Everything Sourdough Bagels
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So this is the fourth post in my sourdough series and I hope you are enjoying it and learning a little something. I’m having fun coming up with, experimenting and sharing with you new ways to use a sourdough starter. Today it’s all about Sourdough Wheat Everything Bagels!
Sourdough Series Part 4 – Sourdough Bagels
So far we have talked about making your own tangy sourdough starter, serving up some light and airy sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles topped with a mascarpone whipped cream and creating sourdough hot dog wraps with all the fixings inside. Today, I am sharing with you how to make sourdough wheat everything bagels! I like the kind with everything on them, but as for the toppings, the possibilities are endless and up to your own tastes.
Sourdough is fantastic not only in flavor, but for those with diabetes. Unlike regular white bread, the body breaks down sourdough bread slower, which means no high spikes in your sugar levels. Sourdough bread is very low on the glycemic index. See, with the sourdough starter, the bacteria “digests” the starches and glutens while helping the bread rise. This process creates an acid that then creates the sour flavor in the sourdough. The result is bread that actually lowers the glycemic load of meals.
Making bagel dough
Let’s get started! Mix the sourdough starter, water, oil, sifted flour, and kosher salt together in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook and let rest for 10 minutes. Next, knead the dough on low speed for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl coated with cooking spray and let rise for 4 hours, covered lightly with kitchen towel.
Next up pour the dough onto your floured surface, fold the dough over on itself 2 times, kneading it a couple of times. Flatten and cut into 12 equal pieces.
Shape the dough into a ball by cupping the dough on a flat surface and roll in a circular motion. Using both hands, pat together to make a disc shape. Use your thumb to poke a hole through the middle of the dough, stretching to make the center hole. Place the shaped bagels on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Cover the shaped bagels with a damp kitchen towel and let sit for about 1 hour to rise.
How to cook sourdough bagels
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Fill a large 12-inch skillet half full with water and add the tablespoon of baking soda. Bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, drop as many bagels as will fit, one at a time, into the boiling water. Boil the bagels for 1 minute, turning at the 30 second mark. Use a slotted spoon to place the bagels back on the baking sheet. Continue until all the bagels have been boiled.
Brush the bagels with the egg wash and top with sesame and poppy seeds, dried onion and garlic flakes and shredded Parmesan cheese. I have my own Everything Bagel Seasoning here, too if you like to make your own blend. Bake for 14 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
These are KILLER fresh from the oven and toasted. Smother these bad boys with cream cheese and whatever else you may prefer to top your bagel with and you have yourself a wonderful homemade breakfast.
So there you have it. After four Mondays in a row I will be taking a break, but will return! I have plenty more in this sourdough series and will be posting again in two weeks. Thanks for coming along and I hope you try making your own bagels.
The Complete Sourdough Recipe Series
French Style Round Sourdough Bread
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Everything Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
Bagels
- 2 cups sourdough starter (536g) (See Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cup warm water (330g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups whole wheat (444g) (sifted)
- 2 cups bread flour (296g) (sifted)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (or 2 tsp regular)
Boil Bagels
- 1 tbsp baking soda
Egg Wash
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp water
Toppings (See Note 2)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp dried garlic flakes
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Mix sourdough starter, water, oil, sifted flour, and kosher salt together in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook. If needed add a tablespoon of water at a time, for dough to come together. Rest for 10 minutes.
- Next, knead the dough on low speed for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl coated with cooking spray and let rise for 4 hours, covered lightly with kitchen towel.
- Turn dough onto floured surface, fold the dough over on itself 2-3 times, knead a couple of times, flatten and cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Shape the dough into a ball by cupping the dough on a flat surface and roll in a circular motion. Using both hands, pat together to make a disc shape. Use your thumb to poke a hole through the middle of the dough, stretching to make the center hole. Place the shaped bagels on a parchment coated with cooking spray or a silicone lined baking sheet. Cover the shaped bagels with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let sit for about 1 hour to rise.
- In a bowl mix together the sesame and poppy seeds, dried onion and garlic flakes, sea salt flakes or kosher salt and shredded Parmesan cheese (optional).
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Fill a large 12-inch skillet or wide stock pot half full with water and add the tablespoon of baking soda. Bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, drop as many bagels as will fit, one at a time, into the boiling water. Boil for 1 minute total, turning at the 30 second mark. Use a slotted spoon to place the bagels back on the baking sheet. Continue until all the bagels have been boiled.
