Homemade Sourdough Bagels (vegan, oil-free)
Have you made anything with sourdough starter yet during this Covid season? I finally caved into the sourdough craze and I am LOVING it! These homemade sourdough bagels are dang delicious and incredibly chewy and soft. The flavor is amazing and I love the sourdough flavor that comes through. It isn’t super strong but you can just barely taste it. It only takes a handful of ingredients and is actually pretty easy to make. A lot of the time that goes into these bagels is the dough resting.
I do want to emphasize that using a food scale to measure the starter and flour is the most accurate and you will get the right texture and consistency. I would highly recommend using a scale when making these bagels. They aren’t super expensive and you can easily get one on Amazon, Target, or Walmart. It’s totally worth it!
We love eating these bagels for lunch as a bagel sandwich. My favorite toppings are avocado, sauerkraut, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and some nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. YUM. If you have some sourdough starter, you have to try these! Such simple ingredients, but the best flavor!
Homemade Sourdough Bagels (vegan, oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water (start with 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 4 cups + 1 Tbsp (500 g) bread flour (if you don’t have a scale, please use the scoop and level method when measuring flour)
For Boiling
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or brown sugar or honey, if not vegan)
Optional Toppings
- everything bagel seasoning
- sesame seeds
- cinnamon sugar (2 Tbsp brown sugar + 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar + 1.5 tsp cinnamon)
Instructions
- The night before: In a bowl of your stand mixer (I used my KitchenAid), add the starter, water, sugar, and salt. Stir with a spatula until well combined. Add the bread flour and mix with the spatula or your hands until a rough dough forms. The dough will be very stiff, add the last tablespoon of water if your dough looks very dry. Then use your dough hook attachment to your mixer and knead on the lowest speed for 6 minutes. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for one hour. After the dough has rested, lightly work the dough into a smooth ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a lid or towel and let it rest overnight at room temperature for 12 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Turn the dough out on a clean work surface without flour (if you think your dough is too sticky, you can sprinkle a little bit of flour). Make a thick circular disc shape and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Gather the ends of each piece and pinch them together to make a ball. Lightly roll the dough on the counter/work surface until you get a smooth ball. Continue with all 8 pieces. Take each dough ball and use your thumb to poke a hole straight through the center. Then insert both index fingers into the hole and roll fingers around each other to stretch out the centre (like a barrel roll) until it’s about the size of a walnut. Place on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1.5 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prep all toppings on plates or shallow bowls. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the baking soda and maple syrup. Carefully add about 3 bagels to the pot of boiling water. They will sink then rise to the surface. Boil on each side for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Using a large slotted spoon, remove each bagel, shaking off the excess water, and place round side up on the baking sheet. Repeat with the next 3 bagels. While those 3 are boiling in the water, dip the wet bagels from the baking sheet into the toppings and place back onto the baking sheet. Repeat process until all bagels have been boiled and dipped into desired toppings.
- Bake the bagels for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The chewy texture of the bagels are best when eaten fresh! Store extra bagels in an airtight container at room temperature. To reheat bagels, place in the toaster oven. Enjoy!
