Overnight Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels (Tested by 200+ Bakers)
Who’s ready for some sourdough pumpkin bagels?! I went into recipe testing with three goals:
- Use the whole can of pumpkin puree
- Make sure they truly taste like pumpkin
- Add some pizzazz with cool topping options
Mission accomplished. Plus, these are easy to make, and I’m the world’s number one fan of overnight fermentation.
With the help of over 200 recipe testers, we’ve made this recipe as foolproof as humanly possible.
“I’ve never made bagels. I did not think I could. You made it easy and delicious.” —Recipe tester from Iowa
Who’s ready for their entire house to smell like fall? Let me show you how to make these!
“Best bagels I have made to date! Love the crumb topping.” —Recipe tester from Casper, Wyoming
“Pumpkin flavor, forgiving recipe, easy to follow — feel like a master baker with the resulting bagels!” —Recipe tester from Palm Desert, California
Disclosure: Some of the links to products I recommend in this post are affiliate links — if you choose to purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission, which helps fund this website, recipe development, and monthly giveaways. I sincerely appreciate your support.
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
- Your house will smell like fall: pumpkin, vanilla, and maple… the whole process smells cozy and warm. Multiple testers said this was their favorite part of the recipe!
“If you want your house to smell like fall, then make these bagels.” —Recipe tester from San Antonio, Texas
- Use a full can of pumpkin puree: I hate using part of a can — leftovers either mold in my fridge or get forgotten in the freezer. This recipe avoids that problem by using the whole can.
- Not overwhelmingly sweet: The bagels themselves are only lightly sweet, so they pair just as well with cream cheese and everything seasoning as they do with a sugary spread. The toppings let you decide how indulgent to make them.
“These pumpkin sourdough bagels are not your typical PSL flavor with overpowering spice or icky-sweet flavor; they have a mildly sweet, mildly spicy flavor with a perfect bagel texture.” —Recipe tester from Eustis, Florida
- Convenient overnight timeline: Mix the bagel dough before bed and shape the bagels in the morning. See the Baker’s Timeline section for more scheduling guidance.
- Chewy outside, soft inside: Just as a bagel should be!
“The most perfect pumpkin flavor with a chewy exterior, yet so soft on the inside.” —Recipe tester from Carlisle, Pennsylvania
The Recipe Testing Journey
A whopping 206 home bakers tested this recipe for me, and the biggest takeaway? The recipe needed a smidge more water for most people. Easy fix!
The testers also shared some clever tips, swaps, and ideas. That’s my favorite part of recipe testing: they always think of things I hadn’t considered.
Best of all, the testers loved these bagels! Whoop whoop! They gave the recipe an average of 4.72 out of 5 stars, putting it among my highest-rated recipes to date, alongside the Sourdough Brown Bread. Most testers also called them beginner-friendly.
“They are extremely easy to make even if you have never made bagels before.” —Recipe tester from Woolwich, New Jersey
Related: My Original Sourdough Bagel Recipe
Here’s a look at some of the photo submissions from recipe testers:
Baker’s Timeline
One thing I love about all my bagel recipes is the overnight bulk fermentation.
Here’s what that looks like:
| Stage | Step |
|---|---|
| DAY 1: Morning (9 AM) | Feed your starter |
| Evening (8:30 PM) | Mix the dough |
| 9 PM | Optional second knead |
| Overnight | Bulk ferment for about 10–12 hours |
| DAY 2: Morning (7 AM) | Divide and shape the bagels; let them do their second proof |
| Sometime from 10 AM–1 PM (timing can vary) | Boil and bake |
Want to pause and bake later?
If baking in the afternoon doesn’t work for you, you can refrigerate the bagels right after shaping for a few hours or up to 3 days.
Just remember they still need a second rise when you take them out, and the longer they stay in the fridge, the more sour they’ll become.
Daytime fermentation
If your kitchen is warmer than 75°F (24°C), I’d flip the timeline and mix in the morning so you can keep an eye on the dough during the day.
