Sourdough Bagels: A Step-by-Step Recipe That Works

Short answer: mix a stiff sourdough (50% hydration), shape into rings, cold retard overnight, then boil briefly in malted water before baking hot. The result is a real chewy bagel.

What makes a real bagel

A bagel is not just a roll with a hole. It has:

• A dense, chewy interior
• A crackling, slightly sweet crust
• A distinct shape (round with a hole)
• A boiled-then-baked process

Stiff dough + boiling = bagel character.

The recipe

For 8 bagels:

• 500g bread flour (high protein, 13%+)
• 280g water (56%)
• 80g active starter
• 25g honey or barley malt syrup
• 10g salt

For the boiling water:

• 2L water
• 30g honey or barley malt syrup
• 1 tbsp baking soda

Optional toppings:

• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Onion flakes
• Coarse salt

Method

Mix

Combine all dough ingredients. Mix until smooth. Knead 10 min by hand or 5 min with stand mixer (dough hook).

This dough is stiff — much stiffer than regular sourdough. It should feel firm, not sticky.

Bulk

Bulk 4 hours at 75°F with no folds (the dough is too stiff to fold easily).

Shape

Divide into 8 equal pieces (about 110g each).

For each piece:

• Roll into a tight ball
• Push thumb through the center
• Stretch the hole to about 4cm wide

Cold retard

Place bagels on a parchment-lined sheet. Cover with plastic.

Refrigerate 12–18 hours.

Boil

Bring water + malt + baking soda to a gentle boil.

Drop 2–3 bagels at a time. Boil 30 seconds per side.

Lift out with a slotted spoon. Place on a fresh parchment sheet.

Top

Immediately sprinkle toppings (they stick to the wet bagel).

Bake

Preheat oven to 475°F (with a baking stone if you have one).

Bake 18–22 minutes, rotating halfway, until deep amber.

Why malt in the boil

Malt syrup (or honey):

• Adds the characteristic bagel sweetness
• Gives the crust shine and color
• Encourages the Maillard reaction
• Authentic bagel flavor

Don't skip it. Sugar works in a pinch but malt is better.

Why baking soda

Baking soda raises water pH, mimicking the lye some commercial bakers use. The high-pH water:

• Encourages crust browning
• Creates the characteristic shine
• Tightens the crust as it bakes

A bagel boiled in plain water is paler and less crackling.

Why cold retard

The cold retard:

• Develops flavor
• Firms the dough for shaping
• Allows the gluten to relax (chew)
• Schedules the bake to morning

Skipping the retard means a less complex flavor and harder shaping.

Why high-protein flour

Bagels need 13%+ protein flour:

• Strong gluten for chew
• Holds the dense structure
• Withstands the boil

King Arthur bread flour or "high gluten" flour. Avoid all-purpose.

Toppings

Topping options:

• Plain (no topping)
• Sesame
• Poppy
• Everything (sesame, poppy, garlic, onion, salt)
• Salt (coarse, sparingly)
• Onion (dried minced)
• Cinnamon-sugar (mixed sweet bagel)
• Asiago cheese (sprinkled on top before baking)

Variety is fun. Make a batch with multiple toppings.

Variations

Cinnamon raisin bagels

Add 80g raisins + 1 tbsp cinnamon to the dough.

Whole wheat bagels

Replace 200g bread flour with 200g whole wheat. Slightly denser, nuttier.

Asiago bagels

Add 60g grated asiago to the dough. Top with more.

Pumpernickel bagels

Replace 150g bread flour with rye + add 1 tbsp molasses + 1 tbsp cocoa.

Garlic bagels

Top with dried minced garlic.

Sourdough mini bagels

Divide dough into 16 pieces (55g each). Boil 20 sec per side.

A real bagel sandwich

Toast bagel halves in a 350°F oven, 5 min.

Build:

• Cream cheese (plain or scallion)
• Smoked salmon
• Capers
• Red onion
• Tomato slice
• Fresh dill

This is a deli classic. Better at home with fresh-baked bagels.

Storage

Bagels keep:

• Counter, cloth bag: 2 days
• Frozen, wrapped: 2 months
• Slice before freezing for easy toasting

Don't refrigerate — gets gummy.

A bagel vs. roll

If you don't boil:

• The result is a roll with a hole
• Lacks chew
• Lacks crackling crust
• Not a real bagel

The boil is essential. Skip it and you've made bread, not bagels.

A bagel weekend

Friday night:

• Mix and bulk
• Shape
• Refrigerate

Saturday morning:

• Boil and bake
• Eat fresh with cream cheese

This timing produces fresh bagels for Saturday brunch. Bake 8; eat 4 fresh, freeze 4 for the week.

A bagel shop comparison

Home sourdough bagels:

• More flavor (sourdough fermentation)
• Less consistent shape (handmade)
• Equal or better chew

Bagel shop bagels:

• Often use yeast (faster, less flavor)
• Perfectly round (machine-formed)
• Familiar but bland

For flavor, home wins. For consistent shape, the bagel shop wins.

A purist note

NYC purists boil in lye water. It's:

• More dramatic crust
• Slightly bitter notes
• Genuinely traditional
• Requires food-grade lye + safety precautions

Most home bakers use baking soda. The result is 90% as good without the safety considerations.

Common failures

Bagels are flat after baking — under-proofed (cold retard not long enough).

Bagels don't have a hole — hole was too small initially. Make it 4cm.

Bagels are pale — water didn't have malt or baking soda.

Bagels are tough — over-baked or over-kneaded.

Bagels stick to parchment — boiled too long or parchment was old.

A final tip

Bagels are a project but not difficult. The process is:

• Mix
• Bulk
• Shape
• Rest
• Boil
• Bake

Each step is simple. The cumulative effect is real bagels at home.

Bake a batch on a Saturday morning. The first bite of a fresh, chewy, sourdough bagel — straight from your own oven — will change your bagel preferences forever.