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Sourdough cinnamon crunch bagels rest on two floral plates and also on a wooden cutting board.

Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

These naturally fermented sourdough cinnamon crunch bagels are topped with a sweet, crunchy cinnamon sugar crumble. Knead the recipe the day before baking, let it ferment and rest in the fridge, so you can shape and bake the next day! This recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or celebrations!
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Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: European
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Fermentation: 15 hours
Total Time: 15 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 bagels
Author: Jamie

Equipment

Ingredients

Bagel Dough

  • 100 g active sourdough starter about ½ cup
  • 220 g water about ¾ cup + 1 tbsp
  • 40 g brown sugar about 2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 g ground cinnamon about 2 tsp
  • 440 g bread flour about 3 ½ cups
  • 5 g salt about ¾ tsp
  • 28 g salted butter softened (about 2 tbsp)

Egg Wash

  • 1 large egg whisked

Cinnamon Crunch Topping

  • 60 g brown sugar about ¼ cup, packed
  • 25 g granulated sugar about 2 tbsp
  • 24 g bread flour about 3 tbsp
  • 4 g ground cinnamon about 1 ½ tsp
  • 42 g butter melted (about 3 tbsp)

Water Bath

  • 1.6 L water about 7 cups
  • 36 g brown sugar about 3 tbsp

Instructions

Mix and Knead the Dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add: sourdough starter, water, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, bread flour, salt, Use the dough hook attachment to knead on medium-high speed until combined. Then add the butter. Continue kneading for 5-7 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
  • No mixer?
  • Mix everything together in a large bowl, then knead by hand on a clean surface for 7–10 minutes.
  • How to know it’s ready:
  • The dough should feel soft, elastic, and slightly tacky, but not overly sticky
  • It should pull away from the sides of the bowl and pass the windowpane test.
    What is the windowpane test? Take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light pass through without tearing, it’s ready.
  • If it sticks heavily to your fingers, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until manageable

First Rise

  • Lightly grease a medium bowl with oil or butter and place the dough inside. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a damp towel.
  • Let rise at room temperature for 3–6 hours, or until the dough has risen by at least 50% and looks slightly puffy.

Cold Ferment (Overnight)

  • Transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator and let it ferment for 8–24 hours.
  • This step improves both flavor and texture.

Divide and Shape

  • The next day:
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then cut 8 squares of parchment paper for each bagel to rest on during their second rise. This will help greatly when it comes to transferring them to the water bath, too! Then, you can throw away the squares and place the bagels on the other piece of parchment paper that was beneath the squares.
  • Remove dough from the fridge
  • Divide into 8 equal portions (about 120 g each) for large, bakery-style bagels.

To shape bagels:

  • Roll each piece into a tight ball. Allow the dough balls to rest for 15 minutes before shaping.
  • Poke a hole through the center using your thumb
  • Gently stretch into a ring about 1½–2 inches wide

Helpful tip:

  • If the dough feels too stiff, let it rest for 5–10 minutes before shaping. If it becomes sticky, chill briefly.

Second Rise

  • Place shaped bagels on their parchment squares. Cover the bagels loosely with greased plastic wrap (this helps prevent the plastic wrap from sticking to the bagels after their rise).
  • Let rise for 1-2 hours, or until puffy and visibly risen.

Prepare the Water Bath

  • Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F).
  • In a large pot, combine the water and brown sugar.
  • Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Boil the Bagels

  • Carefully lower bagels into the boiling water. As they boil, you can gently peel off the parchment paper squares with tongs.
  • Boil each bagel for 30-40 seconds per side.
  • Work in batches of 2–3 bagels at a time.
  • Use a slotted spoon to flip, drain, and transfer them.
  • If they sink, gently nudge them—they will float back up
  • Place boiled bagels back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Prepare the Cinnamon Crunch Topping

  • In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon (this crumble makes a good amount--feel free to cut it in half if you'd like less of it).
  • Stir in melted butter until the mixture forms a crumbly, slightly clumpy texture.

Egg Wash and Top

  • Brush each bagel generously with the whisked egg.
  • Spoon and gently press the cinnamon crunch topping onto each bagel so it sticks well.

Bake

  • Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown, the topping is crisp, and the internal temperature is 200℉-210℉ (93.3℃-98.9℃).
  • Helpful Tip: Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool

  • Allow bagels to cool on a wire rack for at least 15–20 minutes before serving.
  • The topping will crisp up further as it cools.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bagel | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Calories: 372kcal
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