How to Make Sourdough Bagels From Scratch

After I graduated from college, I moved to a new town to start my new job. It was there that I was introduced to this amazing bagel shop. My boss would periodically bring in these bagels for breakfast or we would go get bagel sandwiches for lunch. I seriously could have eaten them every day, they were that good! When I got pregnant with my oldest daughter, those bagels were a big craving. I remember a specific day where I HAD to have a cinnamon sugar bagel with strawberry cream cheese. I couldn’t help myself, they were so good!

Fast forward to a few years ago when I started really diving into sourdough. I wanted to try all the different sourdough recipes and I stumbled upon a sourdough bagel recipe and just had to try it! Let’s just say I fell in love with them. Not only was I blown away by how good they were, but I couldn’t believe I made bagels. I never actually knew how bagels were made, but I thought they would be super complicated to make.

Although these sourdough bagels are a labor of love, they’re actually super easy to make. And let me tell you, once you make your own homemade bagels, you’ll be so proud of yourself! Before we get into the recipe, let’s hit on a few things including why you have to boil bagels, some topping ideas and example timelines for making fermented sourdough bagels.

You boil bagels prior to baking them for two reasons. One, because it helps to set the outer layer or crust. Boiling is what gives bagels their traditional crunchy outer texture and chewy inside. In this recipe, I add baking soda and brown sugar to the boiling water, which gives a more caramelized golden crust to the outside of the bagels. Two, boiling bagels also helps them to hold their shape during the baking process. Bottom line, don’t skip this step; it’s important!

• Everything bagel seasoning
• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Cinnamon sugar
• Cheddar cheese
• Cheddar cheese, jalapeños and bacon bits
• Egg wash
• Flaky salt
• Dried minced onions

8:00 am: Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator, drain hooch (gray liquid), stir, cover with a tea towel and allow to come to room temperature

9:00 am: Feed sourdough starter, mix thoroughly, cover and allow to rest.

6:00 pm: Make bagel dough, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest and ferment overnight.

6:00 am: Shape the dough into bagels and allow them to rest for 1-2 hours.

7:00 am: Boil and bake the sourdough bagels.

8:00 pm: Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator, drain hooch (gray liquid), stir, cover with a tea towel and allow to come to room temperature

9:00 pm: Feed sourdough starter, mix thoroughly, cover and allow to rest.

6:00 am: Make bagel dough, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest and ferment for 24 hours.

6:00 am: Shape the dough into bagels and allow them to rest for 1-2 hours.

7:00 am: Boil and bake sourdough bagels.

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing spoon
• Stand mixer and dough hook
• Large mixing bowl
• Sharp knife or bench scraper
• Parchment paper
• Large baking sheet
• Large stock pot
• Spider strainer or large slotted spoon

• 1 cup active sourdough starter
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add active sourdough starter, water, honey and salt and mix with a mixing spoon. Then add 2 cups of flour.

Using the dough hook, knead the dough on low for 10 minutes, then add the remaining flour slowly and knead until the dough is pliable.

Place the bagel dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel for 12-24 hours to allow the dough to ferment and rise.

After 12 hours, remove the sourdough bagel dough from the bowl and shape it gently into a ball.

Flatten the dough into a uniform circle, then cut the bagel dough into 8 equal pieces.

Take a piece of bagel dough and shape it into a ball, then poke a hole in the middle and gently stretch and shape the dough into bagels.

Place the sourdough bagels onto a lined baking sheet, cover them with a tea towel and allow them to rest for another 1-2 hours.

After 1-2 hours, bring a large pot of water (about 4 qts) to a boil. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, add the brown sugar, then the baking soda slowly.

Place 2-3 of the bagels into the water and boil for 2 minutes on each side.

Place the boiled bagels on a lined baking sheet and repeat until you’ve boiled all 8 bagels. If you plan to add toppings, do this while the bagels are still wet and prior to baking. You can also brush an egg wash over top prior to adding the toppings.

Once you’ve added toppings to your sourdough bagels, bake them 425°F for 25 minutes or until they’re nice and golden brown.

• Add the last 1 1/2 cups of flour very slowly and allow each bit to fully incorporate before adding more.
• If you notice dry bits of dough at the bottom of your mixer, stop the mixer and hand knead slightly to start incorporating those bits, then continue mixing with the dough hook.
• Use a damp tea towel and place it directly onto the bagel dough prior to fermenting so that a crust doesn’t form on the top of the dough.
• Allow the sourdough bagels to ferment anywhere between 4-24 hours. For long fermentation, ferment anywhere from 18-24 hours to get the most benefit from the sourdough.
• While I like using a big pot to boil these sourdough bagels, you can use a smaller one, but you’ll have to boil them one at a time.
• Add your bagel toppings after boiling while they’re still wet or brush an egg wash over top prior to adding toppings.

Looking for more breakfast ideas like these homemade sourdough bagels? Check these out!

• Homemade Pancakes from Scratch
• Overnight Oats
• Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Dutch Baby
• Dairy Free Lemon Scones

Did you make these homemade sourdough bagels? If you enjoyed them, I’d really appreciate if you came back and gave the recipe a five star rating! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!