These chocolate chip sourdough bagels are the perfect breakfast choice for those who need a little chocolate to start their day. Sweet, soft and made with a chewy exterior – elevate your breakfast, today.
Anyone who knows me understands I love chocolate. I am known to grab a handful of chocolate chips at any time of day.
And my husband always comments that he can locate me by the trail of chocolate throughout the kitchen. When I became pregnant with our second little one, my bagel obsession grew. Pair it with some chocolate and you have a match made in heaven!
One way to cure this chocolate craving is by having a chocolate chip sourdough bagel in the morning for breakfast. It is not uncommon to see my breakfast plate with a few eggs, some fruit and half a bagel slathered in butter.
The first bite of the morning into this chewy bagel which is not too sweet due to the sourdough bagel base and a slight hint of chocolate sets my day off to a great start.
These chocolate chip sourdough bagels are good by themselves. Or topped with butter. And lately, a fan favorite on my end has been toasted to perfection with a thin layer of peanut butter. It’s like a chewy bagel – plus the taste of Reese’s. This bagel even gives the Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Panera Bagel a run for the money!
Ingredients
To make chocolate chip sourdough bagels, there are a few basic ingredients needed.
- All purpose flour
- We prefer organic and unbleached flour. If you need to use bread flour, it will work well within this recipe.
- Sourdough starter
- To help our dough rise, our homemade sourdough starter is the main start of the show. Sourdough starter is a wild yeast which replaces the need for any commercial yeast (including instant yeast).
- Sea Salt
- Honey (maple syrup, agave or sugar)
- Water
- Chocolate chips
- We are preferential to mini chocolate chips, though semi sweet chocolate chips work great too.
- Baking Soda (for the boiling water bath)
- Egg wash / whole milk (optional to top bagels to intensity golden color)
Kitchen Tools
Though these homemade bagels can be made by hand, the process becomes easier with the use of a stand mixer. Other items can make preparation and clean up of the chocolate chip sourdough bagels easier.
- Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
- I purchased my Professional Series Kitchenaid Stand Mixer as a refurbished option to save money and fit our budget.
- Dough Scraper
- A dough scraper helps to cut the dough into segments, making it easier to shape the dough before boiling.
- Silicone Baking Mat or parchment paper
- Large pot (for boiling bagels)
- Beeswax wrap or plastic wrap
- Sheet Pan
- Reusable Plastic Bags (for storage)
Baker’s Timeline – Day Prior to Bake
Tailor this schedule to fit your desired timeline and fermentation goals. We prefer to allow our dough to ferment at least 24-48 hours.
This helps to increase the taste of the sourdough, reduce the amount of gluten present within the dough, and allow us to have a flexible schedule for baking. The first fermentation is completed on the counter and the next is overnight (or longer) within the refrigerator.
8:00 PM – (Two days prior to bake) We store our sourdough starter in the refrigerator. Depending on where you maintain your sourdough starter will impact the timeline of when to feed your starter.
Start by feeding your sourdough starter with enough time to allow collection of the starter at peak hydration (IE 100% hydration). For our house, this can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours based on the temperature of the house and if the starter was already on the counter or taken from the fridge.
8:00 AM – Once the active sourdough starter is ready, begin adding the remainder of ingredients to make the bagel dough within a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before using a dough hook to knead the dough.
Combine until the dough has a bouncy texture when pressed with your index finger. The dough will not pass the windowpane test, though it will stretch when pulled apart. Allowing the dough to form is a slower process and can take 10-15 minutes.
8:45 AM – Remove the bowl of your stand mixer and allow to rest covered with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap on the kitchen counter at room temperature. No need to use a damp towel to cover the dough.
This first rise will allow the dough to grow up to 1-1/2 to double the size it started as. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on the temperature of your home and the strength of your starter.
2:00 PM to 8:00 PM (A range) – Due to the temperature of a home, the dough may take longer to rise. Once it is 1-1/2 to double the size it started as, allow the dough to continue fermenting in the refrigerator with the plastic wrap or beeswax wrap over top of the bowl. This is the bulk fermentation.
Baker’s Timeline – Day of Bake
8:00 AM (Day of Bake) Preheat the oven. Start a pot of water on the stove to boil and add in baking soda and brown sugar to the water.
While the oven is pre-heating, remove the homemade sourdough bagel dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough on a clean work surface, or lightly flour it if you prefer. Using the dough scraper, cut the dough into 8-12 equal pieces and allow the dough to complete a second rise on the countertop.
Roll the dough into balls and add chocolate chips to bagel dough. I like to put the chips on the middle, wrap it up like a burrito, roll it into a ball and shape each bagel. You will have to work the chocolate chips into the dough by hand before allowing the dough rest.
Once the water in the pot has came to a boil, reduce to a low boil. Before placing the shaped bagels in the boiling water, push a hole through the middle of the dough with your index finger and tug to the corners slightly to ensure the hole stays while baking.
