These sourdough bagels are soft and chewy – a perfect vehicle for cream cheese, butter, or even a sandwich. They freeze very well making them a wonderful homemade convenience food waiting in your freezer for busy days. There’s no fancy mixer needed, these bagels just take the use of your hands and a little patience.
Easy Sourdough Bagels
These sourdough bagels are chewy and delicious, with a lovely sourdough tang. They are super easy to make, with no mixer needed.
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Dough Whisk
- 1 Spider Strainer
Ingredients
- 100g sourdough starter active
- 275g warm water
- 15g honey
- 10g salt
- 500g bread flour
- 1 tbsp sugar for boiling
Instructions
- Combine the sourdough starter, water, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl using a dough whisk or a fork. Then add the flour and combine until no dry flour remains in the bowl.100g sourdough starter, 275g warm water, 15g honey, 10g salt, 500g bread flour, 1 tbsp sugar
- Cover the bowl and let sit for 1 hour.
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes, covering the bowl in between each time. To stretch and fold the dough, lift the dough up and turn it over on itself. You will do this four times around the bowl.
- After the last stretch and fold, bulk ferment the dough at room temperature for several hours. The amount of time depends of the temperature of your kitchen. In a 75 degree kitchen, this usually takes about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Look for signs of fermentation, such as lots of small bubbles all around the sides of the dough (it helps to use a glass bowl). When you gently shake the bowl, the top of the dough should jiggle when it is ready.
- Once bulk fermentation is complete, place the bowl in the fridge for up to 48 hours. This adds flexibility for timing and helps to develop flavor. If you are in a hurry, you can skip this step and move directly to shaping and baking the bagels.
- Take the dough out of the fridge 1 hour before you are ready to shape them. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto your kitchen counter. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces (about 110g each). If you want to be precise, weigh the dough and divide the number by eight. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and set aside. Take a chop stick and poke each dough ball through the middle and use your thumb and finger to shape it into a bagel. Place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet.
- Cover and let rise 1-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Preheat your oven to 425℉ and bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the boiling water. Then gently add 2-4 bagels, top side down. Boil 1 minute per side and return to the baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the bagels. Add toppings if desired and place in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- These bagels are perfect for freezing! To freeze – cut each bagel in half and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for several hours until frozen. Then transfer them to a freezer bag to keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you want one, just put them directly in the toaster, no need to thaw!
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 7gSodium: 258mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
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