New York-Style Sourdough Bagels
These New York-style sourdough bagels are delicious and thick with an iconic chewy crust.
Read on to make the perfect bagel recipe with step-by-step instructions or see the video showing the whole process!
I fell in love with these New York-style sourdough bagels from the first time I made them. They’re so flavourful, and I was so happy with how they turned out! Unlike dinner rolls with a light and fluffy texture, these New York-style sourdough bagels are denser and chewy.
Unlike many of my other sourdough recipes, the dough for these is lean and stiff, with a low hydration level (around 56%). This is what helps give the bagels that chewiness. A strong flour with a high protein content is needed to develop the structure and give that texture. It means it’s easy to knead it by hand, but it needs thorough working! A good 10 minutes of gluten development is best.
Ingredients
This bagel dough is a lean dough with minimal ingredients. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s what you need:
- Strong bread flour – A good bagel has a decent amount of toothsome chew to it. Flour with a higher protein level is required for the chewy interior – a level between 11-13%. Some all-purpose flours have a protein level of over 11% in which case you can use that sort of all-purpose flour for homemade bagels. A higher protein level will give the best chewy bagel results. It’s best to check the protein level of each flour rather than going by the name of the flour. I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour.
- Sourdough starter – An active starter.
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Honey (for poaching the bagels)
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds or bagel seasoning for topping
Step by step
- In the morning feed your sourdough starter.
- Once the starter has doubled and is ready to go, add it to a large mixing bowl with the rest of the dough ingredients and use a fork to combine it into a thick and rough dough.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is smooth and strong. For optimal gluten development, the dough needs to be worked and kneaded for around 10 minutes. Alternatively, mix the dough in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on low speed.
- Once worked, place the dough ball in a greased large bowl and cover it with a damp towe or lid to prevent the dough from drying out. Let the dough proof in a warm spot until it has almost doubled in size.
- Cover the dough and place it in the fridge overnight.
The following day
- Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the fridge and pull it from the bowl onto a clean work surface. I use my dough scraper to cut the ball into 8 equal pieces (I guess these because I don’t mind my bagels a bit rustic, but weigh them on a kitchen scale if you like.)
- Shape each piece into a tight ball and rest them on the bench. Let these sit for 10-15 minutes whilst the glutens relax. Once they’ve relaxed, it’s time to give them their bagel shape.
- Use your thumbs to make the hole in the middle of the dough ball and roll the dough ball around your thumbs and index fingers to widen the hole.
- Make the center hole quite wide because it will shrink back a bit as it rests. Then place it on the baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough balls.
- Place the shaped bagels on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Let them proof at room temperature for the second time, for around 1-2 hours, until lightly puffed.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F.
Poaching bagels
- Once the water is boiling, stir in a heaped tablespoon of honey. When you boil bagels in this honey water it is going to help set the chewy crust on the outside of the dough and give the bagels a golden sheen. This eliminates the need for egg wash. Trust me, it’s good!
Some bagel recipes use baking soda instead of honey to give the golden colour. I don’t because I think it gives the bagels a different flavour from baking soda. One that resembles soft pretzels. Try sourdough pretzels instead!
- Dust off any excess flour off the bagels and drop them in the boiling water one at a time. If your pot is small, boil them in batches.
- Let them poach in the water for 1 minute, flipping them after 30 seconds. Remove the bagels from the water using a slotted spoon.
- Place the bagels on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and sprinkle over any seeds or bagel seasoning for toppings while they are still sticky from the water.
Baking the bagels
- Bake the bagels in the oven for 22-25 minutes until deep golden brown. If they are baking unevenly or your oven has hot spots, turn the oven tray around after 15 minutes of baking.
Serving and storing
They are delicious when served fresh on the day, with cream cheese and salmon, or avocado. When eating them on the following days, they are best toasted.
Looking for regular yeast bagels? Check out this homemade bagel recipe.
Sourdough bagel FAQs
Some brands of all-purpose flour have a protein level that’s more than 11%. In this case, those brands of all-purpose could be used. However, a bread flour with higher protein levels will give the best chew.
If you make the initial holes too small when shaping the bagels, the dough will shrink back too much and you’ll lose the bagel holes.
