Soft & Chewy Sourdough Bagels
Pillowy, fully fermented sourdough bagels with a shiny chewy crust — boiled and baked the old-fashioned way. This makes 8 perfect 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.
Notes
Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: before shaping, flatten the dough and add cinnamon and hydrated raisins (soak in boiled water for 5min) across the surface, then tightly roll to combine, let rest 5-10min before cutting & shaping.