Homemade Sourdough Bagels

Nothing is more comforting or cures more ailments than a classic New York bagel and a jumbo iced coffee. Never underestimate the power of carbs and caffeine.

However, it can be hard to find a truly good bagel when surrounded by Panera's or Einstein's as options. You're in luck that this homemade sourdough bagel recipe is simple to make and delicious to eat!

A base bagel dough recipe calls for active starter, water, sea salt, flour, and sugar (typically honey). Sugar gives the yeast an easy food source for a better rise and fermentation. I swapped the honey for maple syrup to give the dough a warmer, more complex sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 100g sourdough starter
• 255g water
• 40g Sunnymede maple syrup
• 10g sea salt
• 500g bread flour

For the water bath:

• 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Recipe:

1. The night before you want to make the bagels, feed your sourdough starter to ensure it’s active. Let the starter rise at room temperature.
2. When your starter is bubbly and ready, stir together the starter, water, maple, and sea salt. (Using a stand mixer makes this much easier, but you can also do it by hand.)
3. Next, add the bread flour and gently incorporate the ingredients together as best as possible. Add the dough hook to the stand mixer and finish on low-speed.
4. Once done, cover and let rest for 8-12 hours.
5. When ready to bake, line the tray with parchment paper. Place the dough onto a clean work surface and, using a bench knife or dough scraper, divide the dough into 8-equal wedges.
6. Shape the dough by rolling each wedge into a wide log or rope shape. Gently thin the log by rolling back and forth with the palm of your hand. Repeat until the log is an even thickness. Next, loop the log to create a circle, overlapping the ends together, and sealing them into a bagel shape.
7. Repeat this step with the remaining dough and place each bagel on the baking tray. Cover and let rest for at least 60 minutes, preferably overnight in the fridge. (If resting overnight, let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before moving on to the next step.)

8. Preheat oven to 425°F.. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Once the bagels have finished rising, place 2-3 bagels at a time in the boiling water for 2 minutes on each side (do not overcrowd them).

9.  

   Use a slotted spoon to flip and remove the bagels. Let them rest on the parchment paper until cool. Coat with an egg wash (optional, but gives a golden color).

10.  

    Dip the top of the bagel in your choice of topping or keep them plain! (See topping ideas in Notes).

11.  

    Bake the bagels at 425°F (218°C) for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown.

    
    

    Notes

    Topping ideas: I like to do sesame, Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, or cinnamon sugar. You could even add a drizzle of maple syrup to mimic the French Toast bagel from Panera!

    Mix-ins: If you prefer flavors like cinnamon raisin, blueberry, or chocolate chip, you will want to add those into the dough. Simply add these after kneading the dough in Step 3.

    To Store: Keep baked bagels covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Toast when ready to eat.

    To freeze baked bagels: Let the bagels cool completely. Wrap bagels individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

    Tools and Equipment: When working with dough, I always recommend measuring by weight. I use my kitchen scale every day, and they are super affordable on Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.

    Secondly, save your arm strength for the gym and invest in a stand mixer to make your life so much easier.