Place 2-4 bagels in the pot at a time. Boil bagels for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Using a slotted spoon to remove excess water (if preferred), remove the bagels from the boiling water and place the bagels on a prepared baking (cookie) sheet. Repeat until all bagels are boiled.
8:45 AM (Day of Bake) If desired, whip an egg yolk in a bowl and place egg wash over top of bagels. Alternatively you can brush milk over top of the bagels before placing in the oven.
Bake until bagels are golden brown in color. Allow to cool on a wire rack before placing in a plastic bag for storage.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best method for incorporating chocolate chips into sourdough bagel dough?
There are two different methods for incorporating chocolate chips into bagel dough. You can either mix the chocolate chips into the bagel dough before the bulk ferment.
Feel free to throw the chocolate chips in a bit of flour to coat them before placing it within the bagel dough to prevent them from sticking together. Or you can add individual portions of chocolate chips to each bagel after the bulk rise and before boiling.
What should sourdough bagels be topped with?
Bagels can be topped with a variety of toppings. Our favorite toppings for sourdough chocolate chip bagels include cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and Nutella.
How do you store sourdough bagels?
Sourdough bagels can be stored for up to a week in a plastic bag or a bread bag before placing them in the fridge. The sourdough bagels may dry out slightly by the end of the week.
If placing in the freezer, I would recommend pre-slicing them and putting them in a freezer bag or airtight container. When reheating these delicious bagels, remove from the freezer and place in the toaster or microwave. We love to make double batches of bagels to have within our freezer because they do freeze well!
Do bagels need a second rise?
The second rise of this bagel recipe is not necessary. It does, however, aid in the chewy bagel texture and the height of the bagels. To rise, allow them to come to room temperature for up to an hour prior to boiling or when the oven is preheated.
Why are bagels boiled before baking?
Boiling bagels has three purposes. First, it makes the crusty outer layer on the bagel. Second, it helps to seal the exterior of the dough before baking. Third, the hot water helps the dough to rise before cooking in the oven.
What are variations to chocolate chip bagels?
Other variations on this recipe would include:
- Different toppings like muesli, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, bagel seasoning, chia seeds or granola.
- Sub 1/2 cup of cocoa powder in for 1/2 cup flour for double chocolate sourdough bagels
- Sub mini chocolate chips for regular sized chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Bagels
Equipment
- 1 Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Optional
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Sheet Pan lined with parchment paper
- 1 Pastry Cutter Optional
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
Sourdough Bagel Dough
- 1 TBSP Salt
- 2-1/2 TBSP Honey Option to use maple syrup, honey or sugar
- 3/4 Cup Active Sourdough Starter Can use active starter or sourdough discard
- 5-1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour Can be more or less by 1/4 cup *see notes
- 1-1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips
Water (For Boiling)
- 6-8 Cups Water
- 1 TBSP Baking Soda
- 1 TBSP Brown Sugar
- 1/8 Cup milk Optional – for wash
Instructions
Bulk Fermentation
- To a mixing bowl, add salt, honey, sourdough starter and water. Allow the dough to sit together for 5-10 minutes before kneading.If using a Kitchenaid mixer, use the dough hook. Continue allowing bagel dough to come together on 'stir' until the dough is bouncy. If the dough is pulled apart slightly, it will not split easily and may begin to look like a windowpane glass.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap. Allow to bulk ferment on the counter for up to 6-12 hours depending on the temperature of your home. The dough may double in size at this time.
- Still covered, place in fridge and allow to ferment for up to 48 hours.
Day of Baking (Second Rise + Boiling Water Bath)
- The next morning (or the time of baking), remove from the fridge and begin heating up a pan of boiling water. Heat oven to 375 degrees. To the boiling water, add 1 TBS of baking soda and 1 TBS of brown sugar.
- Remove dough from bowl and place on counter top. Cut into 12 sections. Add chocolate chips into dough. I like to make a chocolate chip burrito and roll the bagels into a ball. Allow to complete second rise on countertop while water is heating. Can allow to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour before placing in water.
- After the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low boil. Shape dough balls using your fingers by poking a hole in the middle and shaping into bagels. Add 2-4 bagels into the boiling water at a time. Allow to boil for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. The bagels may sink to the bottom of the water before releasing and floating in the water. Remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon and place on a lined sheet pan.
- Optional: Before baking, you can brush egg yolk or milk over the top of the bagles. This does not add to the flavor or texture of the recipe though it can provide a deeper golden brown color to the finished product.
- Cook bagels for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, increase temperature to 425 degrees (keeping the bagels in the oven during this time). Allow to cook for 10-15 more minutes until bagels are golden brown in color.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Transfer to a cookie sheet and allow to cool / sit at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Can be stored in a plastic bag, though it should be vented.
Notes
Do you know someone who enjoyed cinnamon crunch bagels from Panera Bread? Share this sourdough bagel recipe with them. Enjoy!
Bagels came out perfectly. Recipe was easy to follow. Will keep these in rotation! Thank you!
YAY! I am so excited to hear this and hope you enjoy your sourdough bagels! We just made some this weekend, too.