Warm from the oven, Sandi’s EASY Overnight Sourdough Bagels are the perfect way to start your weekend. Slathered in melted butter or cream cheese, these fluffy pillows of goodness will have you wanting a second.

With just 10 minutes of prep work the night before, using an active sourdough starter, you, too, can bake these soft and chewy bakery-style bagels. Customize them to your family’s favorite flavors and relax over your morning coffee.

Why you will LOVE Sandi’s Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagel Recipe:

Name: Sandi's EASY Overnight Sourdough Bagels Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 150 g active sourdough starter (3/4 cup); 250 g warm water (1 cup plus 2 tsp); 24 g granulated sugar (2 tbsp); 10 g fine sea salt (1-1/2 tsp); 500 g Bread flour or all-purpose flour (4 cups plus 2 tbsp)

These delicious bagels are so much better than commercial yeast bagels. They have more flavor, are less dense, and are soft and chewy. You can also eat a couple of them without a tummy reaction.

They only require a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Just mix the ingredients, let the dough sit for an hour, perform only 1 set of stretch-and-folds, work the dough into a semi-smooth ball and let it bulk rise on your counter overnight.

7 easy steps the next morning and you are in the dough!

Sandi's Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagel REcipe with everything bagel spices on top

Sandi’s EASY Overnight Sourdough Bagels Recipe Ingredients

Fed, active sourdough starter
Bread flour or all-purpose, I use both
Granulated sugar
Sea Salt
Honey
Cooking Spray (optional)
Toppings of choice – see below for some of our favorites

TOols Required:

New York Style Sourdough Bagels Sample Baking Schedule:

8:00 -9:00 a.m. Friday – feed starter
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – mix dough
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – stretch and fold the dough into a smooth ball and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let rest overnight
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Saturday – Divide dough, shape, and cover with a kitchen towel for 40 – 60 minutes (second rise)
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. – Boil bagels, add the toppings and then bake
9:30 – make yourself a pot of coffee and enjoy a nice warm bagel.

I like to bake in the morning, so this schedule suits me. If you are a night time baker, simply reverse the times.

Our house is usually 68° (20°C) overnight, so overnight fermentation is usually 10 – 12 hours. If your home is warmer, it will take less time.

Tip – do yourself a favor and bake a double batch. These freeze well, plus your neighbors will love you if you share.

7 Easy Steps to Perfect Sourdough Bagels

Okay, I get it. The thought of making bagels may scare you. Boy, it scared me the first time. Then I made them and thought, “Now what was all that fuss about?”. Haha. With these easy steps, you will soon be munching on your very own beautiful chewy bagels. I have tweaked this recipe a few times, and I can honestly say I’m excited to share it with you because they come out perfect each time.

4 images showing the main steps for making Sandi's Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagels Recipe

Step #1 – Mix the Dough

Using a kitchen scale, combine the warm water, sugar, and active starter in a large mixing bowl. (a HUGE bowl, as this dough rises). Whisk until blended. Then, add the flour and salt. Combine to get all the flour wet. It will be quite dry and stiff. Resist the temptation to add more water.

Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step #2 – Shape the dough and Bulk Rise.

Work the dough using stretch and folds (just one or two will do it) into a smooth round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise overnight. You can spray the underside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking to it). Our house is about 68° during the night, so I allow 10 – 12 hours. If your home is warmer, this will take less time. You want the dough to almost double in size. It will be slightly domed and should have a few bubbles.

Step #3 – How to Shape the Sourdough Bagels

The next morning, roll the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Shape it into a long loaf and cut it into 8 equal pieces using a bench scraper. They should weight approximately 112g each. You could use a kitchen scale for accuracy; I usually just eyeball them, and I ALWAYS get one huge one; and one small one that we of course fight over, haha.

Roll each piece into a ball. Place back on the baking sheet and cover for 20 – 30 minutes to rise.

Step #4 – Making the hole in the center

Using your thumb and middle finger, push a hole through the center, stretch it out a bit, and shape the bagel. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel for the second rise for 40 – 60 minutes. The dough will puff up slightly.

************During the second rise, you want to bring a large pot of water to a boil, find your slotted spoon, get your honey out, and preheat your oven to 425°. Then, set up a topping station to add your favorite toppings.

