Homemade sourdough bagel recipe. I love bagels, and the best way to enjoy them is straight out of the oven! These are so simple to make, and I prefer them to sourdough bread any day! Sprinkle them with cheese, everything seasoning or cinnamon & sugar for the perfect breakfast.

Homemade Sourdough Bagel Recipe Pin for later

Wondering what to make with all that sourdough starter?

I love sourdough bread, but I love these bagels even more. They are much easier to make than sourdough bread, and faster too. So you will be eating bagels in no time!

We love making these bagels with everything but the bagel spice. I make my own from Half Baked Harvest but you could buy it as well. I have found it here in Canada at Homesense often!

This bagels are delicious served hot from the oven with butter, cream cheese or jam. They also store really well in the freezer!

This recipe only makes 8 bagels, so if your family loves them as much as mine you might want to double the batch!

Sourdough Essentials

Proofing Basket | Digital Kitchen Scale | Dutch Oven | Mixing Bowls | Measuring Spoons | Bread Lame

Did you know …

Montreal Bagels are first boiled in water sweetened with honey and then baked. These bagels are made Montreal style and we love the added sweetness that comes along with boiling them in the honey water.

Homemade Sourdough Bagel Recipe

• ¾ cup (150 g) bubbly, active starter
• 1 cup plus 2 tsp (250 g) warm water
• 2 tbsp (24 g) sugar
• 4 cups plus 2 tbsp (500 g) bread flour
• 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp (20 g) honey
• Cooking spray or oil, for coating

How to make it

1. Make sure you have active, bubbly starter ready to go
2. In a large bowl, whisk the starter, water, and sugar together with a fork. Add the flour and salt. Combine to form a rough dough. Because this dough is stiff, consider using a stand mixer to give your hands a break; run on low speed for 5 to 6 minutes to combine. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour. Replenish your starter with fresh flour and water. Store according to preference.
3. After the dough has rested, work the mass into a semi-smooth ball, about 15 to 20 seconds.
4. Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise until double in size, about 8 to 10 hours at room temperature.
5. Shape: Line a sheet pan with a nonstick silicone mat or parchment paper. If using parchment, lightly coat with cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking.
6. Remove the dough onto a non-floured work surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll into a ball ( watch our video for tips on how to achieve a smooth ball of dough). Let the dough rest on your sheet pan for 10 to 15 minutes to relax the gluten.
7. Working with one ball of dough at a time, poke a hole straight through the center. Lift up the dough, insert both index fingers through the center hole, and roll to gently stretch the opening to about the size of a walnut. When finished, place the dough back onto your sheet pan. It’s okay if the hole shrinks slightly. Repeat shaping the remaining dough.
8. Second Rise: Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough will puff up only slightly at this stage.
9. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the honey and whisk well to dissolve. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
10. Boil the bagels: Add 3-4 bagels into the pot and wait for them to float to the top, about 10 seconds, or they will float right away. Simmer for 30 seconds on each side for a thin crust. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bagels back the sheet pan you used earlier, placing them rounded side up. Sprinkle with everything but the bagel spice, cheese, cinnamon sugar or whatever topping your prefer. Place back onto the sheet pan and finish boiling the rest of the bagels.
11. Bake: Bake the bagels for about 22 minutes. When ready, your bagels will be puffed up and light golden brown, and they will feel light to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. These are delicious hot from the oven!
12. The chewy texture of bagels is best enjoyed when made fresh. Store in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Bagels also freeze well!

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These recipe is from the cookbook Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa, we adapted the cooking time and seasonings to suite our tastes!

You can also check out some of our other favourite recipes here.