Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe
I’m a huge fan of overnight sourdough recipes, and bagels are a weekly staple at our house. So many people shy away from bagels because they think it’s too time-consuming or difficult, but I assure you it’s not!
Before bed, mix the sourdough bagel dough in your stand mixer, shape it in the morning, and boil & bake by the early afternoon. Not available at those times? Halt the process anytime by popping the bagel dough in the fridge.
After about a year (yes, a year!) of testing and tiny tweaks, I’m ready to officially share this bagel recipe. Because I’ve made it for so long, I also have some tips and tricks for modifying it during seasonal changes. Let’s do it!
Why You’ll Love These Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagels
- Effortless Overnight Prep: Mix the dough and let it rise while you sleep. In the morning, you’ll shape the bagels (it takes less than 10 minutes once you get the hang of it).
- Soft and Chewy Texture: The inside of these bagels is perfectly soft and chewy, just like a bagel should be.
- Customizable: This bagel recipe can be topped with anything you like – asiago cheese, everything bagel seasoning, cheddar & jalapeno, cinnamon crunch topping… the options are endless.
- Freezer-Friendly: Fresh bagels are the best, but you can freeze extras for quick breakfasts all week.
- Kid-Approved: My little foodies love these bagels plain, toasted, and slathered in cream cheese.
- New Yorker-approved: perhaps most importantly, we had a friend who used to live in New York try these, and he said they’re some of the best bagels he’s had.
Baker’s Timeline for Sourdough Bagels
Here’s a sample timeline to help you plan out your bake:
| Day 1 | 8:00 AM (or when you wake up) | Feed your starter at a 1:5:5 ratio. It’ll be ready to use by bedtime. |
| 8:00 PM (or before bed) | Mix the dough. (This starts the bulk fermentation) | |
| Day 2 | 7:00 AM | Shape your bagels. |
| 12:00 PM | Boil, bake, and enjoy your bagels! |
Here’s an alternate option if you work a typical 9 to 5:
| Day 1 | 8:00 AM (or when you wake up) | Feed your starter at a 1:5:5 ratio. It’ll be ready to use by bedtime. |
| 8:00 PM (or before bed) | Mix the dough. (This starts the bulk fermentation) | |
| Day 2 | 7:00 AM | Shape your bagels, let them sit out as long as you can in a warm spot before you leave home, and then pop in the fridge. |
| 5:30 PM | Let the bagel dough come to room temperature (put in the warmest spot possible) and continue rising until puffy and noticeably larger in size. | |
| 9:00 PM | Boil, bake, and enjoy your bagels! |
Ingredients in Overnight Sourdough Bagels
- Active sourdough starter: Your starter should be at its peak – ideally, it has doubled in size from when you fed it, it’s full of bubbles, the surface is flat (not domed) and potentially caving in slightly in the center, and it smells sweet and yeasty.
- Bread flour: Bread flour works best for bagels because its high protein content gives them a nice chewiness. I use King Arthur unbleached bread flour (12.7% protein).
- Water: You can adjust the water temperature depending on your home’s. I usually use cold or room temperature water (my home is 75°F or 24°C). If your home is colder than that, you might use room temperature or warm water.
- Sea Salt: The salt adds flavor and strengthens the dough. Don’t forget it! My favorite brand is Redmond’s.
- Honey: A little touch of sweetness to balance the sourdough flavor.
You’ll also need:
- Baking Soda: Helps raise the pH of the boiling water for that perfect bagel crust.
- Brown Sugar: Slightly sweetens the boiling water and helps the golden brown color.
- Parchment Paper: To line the baking sheet.
How to Make Overnight Sourdough Bagels (Step by Step)
Step 1: Feed your starter
Feed your starter a 1:5:5 feeding ratio in the morning when you wake up. It should peak in about 10-12 hours, just before bedtime.
You’ll need 113g of active starter for this recipe, so mix together 13g of starter, 64g of flour, and 64g of water. That will leave a little extra leftover so you won’t have to scrape the jar, and you’ll have some for your next bake or to keep your starter going.
Step 2: Mix the dough
Once your starter is good to go, mix the flour, warm water, active starter, honey, and sea salt in your stand mixer with the dough hook on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and has a playdough-like texture.
You may need to adjust the amount of water you add here depending on the texture of the dough after you mix it. After about 60 seconds of mixing, if I’m still seeing bits of dry flour in the bottom of the stand mixer bowl, I add 20-30g more water.
The amount of water I need changes with the seasons (it’s usually a 30g swing). In the fall and winter, the dough seems to need more water to come together. In the spring and summer, it needs less.
Start with the minimum and work up to the playdough texture.
