HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BAGELS
If you’re looking for soft and fluffy bagels with the perfect sourdough flavor, this recipe if for you! These sourdough bagels are easy to make, completely from scratch and once you’ve tried them, you’ll never buy bagels from the store again! Whether you like plain bagels or desire to to add everything but the bagel seasoning, sesame seeds or asiago cheese on top, these bagels will quickly become a pantry staple in your home.
LET’S TALK ABOUT sourdough!
Sourdough is slow-fermented bread made with natural leaven. With it’s natural, tangy flavor and amazing health benefits, sourdough baking is not only good for your gut, but the flavor of sourdough is sure to elevate every recipe. Here are some of the positive health benefits of sourdough as you prepare to make these sourdough bagels, not only does sourdough taste good, but it’s sure to make you feel good too!
1. It’s easy to digest! As sourdough has an increased fermentation period, the fermentation process actually starts the digestive process before consuming the bread.
2. It’s low in gluten content! Due to the increased fermentation process that occurs during the cold proof, the gluten protein begins to break down while fermenting. The longer the fermentation process, the lower gluten content becomes in the bread.
3. It’s filled with vitamins and minerals! Through the sourdough fermentation process, using natural leavening agents including wild yeast and good bacteria, the bread is packed with vitamins and minerals that are amazing for the health of our bodies.
4. It’s helps with gut health! The fermentation process grows healthy bacteria in the bread, and increased good bacteria in our diets increases overall gut health.
5. It helps you stay full, for longer than other breads! Because sourdough has a lower glycemic index, as the fermentation process causes the bad starches in bread to reduce, it does not cause blood sugar to rise when eating, which helps keep you full.
6. It’s made without any preservatives! As sourdough is made with natural leaven (sourdough starter), flour, water and salt, there are no preservatives added to the bread when baking.
7. It’s made with organic, high-quality flour! When baking homemade sourdough bread, you are able to choose that type of flour used when baking. We love to use the organic bread flour from @azurestandard for all of our sourdough!
WHAT YOU’LL knead!
Please note that this is just an overview of the ingredients chosen for this sourdough bagel recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and exact ingredient amounts needed for this soup recipe!
- Sourdough Starer – The natural leaven, made from wild yeast, that is used in all sourdough breads.
- Bread Flour – The higher protein content in bread flour helps long-fermented bread dough rise and have a great structure.
- All Natural Sea Salt – The sea salt reduces the bitter flavor, enhances the sweetness, helps with gluten development and serves as a natural preservative in sourdough.
- Honey – The honey added to the water bath will cause a caramelization of the bagels that leads to a more rich color and glaze coating.
- Kitchen Scale – The kitchen scale allows for exact measurements, ensuring the perfect amount of sourdough starter included in sourdough recipes, as the structure of the sourdough starter changes upon activation.
- Cotton Towel – The use of a thin cotton towel for the autolysation and bench rest period allows for continued air flow, impacting the natural leaven, while protecting the bagels from drying out.
THE SOURDOUGH TERMS!
AUTOLYSE. The first resting period that begins gluten development after mixing the dough.
BENCH REST. The time after the bulk rise, which allows for the dough to rest and gluten to relax.
DISCARD. The removed and unused sourdough starter that can be used in baking other recipes.
LAMENTATION. The process of stretching out the dough at the start of the bench rest period. This is the stage at which you can add flavoring to the sourdough (i.e. spices, herbs and other ingredients).
WATER BATH. The process of boiling the prepared dough before baking that caramelizes the bagels.
The baking timeline!
Day #1.
8:00am. PREPARE THE STARTER.
8:00pm. MAKE THE DOUGH, LET AUTOLYSE & MIX THE DOUGH.
OVERNIGHT. LET THE DOUGH BULK RISE.
Day #2.
7:00am. SHAPE THE DOUGH & BENCH REST.
8:00am. PREHEAT THE OVEN & WATER BATH.
8:30am. BAKE THE BAGELS AND ENJOY.
HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BAGELS
Ingredients
SOURDOUGH STARTER
- 100 g sourdough starter
- 100 g warm, filtered water
- 100 g all-purpose flour
BAGEL DOUGH
- 250 g active sourdough starter
- 400 g warm water
- 30 g sugar
- 750 g bread flour
- 15 g sea salt
WATER BATH
- 8 c water
- 25 g honey
OPTIONAL
- seasonings & egg wash
Instructions
1. PREPARE THE STARTER.
- The day before baking, mix 100g of sourdough starter, 100g of filtered water and 100g of all-purpose flour. Before using the starter to make the dough, the starter should be active and bubbly.
2. MAKE THE DOUGH.
- To make the dough, measure 250g of active sourdough starter with 400g of warm water and 30g of sugar into a mixing bowl, and whisk until combined. Then, add 750g of bread flour and 15g of sea salt, and mix with your hands until the dough is shaggy (lumpy yet will mixed).
LET THE DOUGH AUTOLYSE.
- Cover the shaggy dough with a thin kitchen towel and let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
4. MIX THE DOUGH.
- With a dough hook, mix the dough on low speed for 8 minutes in a stand mixer.
5. LET THE DOUGH BULK RISE.
- Cover the bowl with a bowl cover or cling wrap, and let the dough bulk rise for 8-12 hours at room temperature until the dough has risen and doubled in size.
6. SHAPE THE DOUGH & BENCH REST.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using the dough scraper, remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts, shape each piece into a ball, cover with a thin kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After the bench rest, use your thumb to create a hole through the center of the dough ball, forming the bagel shape. Place the bagels onto the prepared baking sheet, cover with a thin kitchen towel and let the bagels rest for 30 more minutes.
7. PREHEAT THE OVEN & WATER BATH.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and 25g of honey, and bring to a boil. Boil the bagels (only boiling 3-4 at a time) for 1 minute on each side. With a mesh strainer, remove the bagels and place back onto the baking sheet. If you would like to add toppings, allow the bagels to cool, brush with egg wash (one beaten egg white), dip the bagels into the toppings of your choice and place the bagels back onto the baking sheet.
8. BAKE THE BAGELS AND ENJOY.
- Bake the bagels at 425°F for 24-26 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bagels from the baking sheet and let the bagels cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
