Sourdough Bagels

This is one of my favorite ways to use my sourdough starter while it also remains one of the easiest as it doesn’t require much hand-kneading and lots of timed ferments. It has a large bulk ferment and then the rest of the recipe comes together rather quickly after that. Most of the mixing and kneading can be done in a standing mixer if you have one and the rest can be done with your hands. These make a great breakfast or lunch and remain fresh in a bread box for 3-5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months without losing their crunch on the outside and fluffiness on the inside.

Ingredients:

140g sourdough starter, bubbly and active

265g water, filtered

21g honey

10g salt

285g unbleached AP flour for first mix + 285g unbleached AP flour after first mix

Boiling Liquid Ingredients:

8 cups of water

4 tbsp baking soda

4 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Add sourdough starter, water, honey, salt, and 285g flour to a stand mixer.

Mix until it comes together, about 8-10 minutes on low speed. The dough should be stiff and may be hard to incorporate.

Add remaining 285g flour (~71g at a time). I recommend using a dough hook and knead until the dough becomes smooth and more elastic. 

Cover dough with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap. Ferment for 8 to 12 hours. The longer the better. Midway through the fermentation process, I put the dough in a warmer spot (ideally above 70 degrees).

After the dough doubles in size, remove from the bowl and knead for 1-2 minutes on the counter and divide into 8 equal pieces. 

Roll dough into balls, flatten down and then poke a small hole in the middle using your finger. Working your hands around the down while keeping hold of the hole in the middle, continue to stretch the hole to widen.

Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel allowing the bagels to rise in a warm spot for 1-4 hours or until puffed up. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare boiling water.

One water comes to a boil, add the baking soda and brown sugar.

Using a slotted spoon or spider-wired strainer, gently dip and drop the bagels in to the water let boil on each side for 1 minute. Flip and repeat. Be sure to not overcrowd the bagels while boiling, cook 2-4 bagels at a time. 

Shake off excess water and dip into desired toppings. 

Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

my absolute favorite breakfast of all time!

Pair these bagels with butter, fresh jam, olive oil and salt or a poached egg and enjoy!