Step 2: Let it rest
Cover your dough with a shower cap bowl cover or plastic wrap and let it rest overnight. I always go for an overnight bulk fermentation with my bagel dough.
In my 75°F (24°C) kitchen, it’s usually ready to shape about 10-12 hours after mixing. The timing on this is pretty flexible.
Bagel dough is pretty stiff because of its low hydration, but it’s also super forgiving.
The more water you add to a dough, the faster it ferments, so this dough isn’t likely to become a sticky, soupy mess by morning.
Step 3: Divide the dough and roll into balls
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and roll 75g of dough into a ball.
Note: I like 75g for my bagels. It’s the perfect in-between size. It’s not super mini, but it’s not massive, either. If you want mini bagels, do 45g. If you want more of a standard size bagel, 100g seems to be the norm.
You can roll it however you like, but I usually just roll it, fold the dough over itself, pinch it together at the bottom, and then roll it into a smooth ball—kind of like you would with cookie dough.
Set the ball on the parchment paper. Do the same for the rest of your dough balls.
I like to roll all the balls first, then go back to the first one to poke a hole in the middle. It gives the dough just a second to rest and the gluten to relax so it’s easier to work with.
Step 4: Shape the bagels
The way I shape bagels doesn’t make the most “perfectly” shaped bagels, but it’s quick and easy, and they taste just as good.
I can roll out and shape all of these bagels in about 8 minutes. If I did it the fancier way, it would take over 20 minutes.
Once you’ve got all your dough rolled into balls and sitting on the parchment paper, grab the first one and gently poke a hole in the middle with your finger.
Then, use both your pointer fingers to twirl it around in your hand and stretch the hole out giving it the bagel shape.
Update: I highly recommend using individual parchment squares for each bagel!
I finally tried this method, and I’ll admit that I thought it was an unnecessary extra step. But I’m never going back.
When you lift the bagels to boil, they don’t warp or deflate at all. If you overproof your bagels, this is a godsend! You’ll still end up with puffy, squishy bagels.
Step 5: Let them rise…again
Now that you’ve got your shaped bagels on the baking sheet, let them sit on your counter to proof for about 5-6 hours.
I used to only let them proof for 2 or 3 hours, but one day I accidentally left them out longer than I planned and they turned out to be the best bagels I’ve ever made.
So now, I always leave them for 5 or 6 hours and let them get super puffy.
Step 6: Boil the bagels
Now that your bagels have been proofed, you’re ready to boil and bake them, so at this point, you can preheat your oven to 425°F or 220°C.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, toss in around 2 tsp of baking soda (I don’t measure this, I just sprinkle some in) and around 2 tbsp of brown sugar. This will give your bagels a nice, chewy crust.
Drop about 4 or 5 bagels into the boiling water at a time. If they sink to the bottom, they haven’t been proofed long enough, so stop what you’re doing and let the bagels rise longer.
Let the bagels boil for 2 minutes on each side, then lift them out and put them back on the parchment paper. Once all are boiled, they are ready for the oven.
Step 7: Bake them
Top your bagels with whatever you’re craving, and pop them in the oven at 425°F or 220°C for about 18-22 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy.
Extra points if you remember to rotate your sheet tray halfway through the bake!
Toppings
You can get as creative as you want and add your favorite toppings just before popping them into the oven.
You can go classic with Everything bagel seasoning or asiago cheese. If you’re feeling fancy, try some cheddar and jalapeños or a cinnamon crunch topping.
Pro tip: The toppings should stick just fine when the bagels are fresh out of the water, but if you’re using seeds or something flaky and they’re not sticking, brush a little extra water on top before you sprinkle.
How to Store Leftovers
I’m not going to lie—nothing beats a freshly baked bagel. They’re never quite as good after that initial out-of-the-oven moment, but they’re still decent if you store them right.
If you’ve got leftovers, let them cool completely and store them in a ziplock bag. I really love the Nectar & Nest beeswax bread bags (affiliate link), personally. Use code SOURDOUGHGAL for a discount.
They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for about 3-4 days. Rewarming them in the oven can also help bring them back to life.
I don’t have the patience for that, so I’ll either give them a 20-second warm-up in the microwave to soften them for my kids, or I’ll pop one in the toaster to get it nice and crunchy for myself.
Bagels freeze really well, too. Freeze them whole or sliced in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 or 4 months.
Substitutions
- Honey and brown sugar: in the bagel dough and/or the boiling water, you can use any sweetener. A lot of people enjoy molasses, honey, brown sugar, or regular sugar. I’ve experimented with them all and prefer honey in the dough and brown sugar in the water, but molasses can be fun if you like the stronger flavor.
- Bread flour: you can substitute the bread flour for 560g of all-purpose flour and 10g vital wheat gluten. If you don’t have vital wheat gluten, you can use just all-purpose flour, but please note that your bagels won’t be as chewy. You also likely won’t need the additional 30g of water during the mixing.
