In addition to the blistered, golden crust and pleasant chew, these sourdough bagels have the added benefit of a sourdough tang that’s prominent but not overwhelming. They’re just as good with cream cheese as they are with butter and jam, and they’re surprisingly simple to make: Just mix together the dough, let it rise overnight, then shape, boil, and bake the next day.
This recipe was one of our Bake of the Week features for October 2024.
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Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
To make the dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all the ingredients. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough on low speed until cohesive, smooth, and elastic, about 5 minutes if using a stand mixer, pausing as needed to scrape down any dough that climbs the hook. If kneading by hand, it should take about 10 minutes for the dough to become smooth and bouncy.
Place the dough in a large, ungreased bowl and let it rest — covered and at room temperature (ideally between 70°F and 75°F) — overnight or up to 16 hours. The dough will relax and expand somewhat during this time but will not necessarily double in bulk.
Use a bowl scraper to transfer the dough to a clean, unfloured surface, gently deflate it, and divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 130g each).
To preshape the dough: Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the edges into the center. Pinch to seal and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Starting with the first piece of dough you shaped, place it seam-side down on an unfloured surface. Use your cupped fingers and palm to roll the dough into a tight ball, moving your hand in a circular motion. The dough should stick slightly to the surface to create tension to yield a smooth exterior. If the dough is unmanageably sticky, add a very light dusting of flour; if the dough slides around on the surface without tightening, use a damp towel to clean and moisten the surface and try again.
Once shaped into a tight ball, set the dough aside on a lightly floured surface, and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and sprinkle lightly with flour to prevent the bagels from sticking.
To shape the bagels: Working with the first piece of dough you preshaped, use your finger to poke a hole through the center. Gently rotate the dough to expand the hole to 2" to 2 1/2" in diameter, forming a ring shape. Place the shaped bagel onto one of the prepared baking sheets. The hole will close up a bit; that’s OK.
Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, evenly spacing 6 bagels on each pan.
Cover the bagels with a reusable cover or lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rest until they feel slightly puffy to the touch, about 30 minutes.
While the bagels are resting, preheat the oven to 475°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. In a wide, shallow pot, combine the water, honey, and salt; the water should be at least 1 1/4" deep. Bring the mixture to a boil.
To boil the bagels: Add bagels to the water 2 or 3 at a time to avoid crowding. Boil for 30 seconds, then use a dough whisk or slotted spoon to turn the bagels over. Boil for another 30 seconds before removing from the water and placing back on the prepared pan. If adding a topping, dip the tops of the boiled bagels into a bowl of your desired topping as soon as you remove them from the water.
Bake the bagels for 25 to 28 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even browning. The bagels are done when the tops and sides are a deep golden brown and firm. A digital thermometer inserted into the center of one of the bagels should read 210°F.
Remove the bagels from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool before splitting and serving.
Storage information: Store cooled sourdough bagels, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Tips from our Bakers
The maximum temperature rating for most parchment paper is below 500°F, and at temperatures between 450°F and 500°F parchment’s exposed edges begin to char. To be safe, keep a close eye on anything being cooked at temperatures above 450°F (especially anything on an upper rack). Burned edges can also be minimized by trimming away excess parchment before baking.
