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Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe

Servings 12 bagels
Calories 294
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 16 hours
Total Time 16 hours 55 minutes
The Best Sourdough Bagel Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Feed Your Starter

  • 15 g sourdough starter
  • 75 g water
  • 75 g bread flour

Main Dough

  • 420 g water
  • 150 g active starter that you made, from above
  • 30 g sugar or honey
  • 825 g bread flour 12.7-13.5% protein is ideal, See Notes
  • 25 g non-diastatic malt powder optional
  • 15 g sea salt

For the Boiling Water

  • 1 tbsp molasses or honey, or brown sugar

Equipment

Instructions 

Day 1: Feed Your Starter & Mix Your Dough

  1. 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 a tiny bit more than you need for this recipe, so that you have leftovers to feed.
  2. About 10-12 hours later (or before you go to bed that night), add 420 g water, 150 g active starter, 30 g sugar, 825 g bread flour, 25 g non-diastatic malt powder, and 15 g sea salt to your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
  3. Stand mixer method: 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.
    Hand mixing method: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until it comes together. Turn out onto a clean counter and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and pliable. (It's a workout, but totally doable!)
    Hydration adjustment: If your dough seems too dry, add 1 tbsp water at a time. If too sticky, add 1 tbsp flour at a time.
    overnight sourdough bagels 1
  4. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30-60 minutes. Then, knead again for 1-2 minutes to smooth it out further.
    overnight sourdough bagels 2
  5. 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.
    bagel dough before and after bulk fermentation

Day 2: Shape, Boil, & Bake

  1. The next morning, dump out your dough and divide into 12 equal portions (about 120g each). Shape each portion into a smooth, taut ball and place on individual parchment squares.
    shaping sourdough bagels
  2. 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.
  3. Optional pause point: You can refrigerate the shaped bagels here for a few hours up to 2-3 days. When ready to continue, remove from fridge and proceed with the second proof at room temperature or in a proofing box until puffy.
  4. Cover the bagels (so they don't dry out) and let them proof for 5-6 hours at room temperature (or use a proofing box at 80°F/26°C to speed things up). They should puff up and feel airy when gently touched.
    sourdough bagels before after second proof
  5. 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 tbsp molasses.
  6. Drop 4 bagels at a time (still on their parchment squares) into the boiling water. The parchment will naturally release – peel it off and set it aside to reuse. Boil for 1 minute on each side, using a slotted spoon to flip.
    overnight sourdough bagels 13
  7. Remove boiled bagels and place them back on your parchment-lined sheet tray. Optional: lightly spritz the parchment with cooking oil if concerned about sticking – I've never needed to, but some bakers prefer this. This is also the time to add toppings, if desired (everything bagel seasoning, Asiago cheese, etc.).
    overnight sourdough bagels 17
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (up to 30 minutes if you like a very deep brown), and the internal temperature reaches 205°F (96°C) or higher.
  9. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before enjoying (or 1-2 hours for best results).
    finished bagels

Video

Notes

  • Warm homes (above 75°F/24°C): If your kitchen is warmer than 75°F (24°C), skip the overnight fermentation and 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 Costco's 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, which is the case at the time of this writing), toast it at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes first to deactivate the enzymes. 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 up to 2-3 days, then complete the second proof before boiling and baking.
Nutrition Facts
Easy, Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe
Serving Size
 
1 bagel
Amount per Serving
Calories
294
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.3
g
2
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.1
g
Cholesterol
 
1
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
495
mg
22
%
Potassium
 
116
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
60
g
20
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
 
6
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
21
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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