Easy Sourdough Everything Bagels

This is a modified recipe which I have been experimenting with for a few weeks now. Utilizing the overnight first rise, as mentioned in a previous article allows for an easier and shorter day when making this bread as well.

The overnight method in a nutshell:
In the morning, feed your sourdough starter, In the evening, put the dough together and then set aside overnight. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let sit on the counter overnight. In the morning divide the dough up for the second rise.

Sourdough Everything Bagel Recipe:
300 grams of active sourdough starter
325 grams of water

One tablespoon vegetable oil
One tablespoon of honey
2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of whole wheat flour
one tablespoon onion flakes
one tablespoon of garlic powder

The recipe is going to be stiff, and I recommend a stand mixer or use someone with great fore-arm strength to knead. If your dough is too stiff, add a bit of water, if too soft, add some flour. You can also modify the white to whole wheat flour ratio as long as six cups total. Onion flakes and garlic powder in the dough can be adjusted to for taste.

Start by mixing all the above ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix the dough; it should be on low speed in the stand mixer for 7 to 8 minutes; overmixing may change the texture of the end product. Mixing by hand will take double that time by hand. Cover the dough in a lightly oiled bowl with saran wrap or a moist towel and let sit on the counter overnight. Moist towels may dry out overnight, causing the dough to dry out as well.

After a night of rising, take the dough out of the bowl and form into 3.5 ounce balls. One by one form holes in the dough balls forming the bagel shape. This dough is stiff, for softer and sticky dough dipping your hands in vegetable oiled water will help with forming the bagels. This recipe should make fourteen to sixteen bagels. Distribute the formed bagels on pans and cover with wet towels. Leave to rise for a few hours. If you press down on the dough and it springs right back, it should be ready. The float test will tell you for sure.

There are plenty of youtube videos on how to make dough balls and how to form the holes for bagels.

Bagels are boiled in water mixed with a tablespoon of baking soda to change the water PH. Adding a tablespoon of honey to the boiling water adds to the taste as well. Turn your oven to 425 to preheat when you turn the water on to boil.

Large pot for boiling the bagels (I can do four bagels at a time in mine)
One tablespoon of Baking Soda
One Tablespoon of honey

Place your first bagel carefully into the boiling water; it should float, if it doesn’t float, you will need more second rise time. Assuming your bagel floats, put more in the pot with room to flip them over. The longer the bagel is left in the boiling water, the tougher/chewier the bagels will become. Twenty seconds per side (40 seconds total) is my ideal boiling time. When the bagels are boiled for the allotted time, place them back on the baking sheet. Continue boiling until all bagels are done.

Brush the bagels with milk at this point to allow the toppings to stick to the bagels. For toppings, sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion/garlic flakes and maybe a bit of sea salt. You can adjust the toppings based on your tastes.

Put the bagels in the oven when it’s at 425 degrees and cook for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for up to another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Bagels are best when eaten the day of baking, keep out enough for a day or two and pre-cut/freeze the remainder.