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–+ servings

Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)

Servings 10 bagels
Calories 281
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Resting Time 16 hours
Total Time 16 hours 57 minutes
sourdough cinnamon crunch bagels

INGREDIENTS

Feed Your Starter

  • 13 g sourdough starter (active or discard)
  • 64 g water
  • 64 g bread flour (unbleached, King Arthur)

Main Dough

For the Boiling Water

  • 20 g baking soda (about 1 tbsp)
  • 25 g brown sugar (about 2 tbsp)

For the Cinnamon Crunch Topping

  • 15 g melted butter (or melted coconut oil) | (about 1 tbsp)
  • 5 g vanilla extract (about 1 tsp)
  • 25 g brown sugar (about 2 tbsp)
  • 30 g regular sugar (about 2 tbsp)
  • 5 g cinnamon (about 1 tsp)
  • 20 g bread flour (about 2 tbsp)
  • 25 g King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits (about 2 tbsp)

Equipment

Instructions 

Day 1: Feed Your Starter & Mix Your Dough

  1. In the morning, feed your starter 13 g sourdough starter, 64 g water, and 64 g bread flour. This will give you about 30g more than you need for this recipe.
  2. About 10-12 hours later, or before you go to bed that night, your starter should be peaked. Mix together 113 g active starter, 236-276 g water*, 20 g honey, 560 g bread flour, 10 g sea salt, and 50 g King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits 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.
    dough the night before
  3. 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.
    dough the next morning

Day 2: Shape, Boil, & Bake

  1. The next morning, divide dough into 10 pieces weighing 105g each. Roll each dough piece into a ball by pinching the edges together at the bottom. Then, roll it under your cupped hand on the counter until smooth and tight. You can also roll it between your palms if your counter isn't helping create tension. If you need a visual aid, visit the recipe Notes section for a YouTube video of me shaping bagels.
    rolling bagels 2
  2. 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.
    poke a hole
  3. Set the shaped bagels on individual pieces of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 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.
    before second rise
  4. I've gone as long as 9 hours and still got beautiful bagels – this dough is very forgiving.
    after second rise
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon crunch topping by mixing 15 g melted butter, 5 g vanilla extract, 25 g brown sugar, 30 g regular sugar, 5 g cinnamon, 20 g bread flour, and 25 g King Arthur Cinnamon Sweet Bits together in a bowl.
    cinnamon topping
  7. Once the water is boiling, add 20 g baking soda and 25 g brown sugar to the boiling water.
  8. Drop in 4-5 bagels at a time and boil for 1-2 minutes on each side. You can peel off the parchment square as soon as it starts loosening away from the bagel. Once boiled on each side, put them back on the individual parchment squares on the baking sheet.
    put bagels in boiling water
  9. Sprinkle your boiled bagels generously with the cinnamon crunch topping. A little spillover is fine! If it doesn’t stick, brush the tops with a bit of water before sprinkling. Some people also brush their bagels with an egg wash before adding toppings (I haven't tried that yet).
    topping on bagels
  10. Bake the bagels for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown.
    baked bagel

Notes

How to shape bagels video
Long-fermented bagel timeline:
  • Day 1 evening: make bagel dough; ferment on the counter overnight
  • Day 2 morning: shape bagels and put in fridge
  • Day 3 morning: set tray of shaped bagels out on the counter. Let them do their second proof until visibly larger and puffy (may take all day as the bagels have to come to room temp before they'll start rising). Proceed with boiling and baking.
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.
Adding cinnamon sweet bits into this recipe either in the dough and/or into the topping is totally optional but delicious.
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. Refer to the photos in the step-by-step instructions earlier in the article for visual aids.
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)
Amount per Serving
Calories
281
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
0.05
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.4
g
Cholesterol
 
3
mg
1
%
Sodium
 
948
mg
41
%
Potassium
 
75
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
56
g
19
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
10
g
11
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
40
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
0.03
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
20
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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