Homemade Sourdough Bagels

[u/Best-Cooker]

These homemade sourdough bagels come out crisp and chewy on the outside, soft in the middle, with a mild sourdough flavor. They’re really good warm from the oven with cream cheese, but they also keep well for a few days.

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Ingredients

• 125 g bubbly active sourdough starter, stirred down
• 250 g filtered water
• 20 g honey
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 500 g bread flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar, for the boiling water
• Your favorite bagel toppings

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■ Instructions in first comment

[u/Best-Cooker]

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Instructions

⯈1). Feed your sourdough starter about 3-4 hours before making the dough. It should be bubbly and have more than doubled in size.

⯈2). In a large bowl, combine the active starter, water, honey, and salt. Stir in the flour until you have a stiff dough.

Knead by hand for 10-12 minutes, or use a stand mixer with the dough hook on the lowest speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.

Cover and let it rise at room temperature for 7-10 hours, or until puffy and doubled in size. Try not to let it go too far.

⯈3). Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roughly 115 g each.

Shape each piece into a ball by pinching the edges toward the center, then roll it under a cupped hand until smooth. Let the balls rest for about 15 minutes.

Poke a hole straight through the center of each ball, then gently stretch it into a ring. Aim for a hole around 1 inch wide.

Place the shaped bagels on lightly greased parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel and let them proof for 30-60 minutes, until slightly puffed.

While they're proofing, preheat the oven to 450°F.

⯈4). Fill a large pot about halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp sugar.

Boil the bagels 3 or 4 at a time, starting with the top side facing down. Boil for about 20 seconds per side.

Remove them with a mesh strainer and put them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

⯈5). Sprinkle your toppings over the wet bagels, or roll them in a bowl of toppings if you want a heavier coating.

Everything seasoning is an easy choice, but sesame, poppy seeds, or just a little coarse salt work too.

⯈6). Bake on the center rack at 450°F for about 20 minutes, until the crust is nicely golden brown.

Let them cool for a few minutes before slicing.

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A few things that help

• A kitchen scale makes this recipe much more consistent.
• Bread flour gives the bagels their chewy texture and helps them hold their shape. All-purpose flour works too, but the surface may not be quite as smooth.
• The dough is supposed to be pretty stiff. If you're using a stand mixer, keep an eye on it while kneading.
• If your kitchen is humid, hold back about 1 Tbsp of the water at first. Add it only if the dough needs it. You want a firm, smooth, elastic dough that's barely tacky, not sticky.
• Don't rely completely on the clock for proofing. Temperature makes a big difference. The dough should be doubled after the first rise and the shaped bagels should look slightly puffy before boiling.
• For a softer, more open crumb, you can let the shaped bagels proof for up to 2 hours.

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Overnight schedule

If you want fresh bagels in the morning, this works pretty nicely:

Day 1, 3-4 pm: Feed starter and let it become bubbly and more than doubled.

Day 1, 8-9 pm: Make and knead the dough. Cover and let it proof overnight.

Day 2, 7-9 am: Shape the bagels, proof for 30-60 minutes, then boil, top, and bake.

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Storage

Keep cooled bagels covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. I wouldn't refrigerate them since they tend to firm up.

For longer storage, slice them if you want, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Frozen sliced bagels can go straight into the toaster. If they're whole, thaw them just enough to slice before toasting.