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My son and daughter-in-law gave me a small jar of sourdough starter as a birthday gift. It was a great gift because they know how much I love to bake. The problem was, I didn’t know anything about sourdough starter. They were nice enough to include a beginner’s guide to sourdough. That helped a lot. But I did have some difficulties along the way. I’ll write about that and post a link here when it’s ready (in case you’re curious).
I found a recipe that I liked and gave it a try. It was pretty successful, but I did make a few adjustments after that. I added salt to the water bath, and sprinkled corn meal on the parchment paper. I like the additional flavor the corn meal provides. Lastly, I brushed on an egg wash before baking. It helps the toppings adhere better, and enhances the golden-brown color. The egg wash also contributes to a slightly crisper texture.
Plan ahead for this recipe because the dough needs to rise overnight for the best results.
Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- cooking spray or oil
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp corn meal
- 1 egg (scrambled)
- sesame seeds
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the starter, water, and sugar with a fork.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix until combined. The dough will be very stiff.
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5-6 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with cooking spray (or oil) to keep it from sticking.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel, and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (roughly 10-12 hours).
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Punch down the dough and place it on an unfloured work surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle and cut it into 8 equal pieces.
- Form each piece into a ball (gather the ends, flip it over, and form it into a ball).
- Place each ball on baking sheet. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Take each ball of dough and poke your finger through the center. Move your finger in a circular motion to stretch the hole and make it about the size of a walnut. Put the shaped bagel on your work surface. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cover the shaped bagels with a damp dish towel and let rest for 15 minutes. The dough will rise slightly during this stage.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle corn meal on the parchment paper of each baking sheet.
- While the bagels are resting and your oven is preheating, add water to a medium size pot and bring to a boil. Add salt and honey and stir until dissolved.
- Add two bagels at a time to the boiling water and simmer for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer the bagels to the baking sheet. I typically put 4 bagels on each sheet. Continue with remaining bagels.
- Scramble the egg and add a little water to make the wash.
- Brush the bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle the bagels with your choice of toppings. The photo shows sesame and everything bagels.
- Bake your bagels (one tray at a time) on the center rack of your oven for 18-20 minutes, turning tray half way through.
- When ready, the bagels will be a light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
I found the original recipe at theclevercarrot.com/2021/06/easy-homemade-sourdough-bagels.