Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)

Okay, if I may be so bold… I think these sourdough cinnamon crunch bagels absolutely DESTROY what Panera’s dishing out.

They’re not as tooth-achingly sweet, and the sourdough tang? Total game-changer.

Also, can we talk about how ridiculously easy these are?

Mix before bed, shape in the morning, bake in the afternoon. That’s it!

Perfect for busy moms like me who want to fit sourdough into the cracks of the day. (Don’t worry, that schedule is easily adjusted using the fridge.)

If a coffee cake and a bagel had a sourdough baby, this would be it. When friends come over and see these beauties, they think I’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day.

But between us? These are practically foolproof! (I’m not about to correct them, though. Let them think I’m a kitchen wizard!)

Ready to impress everyone with these elevated sourdough bagels? Let me show you how.

Note: To cover the cost of running my sourdough blog, I do sometimes link to products. While it certainly isn’t always the case, please just assume that all links are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through my links, then THANK YOU – it will make it possible for me to keep creating sourdough content.

Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Crunch 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), then boil, sprinkle on the cinnamon crunch topping, and bake.
• Soft, Chewy & Perfectly Sweet: These bagels have that classic sourdough chew, but with warm cinnamon bits throughout and a caramelized, crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping that takes them over the top.
• That Cinnamon Crunch Topping: Buttery, sweet, and crispy – it adds the perfect contrast to the chewy, tangy bagel. 
• Customizable: If you want even more cinnamon flavor, you can mix cinnamon bits right into the dough. I’ve also tested the topping with coconut oil instead of butter, and they were delish!
• Freezer-Friendly: Fresh bagels are always the best, but you can freeze extras for quick breakfasts all week.
• Kid-Approved: TBH, everyone in my family loves these, especially my kids! I’ll admit, though, that they usually pick off the topping before actually eating the bagel.

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 a 1:5:5 ratio. It should be ready to use by bedtime.
	8:00 PM (or before bed)	Mix the dough. (This starts the bulk fermentation)
Day 2	8:00 AM	Shape your bagels.
	1:00 PM	Boil, sprinkle on the topping, 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 a 1:5:5 ratio. It should be ready to use by bedtime.
	8:00 PM (or before bed)	Mix the dough. (This starts the bulk fermentation)
Day 2	6:00 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, sprinkle on the topping, bake, and enjoy your bagels!

Ingredients in Cinnamon Crunch Overnight Sourdough Bagels

Bagels:

• Active sourdough starter: Your starter should be at its peak – ideally, it has doubled or tripled 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 water since this dough will be fermenting all night. (Cold water slows down fermentation a little.)
• 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.
• King Arthur Cinnamon Bits (optional): If you want to take these bagels up a notch, you can throw 50g of these King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits into the dough while you’re mixing it.

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.

Cinnamon Crunch Topping

• Brown Sugar: Adds a caramel-like sweetness that pops the cinnamon flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: Helps give the topping that perfect crunch.
• Bread Flour: Gives the topping a little structure, so it crisps up beautifully instead of melting into the bagel.
• Cinnamon: Because you can’t have Cinnamon Crunch without a good hit of cinnamon!
• Vanilla Extract: Just a little splash to round out the flavors.
• Butter (melted or softened): Holds everything together and gives that buttery, crunchy goodness on top.
• King Arthur Cinnamon Bits (optional): Again optional here because the cinnamon, sugars, and butter in the topping bring plenty of flavor, but adding these cinnamon bits gives the topping an extra kick.

Supplies I Use

Here’s a quick list of the supplies I use to make bagels:

• Stand mixer
• King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits
• 8-cup measuring bowl
• USA Pan sheet trays (the BEST)
• Brod & Taylor bench knife (also the best)
• Individual parchment squares
• Spider scoop (for flipping the bagels in the boiling water)

How to Make Cinnamon Crunch 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 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, optional cinnamon bits, 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.

I tested a batch of these bagels by adding these King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits to the bagel dough. I didn’t measure, just tossed in a handful. 

When I went to shape the bagels in the morning, I noticed the cinnamon bits made the dough a little wet and sticky in places. It took about twice as long to shape and seal them compared to plain bagels, but with a little patience, it worked out.

This time around, I used just 50g of the cinnamon bits, and it was perfect! No sticky spots, and the dough shaped up just like normal. So don’t overdo it!

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 very flexible since it’s such a low-hydration dough.

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

Prepare your baking sheet with 10 individual squares of parchment paper. You can cut a sheet you already have, or you can buy them pre-cut.

Dump out that beautiful bagel dough.

Divide your dough into 10 pieces, each one about 105g.

Roll each 105g piece of dough into a ball. 

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 dinner rolls. 

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.

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 & sprinkle with cinnamon crunch topping

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. 

While you’re waiting for it to boil, you can prepare the cinnamon crunch topping. 

Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, bread flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and melted or softened butter together in a bowl. I’ve also used melted coconut oil in place of the butter, and it worked out great!

If you want to take these up a notch, you can toss in some more cinnamon bits.

I love the King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits, but I also found some DIY cinnamon baking chips recipes. I haven’t tried making them myself yet, but if you do, let me know what you think in the comments.

Once your water is boiling, toss in around 1 tbsp of baking soda and 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.

Sprinkle your boiled bagels generously with the cinnamon crunch topping right on the baking sheet. A little spillover is fine. I just like to get as much topping as I can on each bagel. 

Pro tip: The topping should stick just fine when the bagels are fresh out of the water, but if it keeps sliding off the top, brush a little extra water on top before you sprinkle.

Step 8: Bake them

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!

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 zip-top bag or beeswax bread bag.

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.
• Butter: you can use melted coconut oil in place of the butter in the topping. I actually did that for the photos you see in this post because we were out of butter. (Crisis averted.) They turned out absolutely amazing. The coconut flavor is almost imperceptible.
• 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.
• Cinnamon Sweet Bits: If you want to mix cinnamon sweet bits into your bagel dough or topping, and you don’t want to buy the King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits I used, you can DIY it. I found some online recipes for homemade cinnamon baking chips that seem like they would be delicious too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the cinnamon crunch topping?

Sure! The base bagel recipe is delicious on its own. But if you want that sweet, crunchy, bakery-style topping, I highly recommend keeping it.

Do I have to add cinnamon bits to the dough?

Nope! The topping already brings plenty of cinnamon flavor, so I’d call the bits optional.

Will the topping stay crunchy after baking?

Yes! The sugars caramelize in the oven, creating that crispy, buttery crunch. If you store the bagels in an airtight container, the topping may soften a bit over time—but a quick toast will bring it right back.

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 enjoy 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. I wouldn’t skip it!

How do you make these bagels less sour?

These bagels definitely have a sour tang, but the sweetness of the topping balances it out. If you want to make them even less sour, you can use a sweet starter in place of a regular starter. 

Looking for a plain bagel recipe? Visit: Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe

You might also like making these Fast & Easy Sourdough Discard Waffles

Conclusion

With hardly any more effort than it takes to make my regular sourdough bagels, you could have these extra decadent Cinnamon Crunch Bagels.

Homemade bagels that taste bakery-level good? I’d call that a win.

Related: 27 Best Sourdough Discard Breakfast Recipe Ideas