Sourdough Bagels – A Plain Bagel Recipe Made With Your Starter
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I do not like bagels. I never have. So the fact that I now make sourdough bagels from scratch on a regular basis is genuinely surprising to me. And if you know me, you know that being allergic to dairy and loving cream cheese the way I do made bagels feel like a special kind of cruelty. So for most of my life, I just skipped them entirely.
But my Uncle Danny loves bagels. I mean really loves them. I know this because I watched his cats while he was out of town, and when I opened his refrigerator, an entire shelf was dedicated to cream cheese. At least ten different containers. It was impressive, honestly.
He had gone down to Florida to visit my Aunt Pauline. Her husband Rhett, who was Uncle Danny’s brother, passed away a while back. My uncle and my dad have made a quiet habit of making sure she still feels looked after and connected to the family. It is one of those things you do not make a big deal about. You just do it. I think that says everything about the kind of people they are.
Aunt Pauline made oatmeal every morning while he was there. He loved her and he loved the oatmeal. But he was also very ready to get home to his bagel.
So when he got back, I decided to make him some. I had been practicing my sourdough skills with Janet, my sourdough starter, and I figured bagels were the next step worth taking.
I made the first batch and spread some non-dairy butter on one for myself, mostly out of curiosity. I was not expecting much.
It was really good. Like, stop-and-think-about-it good.
My husband tried half of one and told me it was the best bagel he had ever had. He is not dramatic, so I believed him.
I have made three batches since then, adjusting and tweaking until I landed on this final version. These are the ones I am sharing today.
Ginger’s Thoughts
I am going to be very honest with you here. I have never been a fan of bagels. Which I think is odd since I love bread, I mean LOVE bread. But I have never liked the chewy outside texture of bagels.
When I figured out that the less time I boiled them, the less chewy the outside was, everything changed for me. I love them now. Okay, truth. I love my own homemade bagels now.
Table of Contents
Why Sourdough Bagels are Different
Store-bought bagels are fine. But sourdough bagels are a completely different thing.
The fermentation process gives them a depth of flavor that commercial yeast cannot replicate. The crust has that subtle chew. The crumb is tender but structured.
And because you are working with a live culture, the flavor develops slowly in the refrigerator during the overnight rest. That is where most of the flavor comes from.
A Note on Size
Most bagel recipes call for 150g to 170g of dough per bagel. That gives you the large bakery-style bagel most people picture.
I use 100g per bagel.
My Uncle Danny mentioned he prefers bagels that are not oversized, and honestly, once I made them at 100g, I agreed. The size is just right. You get a proper bagel with a good hole and a satisfying chew without it being a full meal on its own.
How to Make Sourdough Bagels
Step 1: Mix the Dough
Add your warm water, active starter and maple syrup to your stand mixer bowl. Add the flour, sugar and salt. Mix until the dough comes together. Knead briefly until smooth.
This is a stiffer dough than you are used to with sandwich bread. That is completely normal. Bagel dough is meant to be firm.
Step 2: Rest and Refrigerate
Knead your dough briefly, then cover and let it rest on the counter for at least one hour.
After that hour, your dough will feel a bit more relaxed. Briefly knead your dough again.
Then transfer it to the refrigerator overnight.
When you pull it out the next morning, your dough should be doubled in size before you move on to shaping. Do not rush this step.
Step 3: Divide the Dough
Turn your dough out onto your work surface and divide it using a bench scraper into 100g portions. A kitchen scale is not optional here. Consistent weight means consistent bagels every time.
I use this OXO kitchen scale and it has never let me down.
If you want to see everything I keep in my sourdough kitchen, I have a full breakdown in my sourdough baking tools post.
Step 4: Shape into Balls
Roll each portion into a smooth tight ball. Pinch any seams closed underneath.
Step 5: Shape the Bagels
Poke your thumb through the center of each ball and gently stretch the hole to about 1.5 to 2 inches wide. Place each shaped bagel on a small square of parchment paper. Cover and let rest until puffy.
Step 6: Rest Until Puffy
Place shaped bagels in covered containers on small squares of parchment paper. Let them rest until they look noticeably puffy before moving on to the boil.
Step 7: Boil the Bagels
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 50g of maple syrup. The maple syrup gives the crust its subtle shine and a faint sweetness on the outside.
Boil each bagel for 30 seconds per side. Do not overcrowd the pot.
Step 8: Egg Wash
Place your boiled bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each one generously with beaten egg. This is what gives them that golden glossy finish you see in the photos.
Step 9: Bake and Cool
Bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack immediately.
Let them cool for a full hour before slicing. Slicing too soon compresses the crumb and changes the texture.
Tips Before You Start
Your starter needs to be active. If my starter Janet has not been fed recently, I feed her and wait until she is bubbly and at peak before beginning. Janet starter maintenance blog
Weigh your portions. Every single time. A kitchen scale is the difference between bagels that look like yours and bagels that look like someone else’s. OXO scale
Do not skip the maple syrup in the boiling water. It makes a noticeable difference in the finished crust.
The 30 second boil per side is right. Do not go longer. Over-boiling makes the crust too thick and tough.
Cool for the full hour. This is the hardest part and also the most important part. You do not want “gummy” textured bagels.
These freeze beautifully. Slice before freezing and they go straight from the freezer to the toaster.
How I Like to Eat Them
Plain sourdough bagels are a blank canvas. Here is how they get eaten in our house.
With non-dairy butter. This is my version. Warm bagel, generous spread, nothing else needed. It was the first thing I put on one and I have not needed to change it since.
With cream cheese. My husband’s version. He does not have the same dairy restrictions I do, so he gets the full experience. If cream cheese is your thing, a plain sourdough bagel is going to make you very happy.
