Easy Sourdough Bagels (Overnight Recipe)
These easy sourdough bagels have a chewy crust and slight sourdough tang. This is a long-fermented, overnight bagel recipe that is simple and easy to follow- even beginner bakers can make these delicious, chewy homemade bagels.
Jamie’s Recipe Summary! – Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagels
- Taste: Slightly sweet crust, rich bagel dough with a slight sourdough tang.
- Texture: Very chewy with a crisp, shiny outer crust.
- Total Time: 11-12 hours
- Skill level: Designed for beginner to intermediate sourdough bakers.
- Tools needed: A large bowl, large pot, parchment paper.
- Why is this the best? These chewy overnight sourdough bagels are perfect for breakfast or brunch. They are easy to make and feature a shiny golden crust with a chewy inner crumb!
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
Sourdough bagels are delicious and very easy to make. Mix the dough in the evening, shape and boil the next morning, then bake! Like sourdough pancakes and sourdough English muffins, these bagels are a perfect breakfast option, and make for easy sourdough meal planning.
Reader review: “I loved how easy this recipe was! Bagels came out delicious. I added cinnamon sugar to half of them and the kids love it. Thank you!” -Cat
These homemade bagels are excellent with bagel seasoning or sesame seeds, but you can also eat them plain. If you are looking for bagel variations, try my chocolate chip version or whole-grain sourdough bagel recipe.
Like my easy sourdough sandwich bread and sourdough bread in a Dutch oven, this recipe is designed to be simple and easy-perfect for busy moms and weekend baking.
Ingredient Highlights
- Flour: I have made this recipe with bread flour and regular all-purpose flour. I always use organic, unbleached flour.
- Divide the honey into two portions: 1 tablespoon goes into the dough and one tablespoon into the boiling water.
- To create an active, bubbly starter, I feed my sourdough 4-8 hours before making this recipe.
New to sourdough? Learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch , how to feed your starter, and how to strengthen a weak starter.
Variations + Substitutions
These sourdough bagels can be easily modified for taste and flavor:
- Sugar may be substituted for the honey.
- While bread flour is ideal for bagels, all purpose flour may be used in a pinch.
- Sprinkle poppy seeds on the top for flavor and crunch
- Add some finishing salt for more dimension
- I’ve added mini chocolate chips to this recipe, and the bagels were divine.
- Add your favorite toppings before baking: poppyseeds, bagel seasoning, roasted garlic.
Jamie’s Recipe Tips
- Fermenting bagels: Fermenting is dependent on temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster the dough will double in size, and the cooler it is, the longer it will take. This recipe was tested at a temperature of 72 degrees F.
- Grease the parchment paper with butter to prevent the bagels from sticking to it!
- Give the bagels enough room to boil in the pot, and don’t overcrowd them. I typically boil 3 to 4 at a time.
- Bagel dough is very stiff, but it eventually comes together in a smooth mass. Keep kneading until it is the consistency of play dough.
- Be careful not to over-boil the bagels. Boiling them for too long will result in tougher bagels that are hard to chew.
- For best results, use a scale to weigh all of the ingredients.
How To Make Easy Sourdough Bagels
You can knead this recipe by hand or use a stand mixer to do the kneading for you. If using a stand mixer, combine ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the water, salt, and sourdough starter. Whisk well with a dough whisk or spatula. Add the flour and honey, and bring the dough together with a dough whisk or slightly damp hands. The dough will feel dry, shaggy, and stiff.
Step 2: Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 5-7 minutes or until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.
To knead by hand, push the dough down with the palm of your hand, flip it over, and repeat for 6-7 minutes. I find it therapeutic to knead dough by hand, so this is how I do it every time!
Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rest for 8-10 hours or until doubled in size. (Timing is temperature dependent).
Step 3: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment with butter. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface to work with.
Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into eight to ten equal pieces. I like to do this by weighing it on a kitchen scale and dividing it into equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and set it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with saran wrap or a light, damp towel for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Now, create the bagel shape by sticking your thumb into the middle of the dough and gently stretching it out with your other fingers. The bagels will puff up a bit as they ferment, so make the hole larger than you think you need.
Set each bagel back on the baking sheet and cover. Let the dough rise for 40 minutes.
Step 5: Boiling bagels. First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water and one tablespoon of honey to boil over high heat.
