Homemade Sourdough Bagels
There’s nothing quite like a fresh, homemade bagel, and making them with sourdough starter adds an extra layer of flavor and complexity to these beloved breakfast treats. The good news is, you don’t need a fancy bread flour or a lot of time to make great sourdough bagels at home. All-purpose flour works just fine, and you can even let your dough rise overnight to save time in the morning.
With a little patience and some basic ingredients, you can make delicious sourdough bagels at home that will rival anything you can buy at the store. Try experimenting with different toppings and spreads to find your favorite flavor combination.
Homemade 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.