Yes, if left too long the bagels can overproof and they can collapse. Bagels shouldn’t rise too much, just puff slightly before poaching.
Sourdough bagels freeze very well which will prolong their life. They can be thawed in a toaster, microwave, or low-temperature oven.
Spices can be added at the same time as the other ingredients. Larger additions such as dried fruits, nuts, or seeds can be added at the end of the kneading period.
Up to 36 hours.
Related recipes
Try my sourdough bread recipe, sourdough pretzels or sourdough croissants!
New York-Style Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients
Levain
- 50 g sourdough starter
- 50 g flour
- 50 g water
Dough
- 440 g strong all-purpose flour or bread flour with a protein level of at least 11%
- 220 g water
- 8 g salt
- 12 g sugar
- All the levain (around 120g active starter in total)
For Boiling
- 1.5 litres water
- 1 Tbsp honey
For Topping
- Sesame and poppy seeds optional
Instructions
Day 1
- Mix together the starter ingredients. Leave it to rise until it doubles in size (around 4-5 hours.)
- Add the risen starter to a bowl with the dough flour, water, sugar, and salt once the starter has risen. Knead it together to make a ball, then tip it onto a clean bench.
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes to develop the gluten. If you get tired, take a break and let the dough sit, then return to it after a few minutes.
- Once kneaded, place it in a greased bowl, cover the bowl with a plate and let it proof in a warm spot until almost doubled in size. If necessary, create a warm space by placing the dough in a turned-off oven next to a mug of boiled water.
- Place the bowl in the fridge to cold-proof overnight (at least 10 hours.)
Day 2
- In the morning, pull the dough from the bowl and place it on a clean bench.
- Cut it into 6 or 8 even pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball and let it sit and relax for 10-15 minutes.
- Take a large baking sheet and line it with baking paper.
- Take a ball of dough and use your thumbs to make the hole in the middle of the dough ball and roll the dough ball around your thumbs to widen the hole.
- Place it on the baking sheet, and continue with the rest of the dough balls. Let the bagels sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to puff out slightly.
- When they have nearly finished proofing, boil a large pot of water and preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
- Once the water is boiling, stir in the tablespoon of honey.
- Drop the bagels in the water one at a time. If your pot is small, boil them in batches. Let them poach in the water for 1 minute, flipping them after 30 seconds.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove and drain the bagels and place them on the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle over any seeds for toppings while they are still sticky from the water.
- Bake the bagels in the oven for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown. If they are baking unevenly or your oven has hot spots, turn the oven tray around after 15 minutes of baking.
- Remove the baked bagels from the tray and let them cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
The most amazing bagels, with an incredible chewy crust!
Loved making these, thank you for the recipe!
So glad you loved them! 😊
I made these yesterday after having a few tries at a few recipes on the internet. This was the easiest and by far the best! Thank you for bringing these to my life!
Your other recipes are exceptional also too!
That’s awesome Gav! I’m stoked you loved them 😀
I have made these twice and both times they turned out amazing! Perfect chewy crust with soft insides, definitely recommend 🙂
So glad you love them 😍
If I wanted to make twice as many bagels, could I simply double the recipe? Or better of making 2 small batches? Thank you! I love your recipes! My sourdough game is so strong now thanks to following your instructions to a tee!!!
You can simply double the recipe 😊. Thank you so much!
Just about to try it on 🙂
Can I leave the though for longer hours in the fridge? I simply wanna make them for early dinner.
Hey yes you can extend the fridge proof time 😊
Really great recipe! We loved these bagels! Fabulous videos to complement the clear instructions, thank you!
Thank you! So glad you loved them! 😀
Hi, you know how I love these and all your sourdough recipes. I’m wondering, I have an old bagel recipe that uses 2 cups of roasted butternut squash. It’s a yeast recipe and I’m wondering if I would add less water or more? Have you ever tried one with sourdough? The bagels turn out beautiful in colour and taste.
Hope you’re all well.
Thanks,
pat
Hey they sound lovely! I’ve not made bagels like that before but I would give it a go with sourdough for sure! You can always hold back the water a bit and add it in if needed
These bagels got rave reviews from my New York Jewish family, tough critics who know their bagels! I got gorgeous results on my very first try. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Awesome, that’s the best review 🤩. Thank you!