Using a slotted spoon, add the bagels to the boiling water. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on each side. The longer you boil them, the tougher the outside of the bagel will be.
Step 6: Boil the bagels in groups of 3-4, remove them with the slotted spoon, and set them back on the parchment paper.
Bake the bagels for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Let them cook on the rack for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
You’ll know they are done when the bagels have a consistent golden hue, are firm on top, and are golden brown on the bottom.
Baking Schedule
This is the exact schedule I use when making bagels. My room temperature is 72 degrees. The dough will ferment much more quickly in warm temperatures. If you struggle to fit sourdough baking into your schedule, see my sourdough bread baking schedules for ideas.
9 pm: Mix and knead bagel dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit overnight.
8 am: Divide bagel dough, shape, and cover, letting them rest.
8:20 am: Shape bagels, cover and let rest again.
9:00 am: Boil bagels and bake.
Save This Recipe!
Get this recipe emailed to you for future reading.
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
Easy Sourdough Bagels Faq’s
Yes, you need to boil sourdough bagels before baking them. Boiling sourdough bagels sets the crust, prevents the bagels from spreading too much in the oven and gives a denser crust, and helps develop the chewy bagel dough.
Bread flour contains a higher protein content and is the best flour for sourdough bagels. Bread flour contains a protein level of 12-14%, which helps develop the gluten, resulting in a chewy interior bagel.
Yes, your homemade sourdough starter can be used as the rising agent for sourdough bagels.
Sourdough bagels may fail to float if the dough is underfermented, or if the dough is too wet.
If your bagels turn out too chewy, it is likely from boiling them too long (longer than 30-60 seconds), or fermenting the bagels for too long.
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. To freeze, individually wrap each bagel in parchment paper and put them in a freezer-safe container. They will keep for 2-3 months. When ready to eat, pop them out, slice them, and toast!
More Easy Sourdough Recipes
Hungry for more simple sourdough? Try my sourdough english muffins, sourdough discard sandwich bread, sourdough ciabatta, and sourdough discard rolls.
If you tried this maple pecan sourdough bread recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Sourdough Bagels
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer optional
- 1 Large Bowl
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 112 grams 1/2 cup bubbly, active sourdough starter 1/2 cup
- 240 grams water 1 cup
- 2 tbsp honey divided (about 40 grams)
- 500 grams all purpose flour *unbleached about 4 .5 cups
- 2 tsp salt (about 12 grams)
Instructions
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine the water and sourdough starter in a bowl and whisk well. Add in the flour, honey, and salt and mix until a rough, shaggy ball of dough forms. The dough will be very stiff and may feel dry.
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer or by hand. Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough for 5-7 minutes or until it comes together in a smooth ball. Alternatively, knead by hand for 6-8 minutes. The dough will become silky and smooth.
- Cover the bowl with saran wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise for 8-10 hours or until doubled in size.
- Pre-line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment with butter to prevent the bagels from sticking. Weigh the dough on a kitchen scale, then divide it into 8-10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and set it on the parchment paper. Cover with saran wrap and let the bagels rest for 20 minutes.
- Form the bagel shape by inserting your thumb into the middle of the dough ball and stretching gently outwards. Set each bagel back on the parchment paper, cover, and let rest for 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and add one tablespoon honey. Bring to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, boil 3-4 bagels at a time. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds, flip it over, and the other side for 30 more seconds.
- Place the bagels back on the baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
- Please note this dough is VERY DRY at first!! This is a dry, stiff dough but it eventually comes together into a smooth ball.
- The longer you boil the bagels, the chewier they will be. I try to stick to 30 seconds.
- Knead by mixer or by hand: both work.
- Boil 2-4 bagels at at time, don’t overcrowd the pot.
I made these today and I got a rise during the bulk ferment and after dividing. I’m not sure that I got rise after shaping. They look a little flat after baking. I covered with a damp kitchen towel which may be heavier than the tea towel. Could that have effected the height or should I have waited longer after shaping? My kitchen is 70F. I also used 50 / 50 bread and AP flour not sure if that made a difference.
