Have you ever attempted to make sourdough bagels? But then you make them, and they end up super dense and hard? I’ve had that. It’s challenging to find a recipe that yields the softness that makes bagels enjoyable. That’s why I decided to create this recipe for bagels. This recipe is EASY and SIMPLE. It doesn’t have excessive steps. Because ain’t nobody got time for that. Yet, the steps that are there are simple enough to keep you hands off, and create healthy and delicious bagels.

In our house, we have those who love the Everything But the Bagel type seasoning. Others (me) enjoy the cheesy and spicy pepper route. Then there are those who prefer plain bagels! With this recipe, you can utilize it to create your favorite flavors and toppings. Whether plain, cheesy, etc., you get to make it your own!

If you don’t have a mixer, you can always use a handheld one. OR, honestly, you can knead the dough with your hands. But it will take some work. About 5-10 minutes of kneading to get that dough ready to go into the fridge.

You want to make sure the dough gets that fridge time. That is key to helping that dough be soft enough and have that fluff instead of being a dense brick.

When you are working on the bagels after they’ve been in the fridge, I recommend cutting the dough into 8 equal pieces. Then, to shape:

1. Roll them into a ball
2. Begin to pull the sides into the back and center of your ball.
3. Once your top/outer layer is smooth enough begin to flatten the ball until its about 1 inch thick.
4. Then use your fingers to poke a hole down the middle.
5. Begin to use two fingers to spin the dough in the middle to stretch the hole in the middle. (Stretch the whole bigger than you need because it shrinks back after it’s placed onto the parchment paper.)

I still can’t believe that just a few years ago, I couldn’t even bake a cookie. Here I am coming up with bagel recipes.

Soft Sourdough Bagels

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Resting Time 20 hours hrs

Servings: 8 Bagels

Course: Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 5 cups Flour All Purpose
• 3/4 cup Active Sourdough Starer
• 2 1/2 tbsp Honey
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Water

Water Bath

• 1 tbsp Baking Soda
• 1 tbsp Sugar Brown

Equipment

• 1 Parchment Paper
• 1 Dough Hook

Method

 

1. Add the dough ingredients to your bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 4-8 minutes. (See notes)
2. Cover and place on the counter for 30-45 minutes.
3. Place in the fridge for 12-20 hours.
4. Prepare your cookie sheet by covering it with a piece of parchment paper.
5. Remove from the fridge. Place onto your workspace and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
6. Then roll each piece into a ball. Then slightly pull the outsides of the ball to the back and center of the ball.
7. Flatten each ball slightly while forming it into a flatter circle.
8. Use your fingers to poke a hole into the dough, then stretch that hole wider than your desired end result. About 1-2 inches.
9. Allow these bagels to rest covered on your parchment paper for 1-2 hours.
10. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Get your pot of water to a boil. Then add your baking soda and sugar.
12. Carefully lower your bagel one at a time into the water using a wooden utensil. (I use a flat spoon) Allow each side of the bagel to be in the water for 20-30 seconds.
13. After removing it from the water, dip each bagel into your toppings. Then place it onto your parchment paper.
14. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

Alternatively if you don’t have a dough hook, you can knead the dough.