If you’ve been searching for the perfect homemade sourdough bagel recipe, you’ve found it. These naturally fermented sourdough bagels have everything you love about a classic New York-style bagel—a chewy interior, golden crust, and incredible flavor that only sourdough fermentation can provide. Made with active sourdough starter, bread flour, all-purpose flour, and diastatic malt powder, these bagels are perfect for breakfast sandwiches, cream cheese spreads, or simply toasted with butter.

This sourdough bagel recipe is designed for home bakers who want bakery-quality results using simple ingredients and a straightforward process. The overnight cold proof develops deeper flavor while making the dough easier to handle and fit into your schedule.

Equipment Needed

Having the right tools makes sourdough bagel baking much easier and more consistent.

• Digital kitchen scale  https://amzn.to/3PX73N6
• Stand mixer with dough hook  https://amzn.to/4o9KQrL
• Digital Thermometer  https://amzn.to/4xeK3Kg
• Bench scraper  https://amzn.to/4esjqcj
• Kitchen timer  https://amzn.to/4uLJYvO
• Sheet pans  https://amzn.to/3RP2dC2
• Parchment paper (individual 5-inch squares)   https://amzn.to/4ojmwnh
• Large shallow pot for boiling  https://amzn.to/4uQcUmp
• Slotted spoon or spider strainer  https://amzn.to/4dLVPUI
• Chopsticks or tongs for flipping bagels  https://amzn.to/4ocbG2q
• Cooling rack  https://amzn.to/4ec5qmS

Helpful Recipe Tips

• Your sourdough starter should be at peak activity before mixing your dough. A healthy, active starter will produce lighter, more flavorful bagels with better fermentation.

• Allowing the flour, starter, and water to rest before adding the remaining ingredients helps improve gluten development, dough strength, and overall texture.

• When shaping your bagels, make the center hole larger than you think it needs to be. The dough will expand significantly during final proofing and baking.

• Fermentation times can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Look for a dough that has doubled in size and feels airy rather than relying solely on time estimates.

• Placing shaped bagels on individual parchment squares makes transferring them to the boiling water simple and helps prevent sticking.

• Apply everything seasoning, sesame seeds, Asiago cheese, or your favorite toppings immediately after boiling while the bagels are still warm and tacky.

Recipe Timeline for Success

Evening before

• Feed your sourdough starter. 22g starter: 110g water: 110g flour

When Starter Reaches Peak

• Mix starter, flour, and 330g water.
• Fermentolyse for 30 minutes.
• Add remaining water (20g), salt, and avocado oil.
• Mix until smooth and developed.
• Rest for 1 hour.
• Perform one set of coil folds.
• Continue bulk fermentation until doubled.

Evening

• Divide dough into 150-gram portions for 9 large bagels or 115-gram portions for 12 smaller bagels.
• Shape into tight dough balls.
• Place on parchment squares.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Morning

• Shape bagels by stretching a hole through the center. Over stretch the hole as it will shrink during the second proof.
• Proof at room temperature for 60–90 minutes until puffy.
• Boil in water with barley malt syrup or molasses. 1 minute each side.
• Add toppings.
• Bake at 450°F for 20–25 minutes or until internal temperature is between 205-210 degrees Fahrenheit

Why Use a Kitchen Scale?

A digital kitchen scale is one of the most important tools for successful sourdough baking. Measuring ingredients by weight provides accuracy that measuring cups simply cannot match.

Benefits of using a scale include:

• Consistent hydration every time
• Better fermentation results
• More predictable dough handling
• Improved recipe repeatability
• Less cleanup and fewer dishes

Even small measurement differences can dramatically impact sourdough recipes. Weighing ingredients ensures your bagels turn out the same every time you bake them.

Final Thoughts

These homemade sourdough bagels are one of the most rewarding recipes you can make with your sourdough starter. The combination of a long fermentation, traditional boiling process, and high-temperature bake creates bagels with incredible flavor, beautiful color, and the perfect chewy texture.

Whether you’re making plain, everything, sesame, Asiago, cheddar jalapeño, or cinnamon raisin bagels, this recipe provides a reliable foundation for creating bakery-quality bagels right in your own kitchen. Once you experience the flavor and texture of fresh homemade sourdough bagels, you’ll never look at store bought bagels the same way again.