How To Make Easy Sourdough Bagels

Simple step by step tutorial for homemade sourdough bagels made with whole grains – mix with your favorite ingredients or toppings to make your own. You can find this recipe and more (like my popular Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread) on the Best Bread Recipes page.

homemade sourdough bagels

Our family – like many, I’m sure – loves chewy and tender bagels. Morning bagels with flavored cream cheese (smoked salmon is my favorite) is a tradition and our kids loved using bagels for lunch sandwiches for a change.

After many attempts at making yeast bagels without success, I finally found a great whole wheat-yeast bagel recipe from my friend Gina. Finally and easy, bagel that turns out every time.

But then my sourdough started taking off and I found I was making most of our bread with the starter, so I needed to create a way to replicate the successful recipe to work with sourdough.

I tweaked two sourdough recipes and combined them with Gina’s method to develop what I think are the perfect sourdough bagels – in fact, my family likes these better than the regular yeast version!

Simple Sourdough Bagels Tutorial

bubbling sourdough starter

1. Start with an active sourdough starter. I’ve written previously about how I grew my sourdough starter and the tips I use to keep it active without a lot of work and I’ve kept it alive for many years doing this.

The picture above was taken in the morning after I had gotten the starter out of the fridge the night before, fed it and left it on the counter so it was ready to go in the morning.

TIP: While an active starter is important, bagels don’t need as much raising, so this recipe is a good option for when you’re starter is in it’s first months and may not be strong enough to bake a single loaf.

mixed dough for sourdough bagels

2. Mix all the ingredients, let them rest, and then knead for 4 minutes in a stand mixer or 6-8 minutes by hand

When all the ingredients are mixed, you will notice that this dough is much stiffer than other doughs. It really gives the mixer a work out!

sourdough bagel dough rising

3. Transfer to a greased large bowl and let rise for 4 hours. Fold the dough over on itself 2 times (or try to- sometimes I don’t always remember both folds)

TIP: Sourdough does take longer to rise, though, so I usually plan to mix it in the morning and finish it in the evening right before dinner.

cutting sourdough bagel dough

4. Cut dough. When it’s ready to shape, transfer it to a floured surface (I use a towel whenever I’m dealing with bread- it’s easy clean-up and less flour needed).

Cut the dough into 12-18 pieces.

TIP: In order to get somewhat equal pieces, I like to flatten the dough with a rolling pin- approximately a 10×13-inch rectangle is good – and use a sharp knife to cut into equal (or as equal as you can) pieces. The corners will need more, but it’s easy to cut a little from the bigger pieces and add to the fill out the corner pieces.

12 or 18 bagels?

I used to make a dozen, but found that the bagels just were too big (I think store-bought ones are too big, too – it’s part of my real-food-in-moderation philosophy), so now I cut the dough into 18 pieces.

Do what works best for you.

shaping sourdough bagel dough balls

5. Shape the bagels. There are two ways to form bagels:

  • The first is to roll each piece of dough into a rope and pinch the ends together creating the bagel.
  • I find the second way to be the quickest: pinch each piece together creating a ball (above), like my Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls.

And then:

making hole for sourdough bagels

Simply use your thumb to punch through the center of the dough ball, stretching a bit as you do in order to create the classic bagel shape.

It’s not perfect (but that’s hardly ever my goal, remember?), but it will puff more during the boiling and baking stages, creating that bagel shape with all know.

Why is there a hole in a bagel?

Because bagel dough is fairly thick, making a hole allows for the dough to cook thoroughly all the way through.

sourdough bagels rising on pan

6. Rest. After all the bagels have been shaped, set them aside to rest for about an hour under a dampened towel.

TIP: The holes I made in the bagels above are quite large – making them smaller gives a bit more surface after they’re cut. On the other hand, you don’t want the hole so small that it closes up when cooking. Play around with the size to find what you like best.

boiling sourdough bagels

7. Boil the bagels. Fill a large pan or pot halfway with water, add one tablespoon of baking soda and bring to a boil.

Boil the bagels for one minute, turning them at the halfway mark.

Why baking soda?

The classic ingredient added to the boiling water for bagels is malt syrup. Right. Not the most common of pantry ingredients.

One of the reasons I loved Gina’s yeast bagel recipe is because it used baking soda which created wonderful bagels that weren’t all misshapen like the others I had tried that used honey as a replacement.

Why boil bagels?

Boiling the bagel dough before baking creates their signature thick and chewy crust. Because the crust is already set after boiling, the bagels don’t rise as much in the oven which also contributes to their chewy crumb.

half boiled sourdough bagels on pan

Use a slotted spoon to return the bagels to the lined pan. The darker bagels on the left have been boiled, those on the right have not.

You can see that they puff up a bit during this stage. After boiling, it’s okay to put them close together on the baking sheet since they won’t puff up much more during baking.

topping sourdough bagels before baking

8. Add optional toppings. Brush the bagels with an egg glaze (water+beaten egg) or milk at this point and top with your desired toppings.

Above I’ve used Everything Bagel seasoning and sesame seeds. We also like poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, and even a bit of kosher salt is yummy on top of these sourdough bagels.

sourdough bagels stacked

Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, alternating pans at the halfway point if needed. Cool completely on a rack before storing.

cut sourdough bagel on plate

For the best texture, it’s best to let the bagels cool completely before cutting – but of course there’s nothing like a warm bagel fresh from the oven, so sacrifices should be made, lol.

What is the best way to store bagels?

You can keep bagels at room temperature in a plastic bag for 1-3 days before they will start to dry out.