Once it’s puffy and roughly doubled, shape the bagels. You can then either let them do their second rise and bake that evening, or refrigerate them overnight and finish the second rise the next morning before boiling and baking.
“One of the easiest bagel recipes you can make. Definitely worth giving it a go.” —Recipe tester from Loganville, Georgia
Equipment You’ll Need
- Kitchen scale: Always a must-have for accurate measurements, especially with sourdough baking.
- Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook: You can mix this dough by hand if you want, but bagel dough is stiff, and a stand mixer makes the process much easier. The Zacme, Ooni, Bosch, and Ankarsrum all handle bagel dough well. A KitchenAid can work, but it usually struggles more with a stiff dough, so you may need to give it a few breaks.
- Half sheet pan or two quarter sheet pans: For proofing and baking the bagels. USA Pan makes my favorite ones.
- Half sheet pan cover: Used to cover the bagels during the second proof.
- Parchment squares: I use these for all my bagels because it’s so convenient to transfer them from the sheet pan into the boiling water right on the square. This also helps prevent you from squishing the bagels during the transfer. You can buy the squares on Amazon, get them at the Dollar Tree, or just cut your own.Â
Related: Best Stand Mixer for Sourdough: Ooni, Bosch, KitchenAid, Ankarsrum, or Zacme?
- Bench scraper: Makes it easy to divide the dough before shaping. My favorite is the one from Brod & Taylor.
- Large, wide pot: A wide pot lets you boil 4 bagels at a time. You can use a smaller one if that’s what you have, but you’ll have to boil in smaller batches.
- Slotted spoon or spider scoop: To flip and remove the bagels from the boiling water.
- Bread knife: A sharp serrated knife cuts through cooled bagels without squishing them. This Mercer knife is the best one I own, and it’s under $20.
- Bread bag (optional): For storing your uneaten bagels. Use code THATSOURDOUGHGAL for 15% off my favorite washable bags from Doe a Deer!
“Even my picky children adored this. They wanted theirs untoasted which is super rare. I caught them trying to steal more when my back was turned.” —Recipe tester from Columbia, North Carolina
Ingredient Substitutions
My testers always come up with such great ways to make these recipes their own. If a swap works without throwing off the recipe, I’m all for it.
- Home-roasted pumpkin puree: If you can’t get your hands on canned pumpkin puree, you can make your own. Halve a pie pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits, and place the halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400°F (205°C) for 40–50 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and blend or process until smooth. If the puree seems watery, squeeze out the excess liquid with cheesecloth, or let it drain in a strainer set over a bowl for a few hours.
“Warm pumpkin spice, lightly sweet, and basically fall decided to put on a bagel costume.” —Recipe tester from New York
- More pumpkin flavor: Most testers said the pumpkin flavor was spot on, but if yours is too mild, add 10 g of pumpkin powder. Just note that pumpkin’s flavor is a lot like butternut squash, so adding more can make the bagels taste more vegetal. Ask yourself if you really want more pumpkin flavor, or if it’s the pumpkin spices you’re after.
Related: Easy Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend Recipe
- All-purpose flour or freshly milled flour: All-purpose flour absorbs less water than bread flour, so start with a little less water and add more if the dough feels too dry. Several testers used freshly milled hard white wheat and needed about 35 g of extra water. Whatever flour you use, let the dough texture be your guide and adjust the water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.
- Non-diastatic malt powder: Non-diastatic is the one you want, as it won’t speed up fermentation. If you only have diastatic malt powder, toast it at 325°F (160°C) for about 5 minutes first to deactivate the enzymes that speed up fermentation. Some testers also successfully used barley malt syrup instead.
- Maple syrup instead of maple extract: Extracts have a much more concentrated flavor than syrups. If maple syrup is all you have, I’d skip adding it to the dough, where the flavor will likely get lost, and add a little to your cream cheese instead!
- Adjust the sweetness: The brown sugar in this dough is relatively flexible. You can cut it in half for a less-sweet bagel (not that these are overly sweet), or you can bump it up by about 30 g if you want a sweeter result.
