Okay, I’m just going to say it, I tried and failed at making bagels a couple times and then put off trying again for way too long. Every time I thought about it, my brain immediately jumped to “there is no way they will be the right texture” and I just… moved on to something else. But I finally did it. And it’s one of the most satisfying things I’ve made in this kitchen.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know my sourdough starter is basically a member of my family at this point. After the cinnamon rolls, I needed a new project for it — and bagels felt like the natural next step. Chewy, golden, real-deal bagels made right in my own kitchen. I’m obsessed.
Why Sourdough Bagels, Though?
I’m always looking for ways to sneak more fermented foods into what we’re eating — especially for the kids. Sourdough is such an easy way to do that because the long overnight fermentation does so much of the heavy lifting for you. The dough just sits there, slowly developing flavor and becoming easier to digest. You wake up, and it’s basically ready. That’s the kind of cooking I can get behind.
And the texture? Completely different from store-bought. The sourdough gives these bagels a chewy pull that you just can’t fake with commercial yeast. The outside gets this gorgeous shiny crust from the boiling step, and the inside stays soft and pillowy. We had them for breakfast three days in a row and nobody complained once.
The Overnight Rise Is Your Best Friend
This is a two-day recipe, and I know that might sound like a lot, but I promise it’s mostly hands-off time. You mix the dough the night before, it comes together really easily, do a few stretch and folds, cover it up, and let your starter do its thing overnight.
The next morning the dough is gorgeous, smooth, and ready to shape. I made mine while the kids were eating breakfast and had them boiling before anyone needed a snack. The whole active time is maybe 30–40 minutes across both days. The rest is just waiting, and the waiting is what makes them so good.
Don’t Skip the Boiling Step
This is the part that made me nervous, but it’s genuinely not a big deal once you do it. You bring a pot of water to a boil with a little honey, baking soda, and salt, just a few minutes per batch. The boiling is what gives bagels their signature chewy exterior and that beautiful glossy crust. Skip it and you’ve just got a bread roll with a hole in it (still tasty, but not a bagel).
Drop them in top-side down, 30-60 seconds per side, and that’s it. You can do two or three at a time depending on your pot. I use my big stock pot and it’s perfect. Add your toppings while they’re still wet from the water and everything sticks beautifully.
Toppings — The Fun Part
This is where it gets fun. My personal favourite right now is everything bagel seasoning, the garlic, the sesame, the onion, all of it. My kids are huge fans of cinnamon raisin bagels so I typically make a double batch with half everything or plain and half cinnamon raisin.
Some ideas to get you started: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaky sea salt, dried onion flakes, shredded parmesan, or just plain. They’re all delicious.
A Note on the Recipe
I’m making a batch of 8 bagels, which is plenty for our family for a few days. They store well covered at room temperature and are honestly even better the next morning toasted with butter or cream cheese.
The recipe calls for bread flour, which I really do recommend here, it gives you that extra chew that makes a bagel feel like a bagel. That said, you can swap in up to half AP or whole wheat flour if you want to sneak in some whole grains. My starter is active and bubbly right now, so timing worked out beautifully. If yours is newer or slower, just give the dough a little extra time to puff up before you shape.
Your Kitchen, Your Bagels
I always say the kitchen is the heart of our home, and this recipe really lives up to that for me. There’s something about a Saturday morning where the oven is on, the bagels are golden, and the whole house smells incredible, it just feels like exactly what home is supposed to feel like for me.
If you make these, please let me know! Tag me on Instagram so I can see your beautiful bagels. And if you’re new to sourdough, don’t let it intimidate you, this is genuinely one of the most forgiving and rewarding things you can make with your starter.
Happy baking! — Dee
Soft & Chewy Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 500 g bread flour
- 300 g water
- 125 g active sourdough starter
- 30 g Light neutral oil
- 20 g honey
- 10 g salt
Boiling
- 2 L water
- 10 g honey
- 10 g baking soda
- 3.5 g salt
Instructions
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, combine all of the bagel dough ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Do 3–4 rounds of stretch and folds in the bowl, resting 5 minutes between each round.
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic, cover the bowl and let it proof at room temperature for 8-12 hours or overnight.
Divide & Pre-shape
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces (about 120g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a damp kitchen towel.
- Rest for 1 hour.
Shape & Boil
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large pot, combine ingredients for boiling and bring to a strong boil.
- Working one at a time, push your thumb down through the center of the dough ball to the paper, then lift and stretch the hole to about 2 inches wide, rotating as you go. Dust with flour any time the dough gets too sticky.
- Drop 2–3 bagels into the boiling and let boil for 30 seconds, then flip and boil for 30-60 seconds more. Remove with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drip off, and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Add your toppings while the bagels are still wet. Repeat with remaining bagels.
Bake
- Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
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