Hello – I love your website! These came out good but mine were a bit dry and hard. Perhaps I over-kneaded it?
Also – I was wondering if I wanted to tweak this recipe to be more of an egg bagel what the liquid substitution to eggs would be.
Hey, I wouldn’t think it’s over kneaded but perhaps a slightly longer proof once they’re shaped, before they’re boiled may help :). As for making it an egg bagel, I’m not sure about the substitution amounts sorry! You might just have to see how the dough feels – add the egg first and maybe half the water to begin with, and have extra water on standby to add as necessary.
Hi, When I cook them, they spring a lot, not looking like bagels at all, more like a little ball with a closed whole… Do you have ideas why??
It’s my third time trying and it happens everytime 🙁
Heya, I think they could probably do with a bit longer proofing. You could shape them, then leave them for another 30 minutes or so, then reshape the hole once more before cooking.
Hi, Elien. I baked this recipe for the first time last October. The bagels turned out very well, though puffier than yours! Very good flavour with a good chew. Now I would like to bake them again, but with some ingredients mixed into the dough. I am thinking of seeds like poppy and sesame, slivers of sundried tomato, herbs etc. When would the right time to work these ingredients into the dough? Thanks in advance…
Hey! I would add those into the dough at the the beginning, when you are mixing the main dough flour and water together. ☺️
using baking powder or caustic soda in very low concentration following with wash in fresh boiling water will result in classic taste and aroma caused by an intense milard reaction in addition to the golden color
Have you made these with part whole wheat flour?
I haven’t tried that yet! But if I would, then I would start off by subbing only a small amount, say 20% wholemeal and see how it goes 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I have a bucket of dough in the fridge now approaching the 10 hour mark, was just curious what is the longest the dough can stay in the fridge?
I have stretched my cold proof up to 20 hours with no problems – the sour taste does increase though
Have you ever doubled the recipe? If so can you share the recipe please?
Thanks Jane
Hey Jane you can double this recipe and just double all the ingredients 🙂
I had a slight problem with this recipe. After I shaped and put them on parchment to rise they formed a bit of a crust. I then covered with a kitchen towel for the second hour. They stuck to the parchment when I tried to lift them off to drop in boiling water. Most of them baked nicely. The crust was pleasant. The interior was chewy. The flavor was very good. What should I do differently the next time I make these?
Hey if this happens again you could very light brush them with water to stop them drying on the top. And if they stick to the parchment you could dust it with flour first
Hi, how much time do i knead with a break machine versus by hand (i have arthritics :-(.. ))? Also, what do you think if I did a 250 breadflour, 200 whole wheat flour? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
hi, can i use fresh blueberries for this bagel?? when do i incorporate the blueberries?
Hey yeah sure, they can be added them when you knead the dough but you might need to add in an extra Tbsp or two of flour to make up for the extra liquid the blueberries bring
These are fantastic never buying supermarket bagels again!
Made them a few times now, even trialled a chocolate chip bagel ( just added chocolate chips while kneading) soooo good.
Thank you
Hi, The levain (50 starter+water+flour) has NOT increased to double portion after more than 6 hours .. have I done anything wrong OR is my sourdough starter not ready yet? Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
It sounds like your starter might not be ready yet, or your room temperature is too cold
Hi! Is it possible to substitute the sugar and use honey instead? If so do you recommend doing the same amount?
Hey definitely, just use the same amount or a bit more or less if you want
What is the approximate rise time? After kneading (doubling)
Hey if it’s in a warm spot, approx 3-4 hours 🙂
Hello! I have been enjoying your recipes for almost 8 months, and i just wanted to say thank you for blessing the world with these absolutely foolproof and delicious recipes!
Thank you Ryan!! That’s so lovely to hear 😃
Hey, are you able to rest the dough for 24 hours?
Yes you can 🙂
I forgot to put my dough in the fridge and left it out for about 5 hours. Should I just skip the long fermentation and go to the boil and bake stage?
You can skip the cold proof if you like, or still refrigerate it for a bit first 🙂