As a breakfast sandwich. Bacon, egg and cheese if that is your world. The structure of a sourdough bagel holds up to a full breakfast sandwich without falling apart on you.
If you love baking with your starter, my sourdough Hawaiian rolls are the next thing you should make.
My Go-To Sourdough Tools
All of the tools and products I used for this recipe are saved in my Amazon storefront. You will find the thermometer, the parchment inserts, parchment paper, silicone baking mats and more in my Sourdough Baking Essentials list.
FAQ’s
Does my starter have to be active or can I use discard?
Your starter needs to be active for this recipe. Discard does not have enough live culture activity to give you the rise you need, and bagels are a stiff dough that needs that strength. Feed your starter and wait until it is bubbly and at peak before you begin. If your starter has been sitting in the refrigerator untouched for a while, give her a feeding and a few hours before you commit to a batch.
Can I make these without a stand mixer?
Yes, but your arms are going to know about it. Bagel dough is much stiffer than sandwich bread dough and kneading it by hand takes real effort. If you go that route, knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, which takes around 10 minutes of solid work. A stand mixer makes this a lot easier and gives you more consistent results.
Why do you boil the bagels before baking?
The boil is what makes a bagel a bagel. Dropping them into boiling water before they go into the oven sets the crust and creates that characteristic chew you cannot get any other way. Without the boil you would end up with a dense bread roll, which is fine but not a bagel. Thirty seconds per side is all you need.
Why do you use maple syrup in the boiling water instead of baking soda?
Baking soda is the traditional choice and it gives you a darker, chewier crust with a slight pretzel-like quality. Maple syrup gives the crust a subtle shine and a faint sweetness on the outside without overpowering the sourdough flavor. I prefer it for plain bagels specifically. If you want a more traditional crust, you can swap in a tablespoon of baking soda and see which you like better.
What if my dough did not double overnight in the refrigerator?
Give it more time. If your dough is not doubled when you pull it out in the morning, leave it in the refrigerator for a few more hours and check again. This usually means your starter was not quite at peak activity when you mixed the dough. It is not ruined, it just needs more time to do its thing. Do not move on to shaping until you see that volume increase.
Can I skip the overnight rest and bake them the same day?
Technically yes, but the flavor will be noticeably different. The overnight cold ferment in the refrigerator is where most of the depth and tang develops. Same-day bagels will still taste good, but they will taste more like plain bread and less like a sourdough bagel. If you are making these for someone specific, plan ahead and give them the full rest. It is worth it.
Can I add toppings like everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds?
Absolutely. Add your toppings right after the egg wash and before they go into the oven so everything sticks. Everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and coarse salt all work great. Press them in gently so they do not fall off during baking. I keep mine plain because that is what Uncle Danny wanted, but toppings are fair game on every batch since.
How long do sourdough bagels stay fresh and can I freeze them?
At room temperature they are best within the first two days. After that the texture starts to change. For longer storage, slice them before freezing and store them in a freezer bag. They go straight from the freezer into the toaster with no thawing needed, and they taste just as good as the day you made them. I almost always freeze at least half a batch.
Sourdough Bagels – A Plain Bagel Recipe Made With Your Starter
Ingredients
Method
- Step 1: Mix the DoughAdd warm water, active starter and maple syrup to your stand mixer bowl. Add the flour, sugar and salt. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead briefly until smooth. This is a stiffer dough than you are used to. That is normal. Bagel dough is meant to be firm.
- Step 2: Rest and RefrigerateCover the dough and let it rest on the counter for at least one hour. Then transfer it to the refrigerator overnight. When you pull it out the next day, the dough should be doubled in size before you move on to shaping.
- Step 3: Divide the DoughTurn your dough out onto your work surface and divide it into 100g portions. Use a kitchen scale for every single one. Consistent weight means consistent bagels.
- Step 4: Shape the BagelsRoll each portion into a smooth, tight ball and pinch any seams underneath. Then poke your thumb through the center and gently stretch the hole to about 1.5 to 2 inches wide. Place each shaped bagel on a small square of parchment paper. Cover and let rest until puffy.
- Step 5: Cold RetardPlace your shaped bagels in a covered container and refrigerate overnight. This slow cold ferment is where the flavor develops. Do not skip this step.
- Step 6: Boil the BagelsBring a large pot of water to a boil and add 50g of maple syrup. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds per side. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Step 7: Egg Wash and PrepPlace boiled bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each one generously with beaten egg.
- Step 8: Bake and CoolBake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack immediately. Let them cool for a full hour before slicing.
Notes
- Bagel Size: This recipe makes approximately 18 bagels at 100g each. Most recipes use 150g to 170g per bagel. The smaller size is intentional and gives you a better bagel-to-topping ratio.
- Your Starter: Your starter needs to be active and bubbly before you begin. Feed Janet and wait until she is at peak. A sluggish starter will give you flat bagels.
- Maple Syrup in the Boiling Water: Do not skip this or substitute plain water. The maple syrup is what gives the crust its subtle shine and faint sweetness on the outside.
- Cooling Time: Cool for a full hour before slicing. Slicing too soon compresses the crumb and changes the texture completely.
- Freezing: These freeze beautifully. Slice them before freezing and they go straight from the freezer to the toaster.
How to Store
How to store at room temperature:
Store in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 days. After that the texture starts to change and you are better off moving them to the refrigerator or freezer.
How to store in the refrigerator:
Store in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days. They will firm up a bit in the refrigerator, so a quick toast before eating makes a big difference.
How to freeze:
Slice them before freezing. Store in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. They go straight from the freezer into the toaster with no thawing needed.