“The dough smelled amazing. Dough was easy to shape and held the bagel shape really well. This was my best looking bagel I have ever shaped.” —Recipe tester from Moriarty, New Mexico
- Optional add-ins: Some testers added cinnamon baking chips or chocolate chips during shaping, which sounds ridiculously good. Others added a cinnamon swirl during shaping — you can borrow the method from my cinnamon swirl bagel recipe if you want to take these up a notch!
“Absolute perfection in a delicious, edible circle.” —Recipe tester from Illinois
Tips for Topping Bagels
The recipe card gives you three options for finishing these:
- Cinnamon sugar topping
- Pumpkin spice crunch topping
- Plain
“Your crumble recipe is great. I have not found one that worked well for bagels until now.” —Recipe tester from Birmingham, Alabama
A few things to keep in mind:
- Help the topping stick: If you’re having trouble getting the pumpkin spice crunch to stay on, brush the bagels with an egg white wash (1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water) after boiling, then gently press the topping on. For the cinnamon sugar, brush on butter, then either dip the bagels in the topping or sprinkle it on.
- Add cinnamon sugar after baking: I haven’t tried this, but a few testers baked their bagels plain, then brushed with melted butter and dipped them in cinnamon sugar. It gives them a donut-like appearance, with no risk of burning the sugar.
- Only top what you’ll eat today. Leave the rest plain — toppings don’t store well and tend to get soggy overnight. To add flavor and sweetness to the stored bagels, spread them with a spiced cream cheese after toasting.
Spread & Serving Ideas
You can pretty much make any cream cheese flavor you can imagine by beating softened cream cheese with your favorite spices, sweeteners, or add-ins.
I’m a simple gal, so I usually just wing this part. I’ll spoon a dollop of whipped cream cheese into a bowl and add some spices or sweeteners. For this recipe, a little maple syrup, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice would be perfection. Just add to taste.
A few favorites from the recipe testers were:
- Pumpkin cream cheese
- Pumpkin spice cream cheese
- Salted maple pecan cream cheese
- Cinnamon pumpkin cream cheese
- Cinnamon sugar cream cheese
- Sweet cinnamon apple cream cheese
“Very easy to make, ferment overnight, and top as sweet (or not sweet!) as you like. Perfectly chewy and full of fall flavor, with just the right amount of pumpkin.” —Recipe tester from Ruther Glen, Virginia
The same goes for flavored butters:
- Cinnamon butter
- Honey cinnamon butter
- Brown sugar cinnamon butter
Peanut butter is also really good on the cinnamon sugar-topped bagels.
If you’re in the mood for savory, skip the sweet toppings and go straight for a bagel sandwich.
“Chewy, pumpkin bagels that bring fall to your table. Just delicious!” —Recipe tester from Castle Rock, Colorado
Troubleshooting Tips
Use the second proof to course-correct. I once woke up to bagel dough that had nearly tripled and was sure it was overproofed. I cut the second proof to about 3 hours instead of my usual 4–5, and they turned out beautifully. The same logic works in reverse: if the dough seems underproofed, give it a longer second proof.
Make the holes extra wide when shaping because they’ll close up some as the bagels proof and bake. You could also use these bagel molds. Another idea comes from recipe tester Lisa M. — she placed a mini red Solo cup shot glass in the hole of each bagel during the second proof to help keep it open.
Use the parchment squares to gently lower the proofed bagels into the boiling water. They should slide right off, which helps prevent them from becoming misshapen.
Every oven is different. My bagels never burn at the listed time and temperature, but just under a quarter of testers experienced some burning. If your oven runs hot, place a sheet pan on the rack below the bagels. Also, rotate the pan halfway through baking and start checking them a little early.
FAQs
They’re lightly sweet, but not dessert-sweet. Most of the sweetness comes from the toppings or whatever you spread on them afterward.
Yes. Testers made smaller bagels about 105 g and mini bagels about 50 g with good results. Just keep an eye on them in the oven since smaller bagels bake faster. You can also make a half batch if you don’t need a full dozen.
