Easy Homemade Sourdough Bagels

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These homemade sourdough bagels are chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, and made with simple ingredients and active sourdough starter. Whether you keep them classic and plain or add everything seasoning or jalapeño cheddar, this is a fun and surprisingly simple sourdough recipe to make at home.

If you’ve mastered a basic loaf of sourdough bread and you’re wondering what to make next, homemade bagels are one of my favorite recipes to recommend!

They may look impressive, but the process is actually pretty simple: mix the dough, allow it to ferment, shape your bagels, boil them briefly, add your favorite toppings, and bake.

And there is just something extra special about pulling a tray of homemade bagels out of the oven for breakfast!

Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Bagels

Beginner-friendly: You don’t need any complicated shaping techniques or special equipment to make homemade bagels.

Made with active sourdough starter: This recipe uses your bubbly, active starter to naturally ferment and rise the dough without commercial yeast.

Simple ingredients: Homemade sourdough bagels are made with basic pantry staples.

Easy to customize: Keep them plain or add everything seasoning, sesame seeds, cinnamon sugar, cheese, or your family’s favorite toppings.

Great for meal prep: Make a batch for easy breakfasts throughout the week or freeze some for later.

What Makes a Bagel Different From Regular Bread?

One of the things that makes a bagel a bagel is that the dough is briefly boiled before baking.

Boiling helps create that classic chewy exterior while the inside stays soft and delicious. After boiling, you can add your favorite toppings before transferring the bagels to the oven.

Don’t let this extra step intimidate you! The bagels only need a short time in the water, and once you’ve done it the first time, you’ll see how simple homemade bagels can be.

What Kind of Sourdough Starter Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to use an active sourdough starter.

An active starter has recently been fed and should look bubbly and have noticeably risen in its jar. Using a healthy, active starter helps give your bagels a good rise during fermentation.

If you’re brand new to sourdough and aren’t sure about the difference between active starter and discard, check out my guide to active sourdough starter vs. sourdough discard before getting started.

Ingredients for Homemade Sourdough Bagels

One of my favorite things about making bagels from scratch is how simple the ingredient list can be.

You’ll need:

Dough:

water

active sourdough starter

salt

all-purpose flour

For the water bath:

water in a large pot

baking soda

Optional Toppings

There are so many ways to customize your bagels! Try:

• Everything bagel seasoning
• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Shredded cheese
• Cinnamon sugar
• Coarse salt
• Leave them plain!

How to Make Sourdough Bagels

1. Mix the Bagel Dough

• Whisk together water, starter, and salt. Stir in flour until combined. Cover and rest 1 hour.

Bagel dough will generally feel firmer than a traditional sourdough bread dough, so don’t be surprised if the dough doesn’t feel quite like your usual artisan loaf.

2. Let the Dough Ferment

Perform 4 sets of stretch & folds, 30 minutes apart. Cover and rest 1 more hour (or refrigerate 8–48 hours for a long ferment).

Remember that sourdough fermentation times can vary depending on the temperature of your home and the strength of your starter. Rather than relying entirely on the clock, pay attention to how your dough looks and feels.

3. Shape the Bagels and Let Them Rest

• Divide dough into 8 pieces. Shape into balls, then poke a hole in the center to form bagels.
• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and proof 1–2 hours, until noticeably puffy.

Try to make your bagels approximately the same size so they bake evenly.

And don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly shaped! That’s part of the charm of making them from scratch.

4. Boil, Add Toppings, and Bake

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Boil water with baking soda. Boil bagels 1 minute per side, then return to the baking sheet and add toppings while they are still wet.
• Bake 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
• Let cool on a cooling rack.

When boiling, work in batches if necessary so you don’t overcrowd the pot.

Remove the bagels from the water and allow the excess water to drip off before transferring them to your prepared baking sheet.

Do You Have to Boil Sourdough Bagels Before Baking?

For a classic bagel texture, yes!

Boiling the shaped dough before baking helps give bagels their signature chewy exterior. If you simply shaped the dough and baked it like bread, you wouldn’t get quite the same traditional bagel texture.

Thankfully, boiling takes only a few minutes and is one of the easiest parts of the process.

Sourdough Bagel Topping Ideas

Once you have a basic sourdough bagel recipe, you can make so many different varieties.

For a savory breakfast, try everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coarse salt, or shredded cheese.

For something sweeter, try cinnamon sugar or keep the bagel plain and serve it toasted with butter, jam, or honey.

You could even divide one batch and make several flavors so everyone gets their favorite.

What to Put on Homemade Sourdough Bagels

Fresh sourdough bagels are delicious simply toasted with butter, but there are plenty of ways to turn them into a full breakfast or lunch.

Try serving them with:

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Jam
• Honey
• Peanut butter
• Eggs and cheese
• Bacon, egg, and cheese
• Avocado and egg

We especially love using homemade bagels to make easy breakfast sandwiches.

Can I Make Sourdough Bagels Overnight?

Yes, after stretch and folds, just cover the dough with plastic wrap or a lid (to prevent drying out) and place in the fridge overnight!

You can really make this recipe fit to your schedule, which is one great thing about sourdough. You can squish your timelines into one day or you can put in the fridge overnight and bake the next day when you are ready!

How to Store Homemade Sourdough Bagels

Once completely cooled, store your sourdough bagels in an airtight container or bag.

For longer storage, bagels freeze really well. I like to slice them before freezing so they’re easy to pull out and toast whenever we need a quick breakfast.

How to Freeze Sourdough Bagels

Allow your bagels to cool completely and slice them in half.

Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze.

When you’re ready to eat one, remove a bagel from the freezer and reheat or toast it until warmed through.

This makes homemade sourdough bagels a great recipe to make in a larger batch and keep on hand for busy mornings.

Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Bagels

Start with an active starter. A healthy, bubbly starter will give your dough the best chance of fermenting and rising properly.

Don’t expect the dough to feel like artisan bread dough. Bagel dough is typically a firmer dough.

Watch your dough instead of only watching the clock. Fermentation times vary based on your starter and kitchen temperature.

Don’t skip boiling. This is what helps create that classic chewy bagel exterior.

Have your toppings ready before boiling. You’ll want to add them while the bagels are still damp so they stick well.

Don’t worry about perfect shapes. Homemade bagels don’t have to look like they came from a bakery to taste delicious!

More Easy Sourdough Recipes

If you’re looking for more simple ways to use your active sourdough starter, try:

• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread
• Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Sourdough English Muffins
• Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls
• Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough

These are all great recipes to try as you become more comfortable baking with your sourdough starter.

Homemade Sourdough Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Learning to bake with sourdough doesn’t mean you have to make an artisan loaf every time you feed your starter.

That’s one of the reasons I love recipes like these homemade sourdough bagels. You can take the same starter sitting on your counter and turn it into something practical that your family can enjoy for breakfast all week.

The more you bake with your starter, the more comfortable sourdough becomes. Before long, mixing up a batch of bagels can feel just as normal as making any other homemade breakfast.

I hope these sourdough bagels become another recipe you come back to again and again.

Happy baking! 🤍

Emily
Fuentes Family Homestead