Winter has fully arrived, which means my Bagel Era is thriving—because if I’m going to be bundled up in layers like a human marshmallow, I might as well have carbs to match. At some point I realized store-bought bagels just weren’t cutting it for my carb-queen standards, not to mention the multitude of ingredients in store bought bread, so here we are: homemade sourdough bagels that have the perfect chewy-crusty thing going on, the kind that makes you feel like you’re absolutely winning at life… even if your hair is doing that festive-week-before-Christmas bird’s nest situation. If sourdough had a love language, bagels would be its flirty, slightly dramatic holiday sonnet.
There’s something ridiculously satisfying about mixing the dough, shaping those delightfully imperfect rings, and watching them rise like they suddenly remembered they’re the main character of cozy winter months. Mornings around here are pretty calm—a 9-year-old boy who moves at his own speed, a 21-year-old drifting through half-awake in search of her coffee, and then Rhonda, my sourdough starter, acting like the CEO who hasn’t approved the budget yet. But whether your home is peaceful, chaotic, or full of tiny humans demanding candy canes for breakfast, these bagels meet you where you are.
And honestly? They’re not half as high-maintenance as they pretend to be. All they want is a lively starter, a little patience, and maybe one pep talk while you shape them like you totally know what you’re doing. Then they puff up, you boil them, bake them, and boom—suddenly your whole kitchen smells like a tiny, charming holiday bakery. The kind that practically winks at you and whispers, “Yes, girl… look at you absolutely crushing this homemaker life.”
Let’s get into it! I keep Rhonda (my starter) in the refrigerator, she takes about 10-12 hours to rise. So for this recipe, I take her out in the morning, it rises throughout the day, then the dough is ready to be put together in the evening. This is my timeline:
Timeline
Night before: Mix dough (10–12 hours rise)
Morning: Shape → boil → bake
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Ingredients (makes 8 bagels)
Dough
• 150 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration, bubbly and ripe)
• 250 g warm water (room temp)
• 25 g honey or maple syrup
• 500 g bread flour
• 10 g fine sea salt
Boiling Water Bath
• Large pot of water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)
Optional Toppings
• Everything seasoning
• Sesame
• Poppy seeds
• Cinnamon sugar
• Flaky salt
Instructions
1. Mix the Dough (Night Before)
1. In a large bowl, whisk together starter, water, and honey.
2. Add the bread flour and salt.
3. Mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms.
4. Let it rest 10 minutes, then give it 2–3 rounds of stretch & folds every 10 minutes for 30 minutes total.
5. Cover and let rise at room temperature (68–72°F) for 10–12 hours, or until roughly doubled.
Tip: The dough should feel smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.
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2. Shape the Bagels (Morning)
1. Turn the dough onto a clean counter.
2. Divide into 8 equal pieces (~120g each).
3. Shape each into a tight ball.
4. Rest 10 minutes covered.
5. To form bagels:
• Option A: Poke your thumb through the center and stretch into a 1.5–2” hole.
• Option B (Amy-style): Roll dough into a rope and wrap the ends, overlapping and sealing well.
Let shaped bagels rest 20–30 minutes.
- Shape Bagels: Separate the dough into 10 equal pieces, about 115 grams each. Take each piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter using your hand in a cupping shape to seal the balls and create tension. Let the balls rest for a minute on the countertop before shaping into bagels. To make the bagel shape, take your finger and press directly into the center of the ball of dough until it goes through to the other side, creating a hole. Use your fingers to widen the center hole, moving the dough around in a circle as you stretch it. Let the dough relax and repeat with the next bagel. The dough will spread back out a little and the hole will close up a bit, don’t worry. You will have a chance to widen it again before boiling and baking. Place the bagels on the baking sheet and cover with a cotton towel or plastic wrap.
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3. Boil the Bagels
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Bring the water + baking soda + honey to a gentle boil.
3. Boil bagels 35–45 seconds per side (shorter = softer, longer = chewier).
4. Remove and let excess water drip off.
5. Dip in toppings if desired.
- Boiling: Place a pot filled with 8 cups of water on the stove and turn the heat to high. Have a slotted spoon and a cooling rack ready. As soon as the water comes to a boil, gently widen the hole of the bagel again, give it a little stretch, and place it into the boiling water. It should float within the first 10 seconds or so of placing in the water. Add as many bagels to the pot of water as you can without stacking bagels on top of each other (they should each have a little personal space in the water).