Not if your kitchen is around 68–75°F (20–24°C). At that temperature, the dough should take about 10–12 hours to bulk ferment. If your kitchen is warmer, it may move faster, so you might want to try a daytime bulk fermentation timeline.Â
The texture of your bagel dough also strongly affects fermentation time. The stiffer the dough, the longer it’ll take to ferment, which can buy you a little more time. So if you’re worried about overproofing, hold back a little water.
The dough is vegan! It’s made from sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, flour, brown sugar, spices, vanilla and maple extracts, malt powder, and salt, so it contains no dairy or eggs.
Just watch the add-ons:
Toppings: The cinnamon sugar topping is vegan. The pumpkin spice crunch contains butter, so swap in a plant-based butter. If you need help getting the crunch topping to stick, skip the optional egg white wash and use a plant-based alternative instead.
Spreads: Use a dairy-free cream cheese or butter.
Storing and Reheating
Room temperature: Store the bagels in a bread bag, glass cake stand, or other airtight container for 2–3 days. If you used non-diastatic malt powder, they’ll stay noticeably softer for up to 4–5 days.
- I love these bread bags from Doe a Deer — use code THATSOURDOUGHGAL for 15% off.
- These paper bread bags from Sis & Co Collective are also great for counter storage or gifting.
“These have the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor and stay soft for minimum three days.” —Recipe tester from Yale, Michigan
Freeze after baking: Let the bagels cool completely, slice them in half, and freeze them with a piece of parchment between the halves in a sealed freezer-safe bag. You could also flash-freeze them on a sheet tray if you don’t want to use the parchment squares.
To reheat: Toast directly from frozen — no need to thaw first!
Easy Overnight Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (optional)
- Half sheet pan or two quarter sheet trays
- Bread bag (use code THATSOURDOUGHGAL for 15% off)
Ingredients
Feed Your Starter
- 15 g sourdough starter
- 75 g water
- 75 g bread flour
Main Dough
- 110 g water
- 425 g pumpkin puree (1 can)
- 150 g active starter prepared above
- 100 g brown sugar light or dark
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract optional
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice blend
- 825 g bread flour (12.7–13.5% protein is ideal; see Notes)
- 25 g non-diastatic malt powder optional
- 15 g sea salt
Topping Option 1: Cinnamon Sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 8 g (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
Topping Option 2: Pumpkin Spice Crunch
- 42 g (3 tbsp) melted butter (salted or unsalted)
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 60 g brown sugar
- 50 g bread flour
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice blend
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Boiling Water
- 1-2 tbsp molasses or honey or brown sugar
Before You Begin
Instructions
Day 1: Feed Your Starter & Mix Your Dough
- Feed your starter: This recipe uses 150 g of starter. In the morning, feed your starter using a 1:5:5 ratio: 15 g sourdough starter, 75 g water, and 75 g bread flour. This will give you 15 g more than you need, so you can feed the leftovers to maintain your starter.
- Mix the dough: About 10–12 hours later (or before you go to bed that night), mix your dough using one of the two methods below.By hand: In a large mixing bowl, combine 110 g water, 425 g pumpkin puree (1 can), and 150 g active starter. Then, mix in 100 g brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp maple extract (optional). Finally, add 2 tsp pumpkin spice blend, 825 g bread flour, 25 g non-diastatic malt powder, and 15 g sea salt. When the dough starts coming together, turn it out onto a clean counter and knead for 10–15 minutes until smooth and pliable. (It's a workout, but totally doable!)Stand mixer: Add all of the main dough ingredients to your stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 5–7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and has a stiff Play-Doh texture. If your mixer struggles, stop and let it rest for 10–20 minutes, then resume mixing.
- Texture check: Compare your dough to mine right after mixing — if it's too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time; if it's too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time. Small adjustments are especially common here since pumpkin purée consistency varies by brand.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30–60 minutes. You can then knead it again for 1–2 minutes, if desired, to smooth it out further.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover and let the dough bulk ferment on the counter overnight (about 10–12 hours at 68–75°F/20–24°C). It should puff up nicely and roughly double in size.