- Brush the bagels with the egg wash and dip one side into everything seed mixture. Arrange seed side up on baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- If you are unsure of the natural yeast in your sourdough starter you can add 1 tbsp yeast and 3 tbsp sugar to the warm water initially in Step 1 above. Allow yeast to activate and bubble. After 5 minutes add to mix and continue with the directions as written.
- I make my own Everything Seasoning Blend. If using you will need 1/2 cup, I hope you try it!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Not sure what issues “H” below had, but I’ve been making this recipe since you first posted it and the Sourdough series in 2015! I keep coming back to get the recipe. I guess I should know it by heart by now! Needless to say, thought I’d let you and others know this is fantastic! Haven’t hit up Einstein Bagels in years. 🙂
Appreciate you being a long time reader and for taking the time to let me know Sebastian. Cheers!
Loved working with this dough until it stuck to the parchment paper after the hour rise which totally misshaped them for the boil during which they fell apart. Have been usin another bagel recipe before this with no problem These turned out terrible
Well you’re a first, sorry that was your experience. Can’t EVEN imagine them falling apart in the 1-minute boil process??
We really enjoy some of your recipes but I’m struggling immensely here with super dry bagel dough after just adding all ingredients.
I’m evolving as a bread, yeast, bagel and sourdough baker. Normally I weigh items in grams. But 1 cup of flour is ~ 130 grams, so 2 cups is 260 grams. But you list items in ounces, so I translated ounces to grams. For example, 16 ozs. is 454 grams. Yikes! Are you meaning fluid ounces on each of these items, as in measuring by volume, not by weight?
Heather, first apologies on the late reply. Between a vacation and both of my sites getting a redesign, I’ve gotten behind in replying to comments. Secondly after reviewing the recipe card there were errors made by my assistant in formatting it to the site. It appears different weight calculations were added, but obviously from comments from readers who have tried the recipe, it is good and raved about. I have since updated the recipe card to reflect gram measurements. Thanks so much for pointing that out to me so I could update and be sure the correct information is there.
Like you mentioned, you bake by weight measurements, as do I, and I find it so frustrating the different measurement information available online for something as simple as flour (and every other flour as well). Bob’s Red Mill has one number and King Arthur another and then I went and remade this recipe today to be sure (after feeding my starter last night). In weighing it out for the exact cup to gram ratio I even came up with different numbers than them! Needless to say I wanted to be sure my recipe was indeed correct and you will find the ingredients and measurements are exactly as they should be. Apologies for the frustration it may have caused you! 🙂
Hi Kevin!
Recently came upon your site while looking for bagel recipes using sourdough discard. Best bagels ever!! My husband and I made them, and can’t get over how excellent they were. Now we want your recipe for English muffins using discard. Our muffin recipe that we have tried is not cutting it:) Too heavy and dry. If you have any plans for coming up with an English muffin recipe, we will certainly use it! Thanks in advance!
Barb McStravick
Thanks so much Barb. I’m working on a English muffin recipe so it will be here one of these days!
First time making bagels, and these were amazing! Followed recipe exactly using the weighing of ingredients:)
I will never buy bagels again!
Fantastic, love to read comments like this Barbie!
I’d like to do as many steps as possible the day or eve before boiling and baking. Can I go as far a shaping and then store in fridge,bring to room temp and then boil?
Yes, you could do that Rachel.
The ingredients list says “salt”. The directions say kosher salt. Is the same amount used regardless of type?
I do use kosher salt, which is a larger grain. Let me know how you like it or liked it if you made it!
This is my go to bagel recipe. I add dehydrated onion and garlic to the dough for extra flavour. They turn our perfectly everytime. The dough is rising in the oven as I write this. Looking forward to fresh bagels! They freeze beautifully too.
That sounds amazing! I am glad they freeze so well!
I am making the wheat sourdough bagels today and I just noticed there is no sugar in the recipe. I thought the yeast needed sugar so I added 2 tsp of honey. Will this work? I also added 1/2 cup wheat bran in place of 1/2 cup WW flour. I am waiting for the 4 hour rise. Hope everything works. Thanks
There is no added yeast or sugar in this recipe if using the sourdough starter as written Carole. This sourdough starter relies on natural yeast to do the rising. I’d be interested in hearing how this turns out. Please let me know!
Although, as I stated in Note 1, if you are unsure of the natural yeast in your sourdough starter you can add 1 tbsp yeast and 3 tbsp sugar to the warm water initially in Step 1 above. Allow yeast to activate and bubble. After 5 minutes add to mix and continue with the directions as written. Hope this helps.