These Sourdough BAGELS are everything!

Mornings are sacred in our home. They’re for coffee, good conversation & deep breaths. In the summer, we sit in the morning sun, listening to the birds and waking slowly together. In the winter, we’re tucked in by the fire, yawning & clutching our coffee close. This has been a constant rhythm throughout our marriage & one we intend to hold tight to. I cannot imagine a better accompaniment then freshly baked sourdough bagels with cream cheese & jam.

These bagels are the perfect combination of crunchy on the outside & deliciously tasty on the inside. They’re simple to make & you wanna know the best part? It’s ten minutes a few times over an hour or two, then they’re just resting tight. Love that.

Not to mention, they’re instant entertainment for our toddler both in the making of the hole stage & the boiling & seasoning stage. She is enthralled & feels like she can contribute, even if momentarily. 

They’re a short bake, but always come out rich, crunchy & oh so tasty. I always smear mine with cream cheese or butter & raspberry jam. 

Sourdough Bagels

Ingredients:

200g active starter

315g cold water

30g honey or another liquid sweetener (maple, agave)

750g flour

10g salt

For boiling:

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp brown sugar

Midday:

1. Mix first three ingredients, then add flour and salt to make a rough dough

2. Knead 6ish minutes, until smooth and pliable

3. Cover & rest 30 minutes

12:30ish

4. Shape into dough balls by folding edges into one side and then rolling front side to create surface tension. 

5. Cover & rest 15 minutes ( you can skip this step & immediately poke holes)

12:45ish:

6. To make your holes (this is totally the funnest part - if you have little people, they love helping with this step!) -  push one finger push into middle, meet on the other side with another finger and stretch. These need to be quite a decent size because the bagel will rise & you can easily lose the hole (a hole-less bagel is still delicious though!)

7. Proof on baking tray covered with damp tea towel for  2.5 - 5 hours depending on the temperature of your house. If it’s warmer, stick to shorter proof. To test that they’re ready, fill a bowl with water, drop a bagel in. If it floats, it’s done & is ready for bulk fermentation in the fridge. If it sinks, give it another hour or so. Dry off the tester bagel with a tea towel.

Later in the afternoon:

8. Fridge proof for 12-24 hours covered with plastic wrap or something that stay airtight. I normally just do it overnight. Fridge proof isn't necessary, but can be a nice buffer to get you to when you want to bake. They're ALWAYS better fresh!

** Don’t worry if you don’t notice any difference in them during the proof. They will rise when baked, so it’s all good!!

Next day: Boiling & Baking!

1. Preheat oven to 450 f / 230 c. 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp baking soda & 1 tbsp brown sugar. 

2. Prepare seasoning on plate - I love using a tasty combo of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic flakes, onion flakes & salt. So so good. 

3. Pop as many bagels in as comfortably fit without touching each other. Boil on each side for 15-20 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon being careful to let water drip off. 

4. Roll top in seasoning & pop on top baking tray.

5. Bake 18 - 22 minutes or until golden!

That’s it, folks! Enjoy this coveted brekkie with all your favorite toppings & soak in the company you’ve been blessed with. Ain’t nothing like it. 

Check out this YouTube clip if you need more direction! 

Love,

Heidi