Sourdough everything bagels
I planned to post about my chicken noodle soup replacement today: a Tuscan bean soup that’s light enough for summer and still tastes like comfort. But I made sourdough everything bagels yesterday, and I’m too excited to talk about anything else. Because they’re the best bagels I’ve ever had. And the two hands at the ends of my arms made them. On a Tuesday no less!
When Jonathan and I moved away from Seattle, we—of course—mourned the geographic distance between us and family and friends. As we packed all the shiny things we’ve collected over the years, though, we also wondered what changes life outside a major city would bring. Surely, I’d have to make the hour and a half drive back to Seattle for haircuts, for example.
I didn’t make the drive for haircuts.
But I did once for bagels.
For seven years, we lived within two blocks of a shop that made the bagels previously known as the best I’ve ever had. We set alarms on weekends to make sure we arrived before they sold out. We ate them piping hot from the woodfire oven schmeared with scallion za’atar cream cheese. We bought them a dozen at a time and froze them to appease the bagel-god in our gut flora. So we mourned the geographic distance between us and bagels, too.
I write all this to say: We are in serious trouble now that I know I can make these. Make bagels! Bagels that are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. With those glorious little air pockets throughout. And toppings that burst with flavor. Bagels that taste sour and savory and don’t even need toasting. Oh dear.
If you try them yourself, would you let me know how it goes in the comments?
Servings: Makes 8 bagels Time: Worth it* Via: Barely adapted from Artisan Sourdough Made Simple
*Total time is around 11 hours and 45 minutes. But most of that is inactive rising and baking time. Active time is around 1 hour and 20 minutes divided over two days.
These are so good right out of the oven that I definitely ate two immediately, and it wasn’t long before a third offered itself to the bagel-god. So—yes—you can freeze these whole or sliced, but let’s not kid ourselves. If you have more than one mouth to feed, these aren’t going to last the day.
I used weight measurements here because I’m new to sourdough, and it’s more accurate. Note that the volume measurements are approximate.
If you, too, are new to sourdough, I really recommend the Artisan Sourdough book. It walks through each step from making and feeding starter to baking beautiful bread.
150 grams (3/4 cup) active sourdough starter
250 grams (1 cup + 2 teaspoons) warm water
24 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
9 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) kosher salt
500 grams (4 cups + 2 tablespoons) bread flour + a tiny for kneading
20 grams (1 tablespoon) honey
68 grams everything bagel seasoning (or the topping of your choice)
The night before you want bagels:
Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, stir the starter, water, and sugar together with a large fork. There will be little bubbles in the liquid.
Add the salt and flour and mix together with the fork to form a rough dough (i.e., not everything is perfectly combined yet). Finish bringing the dough together with your hands.
Very lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand for roughly 10 minutes. Or—if you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer—5-6 minutes on low speed should be enough. You’re looking for the dough to spring back when lightly pressed and to stretch—not tear—when pulled.
Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel for 45 minutes to an hour.
Be sure to replenish your sourdough starter by feeding it.
Let it rise: After the first rest, give the dough a quick 30-second knead on a non-floured surface and form it into a smooth ball before tucking it back in the bowl under a damp towel for the night (8-10 hours).
The morning that you want bagels:
Shape the dough: When the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready to shape. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place the dough on a non-floured surface and flatten it into a circle. I think mine was about 12 inches in diameter. Use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal wedges—about 113 grams each.
Working one wedge at a time, gather the corners and roll into a ball. Place the balls on the parchment and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Poke a hole straight through the center of each ball, lift the dough, and gently barrel roll your index fingers to form a hole about the size of a nickel (see photos above). Place the dough back onto the parchment. Note that the holes will probably shrink a bit; don’t worry about it. Repeat for each dough ball.
Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
Prepare to boil and bake: Meanwhile, boil a medium pot of water. Add the honey and stir until dissolved. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add everything bagel seasoning to a small plate.
Boil: Add 2 bagels to the boiling water, wait for them to float (a matter of 5 seconds or less), and cook for 30 seconds on each side. Use a slotted, heat-safe spatula to flip and transfer bagels back to the parchment. Place 2 more bagels in the boiling water and repeat.
Meanwhile, place the bagels most recently removed from the boiling water (cooled a smidge but still wet) into the seeds making gentle quarter-turns back and forth to coat. Turn over and coat the other side with seeds, too, because we don’t play favorites with bagel tops and bagel bottoms.
Place the seeded bagels back on the parchment and repeat for the rest of the bagels.
Bake: Bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes. They’re done when they’re puffed up and light golden brown.
Enjoy at least one warm bagel fresh from the oven.
Transfer any uneaten bagels to a wire rack for cooling. Then eat or store as desired.