Day 2: Shape, Boil, & Bake
- Shape: The next morning, prepare a half sheet pan with 12 individual parchment squares. Turn out your dough and divide into 12 equal portions (about 135g each). Shape each portion into a smooth, taut ball, and pinch the seams closed. I like to roll it on my counter to even out the round shape.
- Then, poke a hole in the center of each ball and stretch it out using your fingers to form the bagel shape. Make the hole slightly larger than desired — it will fill in a bit during proofing.
- Optional pause point: You can refrigerate the shaped bagels here for a few hours or up to 2–3 days (the longer you go, the more sour the bagels will taste). When ready to continue, remove from the fridge and proceed with the second proof at room temperature or in a proofing box until puffy.
- Second proof: Cover the bagels with plastic wrap or a sheet tray cover (so they don't dry out) and let them proof for 3–6 hours, or until they puff up, feel light in the hand, and leave an indent when poked.
- Preheat oven and prep the boil: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) convection, or 450°F (230°C) conventional. Bring a large pot of water (about 4 quarts) to a boil. Once boiling, add 1-2 tbsp molasses, honey, or brown sugar.
- Boil bagels: Drop 4 bagels at a time (still on their parchment squares) into the boiling water. (Important: If your bagel sinks to the bottom of the pot, it is not ready to boil. Put it back on the sheet tray and let it continue proofing.)The parchment will naturally release — peel it off and set aside to reuse. Boil for 1 minute on each side, using a slotted spoon to flip. Remove boiled bagels and place them back on your parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Optional Toppings:Option 1 (cinnamon sugar): In a small bowl, combine 50 g granulated sugar and 8 g (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon. Sprinkle about 1 tsp on top of each bagel.Option 2 (pumpkin spice crunch): In a small bowl, combine 42 g (3 tbsp) melted butter, 80 g granulated sugar, 60 g brown sugar, 50 g bread flour, 1 tsp pumpkin spice blend, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Press the mixture onto the top of each bagel.Plain: Skip the toppings if you prefer! Plain bagels store the best.
- Bake: Bake for 16–20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the bagels are a deep orange-brown and the internal temperature reaches 205–210°F (96–99°C). Ovens vary, so the first time you make these, start checking at 15 minutes.
- Cool: Let the bagels cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before enjoying (or 1–2 hours for best results).
Notes
- Warm homes (above 75°F/24°C): If your kitchen is warmer than 75°F (24°C), don’t do the overnight fermentation — flip the timeline instead. Mix your dough in the morning, monitor the bulk fermentation throughout the day (watching for it to double), then shape and proof in the afternoon/evening. This prevents overproofing.
- Bread flour: Bread flour works best for bagels — its higher protein content gives them a nice chewiness. I’ve tested this recipe with King Arthur unbleached bread flour (12.7% protein) and Central Milling High Mountain bread flour (13.5% protein). If you use a lower-protein flour, such as Kirkland all-purpose flour (11.5% protein), add 1 tbsp of vital wheat gluten to help it perform like a higher-protein flour, or decrease the water in the dough slightly.
- Non-diastatic malt powder: This is optional but highly recommended — it keeps bagels soft for days and enhances flavor and browning. If you only have diastatic malt powder (or non-diastatic is out of stock), toast it at 325°F (160°C) for 5 minutes first to deactivate the enzymes. Let it cool completely before using in your dough. Those enzymes would speed up the fermentation, which is not ideal for an overnight fermentation recipe.
- Flexible timeline/long-ferment option: You can refrigerate shaped bagels for a few hours or up to 2–3 days, then complete the second proof before boiling and baking.
- Nutritional facts are estimates, based on using the cinnamon sugar topping.
Conclusion
If you make these sourdough pumpkin bagels, let me know how you serve them and tag me on Instagram.
I’d love to see what toppings, spreads, or combinations you come up with!
Related Recipes:
Make them into pumpkin shape with twine.