Classic Sourdough Bagels Recipe:

If you’ve never made sourdough bagels at home, prepare to ruin store-bought bagels forever. These are chewy, golden, and just slightly sweet with that perfect sourdough depth. They take a little patience, but the process is simple and the payoff is absolutely worth it.

Perfect toasted with butter, piled high with cream cheese, or turned into the best breakfast sandwich you’ve ever had.

Ingredients

• 364 g water

• 332 g active sourdough starter

• 1,148 g bread flour (or high-protein all-purpose flour)

• 55 g turbinado sugar

• 55 g maple syrup

• 22 g salt

For boiling:

• ~50 g honey

• Large pot of water

Instructions

1. Mix the dough In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and sourdough starter. Add the maple syrup, turbinado sugar, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.

2. First rest Knead the dough into a ball, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.

3. Knead and bulk ferment Knead the dough again until smooth. Shape into a tight ball, place seam-side down in the bowl, cover, and allow to bulk ferment for 6–12 hours until well expanded.

4. Divide and shape Turn the dough onto the counter and divide into 12 pieces (about 175 g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball. Cover and let rest until slightly relaxed.

5. Form the bagels Poke a hole through the center of each dough ball and gently stretch to form a bagel shape. Cover again and let proof until soft and puffy.

6. Boil Preheat your oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about 50 g honey. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds per side, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden brown and glossy.

8. Cool (important!) Let the bagels cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Yes, it’s hard. You’re an adult. I believe in you.

Classic Sourdough Bagels (Chewy, Bakery-Style Bagels Made at Home)

If you’ve ever had a truly great bagel, you know the difference immediately. The outside is slightly crisp and glossy, while the inside is dense, chewy, and full of flavor. These classic sourdough bagels deliver that exact texture, but made entirely at home using your sourdough starter.

Unlike many bagel recipes that rely on commercial yeast, sourdough bagels develop a deeper flavor thanks to a long natural fermentation. The result is a bagel that tastes closer to what you’d get from a traditional bakery, with a slightly tangy flavor and that signature chew.

The best part is that once you learn the basic technique, you can easily customize them with toppings like sesame seeds, everything seasoning, poppy seeds, or cinnamon sugar.

Whether you’re making breakfast sandwiches, toasting them with cream cheese, or just enjoying them warm with butter, homemade sourdough bagels are one of the most satisfying sourdough recipes you can make.

Why Make Bagels with Sourdough Starter

Using sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast adds more than just flavor. Natural fermentation helps develop the gluten structure in the dough, which gives bagels their characteristic chewy texture.

Sourdough bagels also tend to digest more easily and stay fresh longer compared to standard yeast bagels.

A few reasons sourdough bagels are worth making:

• Better flavor from slow fermentation
• Chewier texture
• No commercial yeast required
• A great way to use active sourdough starter

Once you try them, it’s very hard to go back to store-bought bagels.

What Makes a Bagel Chewy

The signature chew of a bagel comes from two key steps: a strong dough and boiling before baking.

Bagel dough uses a higher protein flour and a lower hydration than most breads, which helps create that dense structure. Boiling the bagels before baking gelatinizes the outside of the dough, giving them their shiny crust and helping lock in moisture.

Even a quick 30-second boil per side makes a huge difference in the final texture.

Tips for Perfect Sourdough Bagels

If this is your first time making bagels, a few small tips make the process much easier.

Use an active starter

Your sourdough starter should be bubbly and recently fed so the dough rises properly.

Don’t skip the boil

This is what gives bagels their classic crust.

Give them time to cool

Fresh bagels smell incredible, but slicing too early can make the interior gummy. Let them cool at least an hour.

Shape them tightly

Tension in the dough helps them hold their shape during boiling and baking.

Bagel Topping Ideas

You can keep these classic or add toppings before baking.

Some favorites include:

• Everything bagel seasoning
• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Flaky sea salt
• Cinnamon sugar

Simply sprinkle toppings on the bagels immediately after boiling while they’re still slightly sticky.