We have turned soft pretzels into a sourdough pretzel bagel and wow – does this recipe knock it out of the park! Soft and pillowy, with a delicious pretzel flavor. Tear the bagel into pieces or enjoy it as a base for your next sourdough sandwich.
My husband has always raved about the Trader Joes Pretzel Bagels. Recently a store employee told us they were ‘seasonal’. When they became harder to find, I decided to put a twist (no pun intended) on these bagels and make them from scratch.
These sourdough pretzel bagel gives Trader Joes a run for their money! We might even classify this recipe as another copycat.
These homemade pretzel bagels are like a soft pretzel in bagel form. After a baking soda bath to seal the dough, these pretzel bagels have the traditional pretzel taste and a soft, pillowy interior. If you love bagels – these sourdough pretzel bites are a great crowd pleaser, too!
And as an added bonus, making sourdough pretzel bagels is easy! I was surprised to find what gives a pretzel it’s flavor is the baking soda bath. While the baking soda bath requires 3x the amount of baking soda than a traditional bagel recipe, it is absolutely worth it.
Enjoy these sourdough pretzel bagels by themselves, as a base for a sourdough sandwich, pulled apart and dipped in mustard, or even dipped in runny eggs.
Ingredients
To make a sourdough pretzel bagel use the below ingredients.
- Sourdough starter
- No commercial yeast needed for this pretzel recipe! We rely on the wild cultures found in sourdough starter to give rise to our pretzel dough.
- Water
- All purpose flour
- Use all purpose flour, bread flour or a mixture of both. Any flour works within this recipe.
- Sea Salt
- Used within the bagel dough and to top the pretzel bagels
- Honey (or maple syrup, agave or sugar)
- Baking Soda (for the boiling water bath)
- This is used only for the baking soda bath.
Kitchen Tools
- Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
- I purchased my Professional Series Kitchenaid Stand Mixer as a refurbished option to fit our budget.
- Reusable Plastic Bags (for storage)
- Dough Scraper
- This is the best way I have found to segment the bagel dough, cinnamon rolls and pizza dough!
- Silicone Baking Mat or parchment paper
- Sheet Pan
- Large pot (for boiling bagels)
- Beeswax wrap or plastic wrap
Baker’s Timeline – Day Prior to Bake
Similar to my other bagel recipes, this recipe timeline is adjustable to fit your time and fermentation needs. This timeline outlines two fermentation periods over a 24 hour timeline. The sourdough pretzel bagel dough doubles on the counter before it is moved to the refrigerator for a longer (bulk) fermentation period.
Our favorite bulk fermentation for sourdough bagels is a long fermentation period of 24-48 hours. Because my stomach is sensitive to gluten, the longer fermentation sourdough recipes are a staple in our household.
8:00 PM – (Two days prior to bake) Because we store out sourdough starter in the fridge, we feed our starter 4-12 hours prior to beginning this recipe to ensure our starter is fed and ready to go. We have tried this bagel recipe with a active sourdough starter and sourdough discard (discard past peak). Both recipes turn out well!
8:00 AM (Day prior to bake)- Add all ingredients (except baking soda) to a Kitchenaid mixer – or to a large bowl if stirring by hand. Mix together the sourdough starter, flour, honey, water and salt loosely by hand before turning on the mixer to a low speed. We use the dough hook attachment for this process.
Allow dough to knead for 10-15 minutes. When pressed with your index finger, the dough will bounce back. It may pass the windowpane test when stretched and pulled apart – though it will not stretch far.
8:45 AM – Once the mixing bowl is removed from the stand mixer, cover with plastic wrap, a shower cap or beeswax wrap and allow to rest on the countertop. During this time, the dough will rise to 1-1/2 to double the size it began. This rise can take 4-12 hours depending on the temperature of your home.
12:00 PM to 8:00 PM (A range) – Once the dough has risen to 1-1/2 to double the size it began, place within the refrigerator for a bulk ferment, overnight. If you do not want to bulk ferment the dough any longer, continue to the next step.
Baker’s Timeline – Day of Bake
8:00 AM (Day of Bake) Boil a large pot of water on the stove with 1/4 cup baking soda. Preheat the oven during this time.
Remove the sourdough bagel dough from the refrigerator and place on the countertop. Using a dough scraper, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into balls.
Allow the dough to come to room temperature and complete a second rise. The tops of the bagels will get a slight film / crust to them during this time. This is ok! If you prefer, you can always cover the dough balls with a rung out tea towel to prevent the tops from getting firm.
