
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:

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.
These turned out great! Thank you for the detailed instructions. I even forgot to add baking soda and sugar to the boiling water and they were still delicious.
Awesome!! Next time they’ll be even better then!
Made Bengals recipe for the first time by your clear, well written photos, and easy follow directions. Thank you they are cooling.
So glad to hear!!
This is my first time ever making bagels, i was too intimidated by long tedious recipes with no photos, I loved youre recipe! Mine were fairly small for what I’m used to for a bagel, I’ll probably just make them a tad bigger next time. They did turn out nice and fluffy and delicious!
Also I definitely would recommend the parchment paper squares I tried picking one up and it instantly deflated so I cut the parchment with them on it haha.
So glad to hear it! I’ve heard a lot of people swear by the parchment squares. I just can’t bring myself to do the extra step haha. Happy baking!!
You have a gift of sharing and teaching! I wanted to give up until…..I found you!💞
Aw I’m so glad you did not give up!!
Both times I have tried these the paper has stuck to the bagels and they get deflated and deformed as I’m trying to peel them off.. I’m wondering if it was because I proofed them in a warm oven and the tops got too dried out but the bottom got sticky from being on the warm pan?
I have the same thing where I have to peel the bagel off the parchment, but I’m really gentle and the bagels don’t deflate. If this is a consistent issue, I’d suggest cutting your parchment paper into bagel-sized squares and putting each bagel on its own square. You can then pick up the bagel and put it in the boiling water, removing the parchment square afterward. I have this as an option in the recipe, but I personally don’t do it because it adds an extra step that I don’t find to be necessary. But for your situation, I’d suggest trying it to see if it resolves the issue.
Would it be possible to add cinnamon and raisins to this recipe? When would you add them? Do you have a recipe for the cinnamon crunch topping? Your recipes and you tips and tricks have really helped with my sourdough journey. Thank you
Cinnamon can interfere with bulk fermentation because it has antibacterial properties so I’m honestly not sure. It could be worth a try adding both during the initial mixing to see how it turns out. Otherwise, I’m really not sure as I haven’t tried it myself.
CINNAMON CRUNCH TOPPING (just mix all together and sprinkle on bagels after they’re boiled, before you put in the oven):
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp regular sugar
2 tbsp bread flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter, melted or softened
First bake of 2025! Shocked at how good they are for being my first bagels ever! They are perfect! Thanks for great instructions!
So happy to hear that!!
It’s been 15 hours and my dough has barely risen. My house is in colder side. I turned on oven for more warmth. Got some rise. How much is it supposed to rise
If your house is super cold, it can take a good while for it to rise fully! If using a 9×5 loaf pan, it should rise to about an inch above the top of the loaf pan.
I had to add way more than 266g of water probably close to 290g. The dough was hard and hard to mix. Will see how they come out tomorrow.
Wow really! How interesting. What type of flour do you use?
I was wondering with the bagels if in the morning I could put the dough in the fridge for a while. If life happened to get in the way
Yes absolutely!
Hi, love your instructions! My husband wants to know if you can add grated cheese to the dough while mixing it? I’m excited to try this recipe!
I don’t see why not! If you do, let us know how it went
Love how detailed this recipe is! I notice that the bagels got a dry film on them between steps even when covered-before boiling…could this be a sign I needed to add more water to the dough in the initial mix?
What were they covered with? A film on top is usually due to the cover not being tight enough to prevent too much air from getting in there
I think the covering was the case too!
They still turned out great! Made 1 batch for home and now my fiancé has requested multiple batches to bring to work 😅
Thank you for everything you contribute to the sourdough community!
Is it 113g of starter or 13g? The ingredients list says 113g, but in the instructions it says 13g. 🤔
I can see how that would be confusing. I’ll revise the recipe so it’s more clear. The 13g of starter is used to feed your starter so you have enough active starter (113g) for the recipe before bed. Feed your starter in the morning so you have enough before bed to make the dough. But I will clarify it.
I’ve just updated the recipe to make it more clear. Let me know if that makes more sense now!
These were great! First time making bagels and they were so easy to do, thank you for the step by step with pictures. Super hands off and the timing is so flexible. I did cut my parchment into squares which made it easy when it came time to boiling. Also, I keep my starter as a stiff starter so I just added a smidge more water to accommodate that and they turned out beautifully.
Have you ever added inclusions into this base recipe or just on top?
Ooh, lovely feedback! Thank you for that! And no, I haven’t, but I’m about to develop a lemon poppyseed bagel recipe which would be mixing the poppyseeds and lemon zest into the dough. Do you have any other requests for me to test out? I do think I’ve seen others mix shredded cheese directly into the dough.
That was one I was thinking of so I’m definitely looking forward to it. But also blueberry as well as cinnamon raisin have been requested by my family after they devoured these. I’m wondering if for those it’d be easier to sort of laminate while shaping into the little dough balls before the final shaping and proof or if it’s better to add them in during mixing?
Oh my goodness! I’ve been making sourdough bagels for some time now using a similar, but different recipe. This was my first attempt with your recipe and I have to say, this will be my new go-to bagel recipe. Love the instructions! AND of course I went to the Dollar Tree last week and bought the pre-cut parchment paper squares. I have to say, these were a “game changer! My bagels have always come out embarrassingly odd shaped. The parchment paper squares are where it’s at! These bagels turned out almost perfectly shaped. I am so excited! Thank-you for all you do to perfect the art of sourdough!
That is so so awesome to hear!!!
I made bagels for the first time yesterday. The house smelled so good, and the bagels were delicious! I used 6 different types of toppings and so far, they are all my favorite. Thanks for sharing the recipe and all your tips! I will probably make them again and again!
That is awesome!! Which toppings did you do?
Loved how easy these were, and they taste great!! Started the dough in the morning, shaped at night before bed, and then popped them in fridge to bake the following afternoon (had a commitment that morning and had to wait) and it worked great! They didn’t rise a whole lot in the fridge but still had a great crumb. Lots of even bubbles, and great tangy flavor. Did some cinnamon sugar and left some plain – so yummy!
My kids did find the crust a little too chewy and had a hard time chewing them, is that pretty normal? Any suggestions?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour and do a shorter boil. You may even try removing the boil altogether as it really lends to the chewy exterior, but I haven’t tried it.