Boil for about 40 seconds and then flip. Boil for 40 seconds on the other side. Using the slotted spoon, remove the bagels from the boiling water and place on the cooling rack to drip dry for a minute before placing back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. - Topping: Prepare shallow bowls of toppings – sesame seeds, everything but the bagel seasoning, and flaky sea salt are our favorites. Dunk the top of the damp bagel into the toppings, swirling it around so the toppings stick to it. Place on a baking sheet, 5 bagels to a baking sheet. This leaves enough room for the bagels to rise while baking. We also love adding a slice of cheese or shredded cheddar on top of the bagels before baking them.
- Tip: If your toppings have trouble sticking, brush with egg white wash before dipping in the toppings – sesame seeds, poppy seeds, shredded cheddar or everything bagel seasoning are some of our favorites.
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5. Bake
1. Bake at 425°F for 18–22 minutes until golden brown.
2. Cool at least 20 minutes for best texture.
If your bagels are too dark on the bottom, place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack underneath the bagels to help.
Leftover bagels can be stored for 12-24 hours at room temperature. After that, place them in a freezer-safe, air-tight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for a few months. I like to slice them before freezing them so that they can be toasted as a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Flavor Variations
🧄 Garlic Herb
Add to dough:
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
Top: garlic herb salt
🫐 Cinnamon Raisin
Add during shaping:
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
🫑 Jalapeño Cheddar (your fave)
Top with:
• Sliced jalapeños
• Shredded cheddar
(after boiling)
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Bagel Tips for Success
• Your starter must be actively bubbly for best rise.
• Dough should be firm — bagel dough is tighter than bread dough.
• Boiling is what gives that NYC chewy crust.
• Deflate bubbles gently before shaping to avoid lumpy bagels.
✅ Doubling the Recipe (Makes 16 Bagels)
Dough
• 300 g active sourdough starter
• 500 g warm water
• 50 g honey
• 1000 g bread flour
• 20 g fine sea salt
Boiling Water Bath
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp honey
(No need to double the amount of actual water in the pot — just the add-ins.)
📝 Special Notes for Doubling
1. Use a Bigger Bowl
Bagel dough is stiff and will rise slower, so use a very large bowl or two medium ones.
2. Same Fermentation Time
Bulk rise is still 10–12 hours overnight, but heavier dough may need the full 12 hours if your kitchen is cool.
3. Divide Carefully
You’ll get 16 bagels, each about 115–125g.
4. Boiling & Baking
• Boil in batches so they don’t overcrowd.
• Bake on two trays or bake in two rounds.
• Same oven temp and same timing.
⸻ NOTES:
🥯 If You Want Even More Chew:
When doubling, consider adding 1–2 tbsp barley malt syrup to the boil for that bakery-style shine.
4 Reliable Signs Your Bagels Are Done
1. Even, Golden Color
They should be deep golden brown on the tops and slightly lighter on the sides.
If the tops look pale, the inside is usually underdone.
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2. The “Hollow Tap Test”
Pick one up (carefully — they’re hot).
Tap the bottom with your knuckle or finger.
• Hollow sound → done
• Dull, dense sound → give them 3–5 minutes more
Bagels don’t sound as hollow as bread, but you’ll still hear a light, airy thump.
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3. Internal Temperature (Most Accurate)
If you want to be sure:
Use an instant-read thermometer.
🌡 Cooked bagels should read 195–205°F in the center.
Under 190°F = gummy middle
Over 210°F = risk of drying out
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4. Texture Test After Cooling
Bagels need at least 20–30 minutes to set after coming out of the oven.
Once cooled:
• If they slice cleanly → fully baked
• If they squash/compress or look “doughy” → slightly underbaked
Cooling is part of the cooking process for sourdough!
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🥯 Pro Tips to Avoid Gummy Centers
1. Make sure your bagels “float test”
Before boiling, drop one shaped bagel into water:
• Floats → ready
• Sinks → needs more proof time
Underproofed bagels = raw inside.
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2. Don’t make the dough too wet
Bagel dough should be firm.
If it’s sticky and soft, the center will cook unevenly.
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These dreamy little bagels are way simpler than they let on. Try them once, and I’m convinced your taste buds will immediately put out a wreath and declare it a holiday. If you do whip up a batch, don’t forget to rate the recipe—it helps more than you think. And come follow along on my socials for more sourdough stories, cozy winter kitchen moments, and the occasional pep talk from Rhonda herself. <3 Jeanne
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