- Active starter: I wouldn’t suggest using sourdough discard in this recipe in place of a peaked, active starter. That said, you can probably get away with it. The dough will just behave more unpredictably, and the flavor may be more sour and potentially lean bitter. If you give it a try, let me know what happens in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put the dough in the fridge and come back to it later if I need to?
Yes, absolutely! If you don’t have your timing just right, no worries. You can pop the dough in the fridge at any point, and when you’re ready, bring it back to room temp and pick up where you left off.
Note: the bagels will be more sour if you do this, and the surface will be slightly crunchier. It will also have more blistering. I actually really enjoyed those things!
As an example, here’s what I did recently:
- 9pm: Mixed my bagel dough and let it bulk ferment overnight.
- 6:30am: Shaped my bagels and covered them for the second rise.
- 11:30am: I had to go take my son to a doctor’s appointment, but the bagels weren’t quite done rising and I didn’t have time to boil and bake them. I put the rising bagels in the fridge.
- 5:30pm: Brought the sheet tray out of the fridge and set it on the counter.
- 7:30pm: Boiled and baked the bagels.
What if my dough feels too dry?
The dough should feel like playdough. If it feels too dry or the flour isn’t incorporating after about a minute of mixing, add a little more water (for me, it’s usually 30g more).
Do I have to boil the bagels before baking them?
Yes, don’t skip this step! Boiling helps set the crust. If you skip the boiling, the dough will rise too much, and you’ll end up with something more like a bread or dinner roll than a bagel.
What if I don’t add baking soda or sugar to the water when I boil them?
Adding baking soda helps the bagels get that golden, crispy crust – much like a pretzel. It raises the pH of the water and helps them brown in the oven. The sugar sweetens the water and the bagels just a touch. Don’t skip it!
How do you make these bagels less sour?
These bagels definitely have a sour tang. If you don’t like that, you can use a stiff, sweet starter in place of a regular starter. That said, I’m currently testing this and am planning to post a recipe for a non-sour sourdough bagel recipe in the near future. The hydration of the dough will need to be adjusted, most likely, since the starter is 50% hydration instead of 100% hydration. Stay tuned.
Other overnight sourdough recipes:
- Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)
- Easy, Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe (1 Day)
- Overnight Sourdough Hot Dog Buns (Super Soft & Easy)
Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
Feed Your Starter
- 13 g sourdough starter active or discard
- 64 g bread flour
- 64 g water
Main Dough
- 113 g active starter
- 560 g bread flour
- 236-276 g water explained in the recipe
- 20 g honey
- 10 g sea salt
For the Boiling Water
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
Day 1: Feed Your Starter & Mix Your Dough
- In the morning, feed your starter 13 g sourdough starter, 64 g bread flour, 64 g water. This will give you about 30g more than you need for this recipe.
- About 10-12 hours later, or before you go to bed that night, your starter should be peaked. Mix together 113 g active starter, 560 g bread flour, 236-276 g water*, 20 g honey, and 10 g sea salt in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and has the texture of playdough.*Start with 236g of water. If you still see dry bits of flour in the bottom of the bowl after 1 minute of mixing, add a splash more water. In the summer, I need about 236g of water, and in the winter, I need as much as 276g of water to get the same texture. You're looking for a soft and smooth dough, like pliable playdough.
- Cover the dough and let it bulk ferment on the counter overnight (around 10-13 hours at 75°F/24°C). It should at least double in size. My dough has as much as tripled in size and still turned out beautifully.
Day 2: Shape, Boil, & Bake
- The next morning, roll dough into 75g balls that are smooth on all sides, as if you were rolling a cookie ball, and set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Note: feel free to increase the size of your bagels. We like them on the smaller side, but many bakers prefer up to 150g bagels!
- Go back to the first ball you rolled and start shaping your bagels. Poke a hole in the middle with your finger, and then roll it around with your two index fingers, slowly stretching out the hole to get it into the bagel shape.
- Optional: cut your parchment into squares so each bagel is on its own square. This makes it easier to set the bagels in the boiling water later. I just tried this and updated this part of the recipe, beause I am never going back! It ensures your bagels don't warp or deflate when you put them in the boiling water.
- Cover the bagels with plastic wrap. Let them sit on your counter for 5 to 6 hours in a house that is about 75°F/24°C until they've risen more and are nice and puffy. I've gone as long as 9 hours and still got beautiful bagels – this dough is very forgiving.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 tsp baking soda and 2 tbsp brown sugar to the boiling water.