Reduce boiling water to a simmer / low boil. Shape the bagels by pushing a hole through the middle of the dough and turn the dough around your two pointer fingers. This will stretch the center of the dough and allow it to stay in place while baking.
Add two to four bagels to the baking soda bath at a time. The baking soda may bubble up during this time. Boil bagels for 2-3 minutes before removing with a slotted spoon and placing onto a baking sheet.
Bagels may have bubbles when removed from water and drained of excess water. Simply pat dry with a paper towel. Continue this process until all bagels have completed a baking soda bath.
8:45 AM (Day of Bake) Sprinkle tops of bagels with sea salt. Place in oven and bake until bagels are brown in color. The bagels will be firm to the touch.
Once cooked, allow to cool on a wire rack. This will ensure the bottoms of the bagels do not get tough while cooling. Cool sourdough bagels completely before placing in a plastic bag for storage.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do bagels need a second rise?
The second rise on these bagels will aid in the height and rise of the bagels. It also impacts the soft, pillowy texture. Because bagels are shaped after the dough is cut, this allows them to rise again after being molded into a new form (dough ball into a bagel).
Why are bagels boiled before baking?
Bagels are boiled to create a crusty outer layer, to seal the interior of the dough and to rise (slightly) prior to cooking in the oven. For these pretzel bagels, it gives the authentic ‘bagel’ taste due to the higher amount of baking soda in the water bath.
How do you store sourdough pretzel bagels?
These sourdough pretzel bagels are unique. Because salt is placed on top of the bagels, it draws out extra moisture when placed in a bag. Use caution because this will make the dough chewy if not consumed within 1-2 days after baking.
The bagels should be sliced and placed into the freezer as soon as possible. they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3-6 months after making. To reheat, remove from the freezer and place in the toaster (or microwave if in a pinch!).
To allow the bagels to sit at room temperature longer (IE up to 1 week after baking), do not put salt on top of the pretzel bagels. They will still taste good and you will not have to worry about moisture in the bag.
Sourdough Pretzel Bagels
Equipment
- 1 Kitchenaid Stand Mixer optional
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Pastry Cutter optional
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Sheet Pan Lined with parchment paper or a reusable mat
- 1 Beeswax wrap, plastic wrap or shower cap
Ingredients
Sourdough Bagel Dough
- 3/4 Cup Sourdough Starter active
- 1-1/2 Cup Water
- 2-1/2 TBS Honey or maple syrup, agave or sugar
- 1 TBS Salt
- 5-1/4 Cup All purpose Flour
Baking Soda Bath
- 1 Pot Water
- 1/4 Cup Baking Soda
Instructions
- Step 1 – Fermentation (Countertop)
- Feed sourdough starter 4-12 hours prior to beginning recipe.
- Mix the salt, active sourdough starter, honey (or maple syrup, agave or sugar), water and flour together in the KitchenAid Mixing bowl. Use your hand to mix together slightly.
- Attach the dough hook and knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes together and bounces back once pressed with index finger. It may have a windowpane like texture and will not break easily when stretched.
- Cover mixing bowl and allow to rise 1-1/2 to double the size on the countertop. If not bulk fermenting in the fridge, skip the next step.
- Put in refrigerator for 12-48 hours for a longer fermentation time.
- Step 2 – Bulk Ferment, Boil Bagels and Cook in Oven
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Break into 12 balls with a dough cutter.
- Fill a large pot with water and add baking soda. Allow to boil then reduce heat to simmer / low boil.
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Shape bagels by pressing index finger through the center and spinning around in a circle to stretch the hole. Place 2-4 bagels in the baking soda bath. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Remove bagels from water and place on lined baking sheet. Blot off any remaining water with a paper towel. Repeat process until all bagels have gone through a baking soda bath.
- Cook for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 and cook for 5-10 minutes. Allow the bagels to become golden brown in color. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
- Use only all purpose flour, bread flour or a combination of the two. Any flour combination will work.
- To store bagels, keep in a ziplock baggie for up to 3 days on the countertop before slicing and placing in the freezer. Keep the baggie cracked on one corner to ensure the bagels do not release moisture within the bag. Due to the salt, there may be condensation on the bag if closed.
What is your favorite way to enjoy a pretzel bagel? We love toasting up the bagel on our cast iron skillet and eating it as a sandwich – or with eggs! Let us know in the comments below.