Freeze bagels for longer storage, thawing and toasting as you need them.

Are sourdough bagels healthier than regular yeast bagels?

Yes, because they are made with wild yeast and are fermented, allowing our bodies to digest the ingredients better.

So enjoy your homemade bagels!

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cut sourdough bagel on plate
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4.68 from 49 votes

Easy Sourdough Bagels

Make these easy sourdough bagels with amazing flavor at home with your own sourdough starter. Use whole wheat and bread flour and add your favorite toppings.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Rising Time5 hours
Total Time6 hours
Yield: 12 -18 bagels
Author: Jami Boys

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (400g) active sourdough starter, fed in last 12 hours
  • 1 ¼ cups (300g) warm water (if your starter is thick, use up to 1/4 cup more)
  • 1 tablespoon (13.63g) oil
  • 5 ½ to 6 cups (687.5-750g) flour*
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) salt
  • optional ingredients for bagel dough**
  • 1 tablespoon (14.4) baking soda

For Topping:

  • 1 egg***
  • 1 tablespoon (14.8g) water
  • Toppings of choice: sesame or poppy seeds, dried onion flakes(rehydrated 10 minutes), cheese, Everything Bagel, etc.

Instructions

  • Mix starter, water, oil, flour, and salt together and then let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Knead the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed for about 4 minutes, or by hand 6-8 minutes. The dough will be very stiff.
  • Transfer to a greased large bowl and let rise for 4 hours. Fold the dough over on itself 2 times (or try to, sometimes I don't always remember both folds and it's okay).
  • Pour out the dough onto a floured surface (a lightly floured tea-towel works great), knead a couple of times, flatten and cut into 12-18 equal pieces (about 5 oz. each).
  • Shape the bagels by making each piece into a ball and using your thumb to punch a hole through the middle of the ball, stretching to make the center hole. Set the shaped bagels on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet (12 will fit on one large sheet, if making 18, use two smaller sheets) – they are known for sticking, so this will make removing them much easier.
  • Cover the shaped bagels with a damp towel (the one used for cutting works great) and let sit for about an hour.
  • Fill a large 12-inch skillet 1/2 to 3/4 full with water and add the tablespoon of soda. Bring it to a boil. Start the oven preheating to 450 degrees at this time.
  • When the water is boiling, drop as many bagels as will fit, one at a time, into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute, turning at the halfway mark. Use a slotted spoon to place the bagels back on the baking sheet. Continue until all the bagels have been boiled.
  • Brush the bagels with an egg glaze (or milk) at this point if you wish, and top with your desired toppings.
  • Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, alternating pans at the halfway point if needed. Cool on a rack.

Notes

*I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose with my whole wheat starter. Bread flour and white whole wheat also work well.
**In addition to toppings, you can add flavors to the dough. Ideas to add to bagel dough include:
  • 1-2 teaspoons onion powder and/or dried flakes for onion bagels.
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese for cheese bagels (top with cheese, too).
  • 2-3 teaspoons dried herbs.
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins + 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon.
 
***You can also glaze with whole milk or cream instead of egg+water. The glazes create the shiny bagel top and helps any toppings to stick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bagel | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.7g | Protein: 5.7g | Fat: 1.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 675mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 0.2g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!
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how to make sourdough bagels

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This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in March of 2012.

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Recipe Rating




4.68 from 49 votes (37 ratings without comment)

149 Comments

  1. I found, used, and saved this recipe back in 2020 when I started my sourdough journey. This is still my favorite recipe for bagels, though I’ve tried a few others. I always come back to this one. Never fails, easy, delicious. Thank you!5 stars

  2. This recipe was a good reminder to read the whole recipe before starting! I regularly bake with sourdough, so should have known better, but added the soda to the dough! I realized my error when I got to the boiling water part. Even with the soda, the bagels were delicious and the texture was perfect. Can’t wait to try it again WITHOUT the soda. Bet they will be even better!

  3. I made these and we love them! I was a little worried because 2 cups of starter and 400g seemed like different amounts. I went with the 2 cups. I did 18 bagels, and divided the dough in thirds….made everything, chocolate chip and cranberry/orange….6 ea! Every recipe I have tried from you has been wonderful. Now this afternoon it will be your pizza sauce made from frozen tomatoes. It will be a first for that one too.5 stars

    1. I’m so glad you liked this and reviewed it, Yvonne – thank you!
      Your flavors sound wonderful – I’m usually too much in a hurry to do three different kinds – kudos. 🙂

    2. Oh, I did want to add about the grams that when I researched, I found everything from 400 to 500g for sourdough starter. I use cups but am starting to add grams for readers per request, but it’s sometimes frustrating to find amounts that are agreed upon. It also depends on the bubbles in the starter at the time of measuring. You can weigh your 2 cups and then make a note of how much your starter weighs for next time.

  4. OMG I’m making these bagels and so ambitious i added the baking soda to the dough!!!! Can i still make the bagels. The dough is rising right now.

    1. How did they turn out!? I just made the dough and being distracted by my kids added the baking soda too 🤦🏻‍♀️ I know better than that. Yay mom brain! I’m curious if they’re going to be ok or not!

  5. These are really good and easy to make.

    We’ve made these a few times and at first I struggled with the second rise as it always stuck to the parchment. Since I don’t the silicone baking mats, or I haven’t found one I like that doesn’t make food taste funny, I tried other ways to keep it from sticking. Corn meal gave it a crust…so that didn’t last long. I finally discovered a floured pastry cloth works great for the second rise. They come off easily with a metal spatula.