- Drop in 4 bagels at a time and boil for 2 minutes on each side. Then take them out and put them back on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Top with whatever toppings you would like, and bake the bagels for 18-22 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- You can substitute the brown sugar in the boiling water for honey or molasses.
- The texture of the dough is key – make sure it’s soft and smooth like play dough. It shouldn’t be overly dry or hard – if it is, it’ll be tough to shape them the next day as the dough won’t stick to itself. It also shouldn’t be overly wet or sticky – if it is, it won’t have the chewy, classic texture of bagels.
- If your home is warmer than mine, everything will be faster. If your home is colder than mine, it will all take longer. Watch your dough for the signs that it’s ready for the next step.
Conclusion
With minimal effort and maximum flavor, these overnight sourdough bagels are a game-changer for breakfast or brunch. Or lunch. Or snack time. Or dinner…
Yeah, they’re really good.
Whether you’re sharing them with family or stashing extras in the freezer, you’ll love the satisfaction of crafting bagels that rival the best bakery in town – all from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Love this recipe! Easy to follow and delicious. Trying your cinnamon crunch bagels this weekend.
Hi! I veganized this recipe and they came out perfect! I used agave instead of honey and vegan butter. It was my first time making bagels and your recipe was so easy to follow. Thank you so much for all your videos and recipes they are so inspiring!
Great to know!! Thank you!
My first time making the bagels!
I’m waiting for bagels to rise. I had the dough covered overnight. It rose up but when I tried to shape them the dough was too sticky. I worked some more flour into it, so I’ll just wait to see if they rise.
Thank you,
Sonja
This was my first attempt at sourdough bagels and let me say how EASY this was! The recipe was perfect! I tried a few different toppings, all great. I did make a bit bigger of bagels (100g each when rolling into balls). So I ended up baking them a bit longer but a huge success!
LOVE the photo addition!! It makes me so giddy!
Love these bagels! I make cinnamon raisin for my husband and Asiago Cheese with sesame seeds for me. I treat his like inclusions in bread. I also don’t poke the hole all the way through so nothing leaks out while boiling. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Great tips!! Thanks for sharing and uploading the photos!!
These bagels have become a favourite in my house it’s great to be able to take one from the freezer whenever I need , they have been my most successful sourdough bake so far and I will continue to make them , I will top my next lot with sesame seeds
How stunning!!
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been looking for a recipe that doesn’t have a bunch of other ingredients 😊
I’ll update my results hopefully tomorrow.
Bobbi
Followed everything to the steps in recipe. However, my bagels fell flat as a pancake during boiling. The parchment paper stuck to the dough and I had to pull it off. I purchased the precut squares from dollar store. After baking they came out Like hockey pucks! lol. Will try again!
Did the dough itself feel sticky to the touch before boiling? I’m wondering if reducing the amount of water in the dough slightly would help fix the issue for future bakes. Getting the hydration right on bagels is the most important factor, from my experience. And the amount of water I use in a bagel dough does vary from season to season and flour to flour.
First time making SD bagels and 10/10! Thanks for the recipe!!
P.S. I still have to work on my shaping.
My bagels don’t have a nice smooth top like yours. Do you know why that would be?
Most likely the bulk fermentation length
So easy! I make bagels a few times a week. I agree with you, they are so fun!
Wow what a lineup!!
I am planning on making these but wanted to check your boiling time, you stated 2 minutes a side is this correct.
I have made bagels before and have never boiled longer that 30-45 seconds, do just making sure 2 min per side is correct.
Thank you. Can’t wait to try these.
Yes, but it’s flexible, you can do shorter if you want. I rarely time it anymore!
Hi Rebekah,
I previously sent you a note regarding gluten free bread and bagels. I did some investigating, and found out with the long fermentation process, the dough has very little gluten.
I made the sourdough bagels…started them at 9:30 pm. About 8:30 I started rolling them into balls and let them rise for 5 hours. They hadn’t risen much, so I warmed my oven a little bit, put them in for about 45 minutes . They got a little puffier and I finished boiling and baking.
They feel super light and look delicious! I hope these sourdough bagels with the long fermentation process, will be the answer! Glute Free Bagels from the store suck!
Lastly, when I use your metrics for the starter I’m always short on what I need. I use a scale and I’m very precise. This has happened 2 times. For the bagel recipe I had just enough starter, no left overs.
Thank you for your recipes and all the pictures and directions! It is greatly appreciated!!!🤗
Suzanne
Love this recipe! I always thought making bagels would be difficult but this overnight recipe was easy! Shaping the bagels and putting on the different toppings was so much fun. Would be a great activity with kids. Best of all, they taste AMAZING! I am originally from NYC so I know what a good bagel is. Soft but with a good bite on the inside and chewy on the outside. I will be making these often!
Thanks for the review!! I love all the different toppings!