hour fermentation process happen in the fridge or on the counter?