Hi Kelly! I don’t think the flour made a difference, but a heavy towel definietely would-I have had the problem before as well. I would also bump the temperature of your kitchen up a little bit for the second rise. Please let me know if these tips help!! 🙂
Great recipie
I made a mistake added 2 tablespoons of the honey to the dough but they were still good
That sounds like a yummy mistake! Thank you for the feedback Barbara! 🙂
I’m hoping to bake these, but I’ll have to prep the dough one evening and bake these next evening. Can I put the dough in the fridge before dividing? If so, how would you recommend proceeding the next day?
Hi Bettina, yes absolutely! I have done this many times. I like to set the dough out on the counter about 30-60 minutes before shaping to warm it up if possible, but other than that just proceed with the next steps.
Curious on if you leave the dough to rest for 8-10 hrs in the kitchen or in the refrigerator?
On the counter for the first bulk ferment! 🙂 If you need to bake later, you can transfer to the fridge (after bulk ferment).
This recipe turned out great! Do you have any hints on how to maintain the hole in the middle? As mine completed the final rise, the hole disappeared.
Hi Sharon! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bagels! Yes, I have the hole disappear sometimes… so when I really want to see it I will stretch them extra big to account for shrinking during boiling and baking. One method I like to use is to stick my index finger and thumb through the hole and twirl it around so a nice large hole opens up.
Some people like to roll the dough into a long shape, then shape it into a circle.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, and I hope your bagel shape works a little better next time!
Good morning. I made this dough last night and set it out to bulk ferment and nothing happened…. is there something I did wrong? I followed the recipe exactly
Hi Aubrey, I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. The only time I have had that happen is when I have left out the starter accidentally. What temperature is your kitchen?
I just made these! They look amazing, my issue is I placed them on parchment paper and the bagels stuck to the paper! How do I keep this from happening and do I need to cut the bottoms off?
Hi Deb! I’m so sorry to hear that happened. If you grease the parchment, it will prevent the bagels from sticking… like with butter or a little oil. I haven’t had this happen w bagels but have with pretzels… I’ll update the recipe with that note. Thank you!
I just cut the paper around each bagel and slip them in the water. The paper peels right off.
Thanks for sharing! I’m not sure if she meant before baking, or after… but that’s a great tip for prior!
I hope you love this easy overnight sourdough bagel recipe- this is our family’s favorite easy breakfast!
I loved how easy this recipe was! Bagels came out delicious. I added cinnamon sugar to half of them and the kids love it. We also used some of the dough as play dough and it kept the kids entertained for over an hour! I love a double use recipe. Thank you!!
Hi Cat! I do the playdough trick with my little ones too, haha! The cinnamon sugar sounds so good. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for leaving a review!!
I love using this recipe. Quick question after the initial 6 hr rise can I put the divided dough balls in the fridge over night before boiling and baking the next morning?
Thanks Samantha, glad you like the recipe! Yes, you can refrigerate to stop the rise and then continue on when ready!
I haven’t finished making these yet, but I wanted to suggest something. Could you update the recipe card to list every ingredient in grams? It’s a bit confusing when some are in grams and some aren’t when using a scale.
Hey Kristie!
Sure I can add the grams!
I’ve made these several times, usually tripling the recipe each time. They are absolutely delicious. They store great in the freezer.
such a great idea to triple the recipe Hilary! We love these bagels too. Thank you for the review, much appreciated!
These taste great! But why are my bagels flat? They don’t look puffy like your picture. In 10 hours my dough did not ‘double’. Could that be the issue?? Thx for recipe.
Hi Deborah! Yes, you want your dough to double in size before making the bagels. What temperature was your home? It can take longer in lower temps. LEt me know and we’ll troubleshoot!
I was so sad. My dough was so sticky I couldn’t do anything with it. I kept trying to form bagels and they wouldn’t hold their shape. I’ve made bagels before and never had a problem. What did I do wrong
Hi Kelly! I am so sorry to hear this! Usually this dough is more on the dry side. Did you use a scale when measuring, and do you think the amount of water could have been off? That isi the only thing I could think of with a wet sticky dough!
Hello! Can you use Kirkland brand all purpose flour instead of bread flour? My starter is made with AP flour and I’m not sure if it’s ok to mix AP with bread flour. Thanks!
HI Charisse! yes, you can! Should turn out just fine.
Question. Do these need to be baked immediately or can I store them somehow and bake them the next morning?
Hi Jori,
Yes you can cover the dough and put it in the fridge to slow down the fermentation at any time. If I make them on Saturday evening I will often put them in the fridge until I’m ready to do the shaping and baking.