Have you ever walked past in bagel shop in the city and wondered if you will find a healthy on-plan one? These sourdough bagels have a chewy crust and a dense interior just like those from a specialty shop. The dough for these bagels can be mixed and allowed to ferment in the fridge overnight. They are then cooked and baked the following day. You can top them with any topping of your choice or even leave them plain. I mixed a Homemade Everything Bagel Topping for those pictured below. A favorite of mine is toast a split bagel and top with just a tiny bit of cultured butter.
Sourdough Bagels THM-E
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 cups active sourdough starter
- 3 tablespoons dough enhancer OR 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Mix water, starter, dough enhancer, honey, and 3 cups flour together in mixer bowl until smooth. Add flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Let dough rest for 20 minutes. Add salt and knead 8-10 minutes. The bagel dough should be stiffer than bread dough. Place in a covered, greased bowl for 6 hours. Divide dough into 3 ounce balls. Shape into a bagel shape and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat egg white with 1/4 cup water. Fill a kettle with 4 inches of water–enough for the bagels to float. Add salt and baking soda. Bring water to a boil and drop bagels in, cooking for 20-30 seconds on each side. Remove from water and place on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with seasoning if preferred. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned. 18 bagels. *Salt is listed twice because you will use it in the dough and also in the water you will use to cook the bagels.
- My preferred method is this one. Mix one day, bake the next. I will allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 4 hours and then refrigerate it overnight or 12-14 hours. Remove from fridge and shape. Allow to rise for 30 minutes. Boil and bake.
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Sourdough Bagels THM-E
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 cups active sourdough starter
- 3 tablespoons dough enhancer OR 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 -4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Everything Bagel Seasoning*
Instructions
-
Mix water, starter, dough enhancer, honey, and 3 cups flour together in mixer bowl until smooth. Add flour in 1/4 cup increments until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Let dough rest for 20 minutes. Add salt and knead 8-10 minutes. The bagel dough should be stiffer than bread dough. Place in a covered, greased bowl for 6 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Divide dough into 3 ounce balls. Shape into a bagel shape and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat egg white with 1/4 cup water. Fill a kettle with 4 inches of water–enough for the bagels to float. Add salt and baking soda. Bring water to a boil and drop bagels in, cooking for 20-30 seconds on each side. Remove from water and place on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with seasoning if preferred. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned. 18 bagels. *Salt is listed twice because you will use it in the dough and also in the water you will use to cook the bagels.
My preferred method is this one. Mix one day, bake the next. I will allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 4 hours and then refrigerate it overnight or 12-14 hours. Remove from fridge and shape. Allow to rise for 30 minutes. Boil and bake.
You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. I will send a small jar of mature sourdough starter by request and I ask that you cover the cost of shipping/packing. PM me if you would like to receive a small jar of mature starter. You may also request a small jar of FREE sourdough starter with the purchase of a cookbook. Buy It Now.h
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/349451252336150559
I just ordered your book and would like the free starter. Thank you
I will add it to your order, Blessings Glenda
Do you use warm water for dough (the 1 1/4 c water)? Thanks, Kara
I use cold water.
Do you bake on the rack? (I see it in the picture, and I wasn’t sure if you used it just for cooling, or if you baked on it.) I’ve made bagels and pretzels before, and as I recall, the wet dough from boiling stuck to the baking sheet terribly, which is why I wondered. 🙂
I bake the bagels on a cookie sheet… When you dip the bagels out of the boiling water..lay them on a tea towel for a few seconds. That dries the bottom and they won’t stick to the baking sheet.
They turned out beautifully. Thank you! 🙂
I just ordered the cookbook and would like the sourdough starter please. 🙂
If I have my starter on the counter and it is fed in the morning, by evening time would it be considered active starter?
yes, it would be.
So you take the starter out of fridge and feed it and let it sit 4 hrs and then start these directions? I’m confused on the last step of what you do. So I’m just trying to clarify the fermenting process.
I take my starter out of the fridge in the morning, feed it, and feed it again in the evening. The next morning I make my bagel dough.
If you don’t have dough enhancer –is there a substitute?
Vital wheat gluten
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I am making these right now, but I think I didn’t put enough flour… My dough was a bit sticky… And the first one pretty much disintegrated in the water. 😜 So I added some sprouted flour, reshaped them and then boiled and they are in the oven now. They will probably be dense because I knocked all the air out, but I’m hopefully they’ll at least taste good! Haha. Lesson learned for next time!
Can I use sugar instead of honey?
you can omit the honey…I would not use sugar.
What could have been the cause of my bagels somewhat deflating during the water bath? They sat on the counter for probably 3 hours proofing due to homeschooling and mom’s taxi service. Could they have overproofed?
Hi Glenda,
I love this bagel recipe and have made it twice now. Once I put in the first 3 cups of flour my dough pulls away from the bowl and I usually manage to get another 1/2 cup in before it seems like it starts to look too dry so I stop there and end up with only 3 1/2 cups of flour.
So I only get about 9 or 10 bagels. My question is do I have to keep adding flour to reach at least 4 1/2 cups?
Thank you,
Julie
if your starter is thick…. you will not use as much flour.
Okay great, thank you Glenda. Take care 😊
Hey Glenda, thanks for all your recipes and videos. I have been very successful at baking sourdough thanks to you. BUT I cannot get the bagels right. After I shape them, I let them rise for an hour or more and they still are not puffy enough. Can you make a video about how you shape the bagels? I feel like that is where I am going wrong.
Can you follow the no knead bread instructions and apply it to the bagel dough?
yes
Can you use sourdough discard for this recipe?
I always use active starter.
Hi Glenda! I’ve been loving your bagel recipe! But I do have a question: how do you shape your bagels? I make a little ball, poke a hole through and then stretch it until its a large hole. For some reason they always come out rough looking, not like a soft bagel, although the texture is amazing. I just want to perfect them, if I can. Also I’m almost out of honey! Can I just omit or do they need that little sweetener to rise right? Thanks so much for all your hard work in creating all these wonderful sourdough recipes!!
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Hi Glenda,
Our family loves this bagel recipe, and I often make some for friends to give away as well, especially mothers with new babies. I usually have to make a batch every 10 days; so I was just wondering – could this recipe be doubled? I know some recipes do not double well, so I thought I would ask first! Thank you!
yes, it can be doubled.
Is there a way to make them gluten free?
You have to have a completely different recipe.