Homemade Sourdough Bagels (Simple Overnight Recipe)
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These homemade sourdough bagels are easy to make and packed with flavor! Naturally leavened with sourdough starter, they’re kneaded, fermented overnight, and baked to perfection with a chewy interior and crisp, golden crust. Add everything bagel seasoning for that classic bakery-style finish.
These chewy sourdough bagels are just lovely. They have the classic bagel texture, but are naturally fermented thanks to the active, bubbly sourdough starter. I kept this recipe nice and simple by making a few plain bagels and the rest–my favorite–coated in everything bagel seasoning!
I’m going to walk you through all the steps on how to make from-scratch sourdough bagels. And the coolest part? This recipe is very similar to my sourdough pretzel recipe and cinnamon sugar sourdough pretzel bites. So, if you made one confidently, know you’ll make the other even better (simply because you’ve had practice at this point).
Looking for sourdough desserts? Check out my bananas foster sourdough bread pudding!
Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Bagel Recipe
- No yeast, no problem: Builds flavor and digestibility through natural sourdough fermentation.
- Overnight rest for maximum tang and texture, with flexible timing to fit your schedule.
- Boiled in a sweetened baking soda bath for glossy, chewy perfection. No lye here!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine your active sourdough starter, water, brown sugar, bread flour, and salt. Stir everything together until you get a shaggy, sticky dough.
Then, add the softened butter and knead the dough with your hands for about 5-7 minutes (I take mine out of the bowl and knead on the counter). It will start out quite sticky, but as you keep kneading, it will get smoother.
Knead a Second Time
Cover and let the dough rest for an hour, and then take it out to knead it one more time (this time only about 3 minutes).
First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for about 6-10 hours (your rise time is going to vary based on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen. My kitchen is around 66 degrees Fahrenheit and takes the full 10 hours–yours may be less).
Cold Proof Overnight (Alternate option)
To slow down fermentation or make this recipe work for you, you can place the dough in the fridge after its bulk ferment (after around 6 hours). The dough can cold ferment in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Roll the Bagel Dough Balls
The next morning, turn the dough onto a clean surface and divide it into 8 equal dough balls. Roll each piece into a tight ball and let them rest for about 20 minutes.
Shape the Bagels
Poke a hole in the center of each and gently stretch into a ring. Place the shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet (I’ve found that it’s easier to cut them into squares for each bagel–that way they are easily transferable to the pot while we boil them).
Second Rise
Let the bagels rest on the baking sheet covered with plastic wrap that has been greased with olive oil (this helps prevent sticking and I highly recommend it!).
The bagels will rest covered for about 1 hour (possibly longer if you opted for a cold ferment).
The bagels will have visibly risen, puffed up, and nearly doubled when they are ready to be boiled and baked.
Remove them from the baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Set aside to place the bagels on after they’ve boiled.
Prepare the Baking Soda Bath
While the bagels are resting, bring 7 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, stir in the baking soda and brown sugar. This step adds flavor and that signature golden crust.
Boil the Bagels
Gently place the bagels into the simmering bath, a few at a time. Boil each one for 30–60 seconds per side, then return them to the baking sheet.
Brush with Egg Wash
Once boiled, brush the tops of the bagels with whisked egg for shine. Add any toppings now—like everything seasoning, sesame seeds, or flaky salt.
Bake
Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425°F for 22–27 minutes, or until the bagels are deep golden brown and glossy. The crust should look beautifully crisp.
Tips for Perfect Sourdough Bagels
- Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before mixing your dough. A strong starter gives your bagels the best rise and that signature chewy texture.
- When it’s time to boil, use a baking soda and brown sugar bath. The baking soda helps create that glossy, chewy crust, while the sugar adds beautiful color and just a hint of sweetness.
- If you’re adding toppings like everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds, press them on right after boiling—while the dough is still tacky. This helps them stick before baking.
Equipment to Make Sourdough Bagels
- Kitchen scale – For accurate ingredient measurements
- Mixing bowl – To combine and bulk ferment the dough
- Silicone spatula or dough scraper – Helpful for mixing and transferring dough
- Plastic wrap or reusable bowl cover – For covering the dough during the rise
- Baking sheet – Lined with parchment paper for resting and baking the bagels
- Parchment paper – Prevents sticking and makes clean-up easy
- Large pot – For boiling the bagels in the baking soda bath
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer – To safely transfer bagels in and out of the water bath
- Pastry brush – For applying the egg wash before baking
- Wire rack – To cool the bagels after baking
Homemade Sourdough Bagels (Simple Overnight Recipe)
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 100 g sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 220 g water room temperature
- 40 g brown sugar
- 440 g bread flour
- 5 g salt
- 28 g salted butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil the plastic wrap when covering during second rise
Baking Soda Bath
- 7 cups water 1.65 liters
- ¼ cup baking soda 60g
- 2 tbsp brown sugar 25g
Egg Wash
- 1 egg whisked
Instructions
Mix the Dough:
- In a large bowl, stir together the sourdough starter, water, brown sugar, bread flour, and salt until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead with Butter:
- Add the softened butter and use your hands to knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes. The dough is going to feel stiff and sticky in the beginning. As you continue kneading, it will soften and become smoother. After kneading, place the dough back in the bowl and cover for about one hour. After that hour is up, take the dough out and knead it again for about 2-3 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 6-10 hours or until doubled in size. The fermentation time varies on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen, so watch the dough! My kitchen is around 66℉ and takes about 10 hours.
Cold Fermentation Option:
- The dough can also be placed in the fridge (for up to about 24 hours) for a cold ferment after about 6 hours of bulk fermentation to better fit your schedule.
Shape the Bagels:
- The next day, cut parchment paper into 8 squares to make transferring the bagels to the boiling water easier. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for about 20 minutes.Using your finger, poke a hole through the center of each ball and gently stretch to form a ring. Place each shaped bagel onto an individual square of parchment paper. Cover with greased plastic wrap (this prevents the dough from sticking) and let rest for about 1 hour (or longer if the dough was cold fermented), until the bagels have visibly risen and look slightly puffy.
Prepare Baking Soda Bath:
- Bring 7 cups of water, ¼ cup baking soda, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil in a large pot. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Boil the Bagels:
- Once the water is boiling, carefully boil each bagel for 30–60 seconds per side. Return boiled bagels to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Egg Wash & Bake:
- Brush each bagel with egg wash. Optionally, sprinkle with your favorite toppings (white sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, etc). Bake at 425°F for 22–27 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.
Cool & Enjoy:
- Let bagels cool on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy fresh or toasted!
These sourdough bagels taste way better than store-bought and have far better benefits for your gut! If you make these, I’d love to know what you thought!
These look amazing! I’m curious how you figured the sodium content. It seems really high per bagel. I’m on a low sodium diet and I’m trying to find a bagel recipe that keeps them under 200 mg or so per bagel. Thanks so much.
Ohhh, great question! So, I use an automated nutrition label with my recipe card. It looks like the majority is coming from the baking soda bath, which includes 1/4 cup of baking soda. You’re not actually consuming all that baking soda per bagel. The bagels are simply boiled in the baking soda bath for a couple minutes and will soak up *some* sodium, but not *all* of it, if that makes sense. You can certainly decrease the amount of baking soda in the pot.
May I replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar?
Yes, absolutely!
Thank you for responding so rapidly!
Can I use white flour, or does it specifically need to be bread flour?