Step #5 – Boil the Bagels

Squirt two tablespoons of honey into the boiling water and whisk hard. This adds color and flavor to the bagel crust.

Gently lower 2 – 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water (upside down, so you only have to flip them once). Simmer for 20 – 25 seconds (no longer, or they will be very chewy). Flip and simmer for another 20 seconds before pulling them out with the slotted spoon and placing them back on the parchment paper-covered baking sheet. They will appear strange and very lumpy: this is normal. They will also feel wet and rubbery: also normal.

homemade bagels on a baking sheet covered in cheese, ready to bake

Step #6 – Add the Toppings

My favorite is a combination of shredded cheddar cheese with a little Asiago cheese sprinkled on top (shredded myself from a brick, not bought shredded in a bag with the added starch). Ian loves the Everything Bagel combo. We have also tried the Cheddar and Jalapeno (also very good)

Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bagel. For seasonings and seeds, pick up the bagel and dunk it into a plate of the spicy bits. Then, place them back on the baking sheet.

Step #7 – Bake the Bagels

I prefer to bake one baking tray at a time on the top rack, with a second sheet pan underneath on the bottom rack to redirect the heat so the bottoms don’t burn. If you’re in a hurry, do two sheets, but switch them half-way through baking.

Bake the bagels for 20 – 25 minutes @ 425°.

Transfer the bagels to a wire cooling rack.

home made sourdough bagels with cheddar and asiago cheese topping on a cooling rack

Popular Homemade Bagel Varieties

Everything Bagel Seasoning
Poppy Seeds
Cheddar Cheese (and Asiago Cheese)
Salt
Plain
Sesame Seeds
Jalapeno/Cheddar
Cinnamon Raisin

The BEST Bagel Toppings:

In our house, it’s a split. Ian likes herb cream cheese. My favorite is plain butter, but some days we dress them up:
Cream Cheese

Smashed Avocado with Everything Bagel Seasoning
Deviled Egg with Sliced Dill Pickles
homemade salmon/cream cheese spread (recipe coming soon)
Ham and Cheese
Turkey and Havarti Cheese.

handmade sourdough bagels with Everything Bagel spices on top

How to Store and Freeze Homemade Bagels:

Bagels store well in a zip-lock bag on the counter or in the fridge for up to one week. Let them cool completely before bagging them.

Bagels also freeze well in Zip-Lock bags. Let them cool completely first. You can wrap them individually in plastic wrap, but they do freeze well unwrapped.

To reheat bagels, place them in a pre-heated 350 oven for a few minutes, or cut them in half and toast them.

Sandi’s Easy Overnight Sourdough Bagels video:

walking you through the easy process of making these delicious bagels.

single sourdough bagel with Everything Bagel spice on top and a tub of sour cream on a black plate

Sandi’s EASY Overnight Sourdough Bagels Recipe

This easy sourdough bagels recipe makes the most delicious, chewy bagels. Only a few ingredients and minimal steps are required for this simple overnight recipe.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, brunch, Snack

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Fermentation Time: 12

Servings:

Author: Sandi

Equipment

extra large mixing bowl
kitchen scale
whisk
large pot to boil water
slotted spoon
baking sheet
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

150 g active sourdough starter 3/4 cup
250 g warm water 1 cup plus 2 tsp
24 g granulated sugar 2 tbsp
10 g fine sea salt 1-1/2 tsp
500 g Bread flour or all-purpose flour 4 cups plus 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step #1 – Mix the Dough
Using a kitchen scale, combine the warm water, sugar, and active starter in a large mixing bowl. (a HUGE bowl, this dough rises). Whisk until blended. Then, add the flour and salt. Combine to get all the flour wet. It will be quite dry and stiff. Resist the temptation to add more water.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step #2 – Shape the dough and Bulk Rise.
Work the dough using stretch and folds (just one or two will do it) into a smooth round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise overnight. You can spray the underside of the plastic wrap with cooking spray to prevent the dough from sticking to it). Our house is about 68° during the night, so I allow 10 – 12 hours. If your home is warmer, this will take less time. You want the dough to almost double in size. It will be slightly domed and should have a few bubbles.
Step #3 – How to Shape the Sourdough Bagels
The next morning, roll the dough onto a lightly floured, clean work surface. Shape it into a long loaf and cut it into 8 equal pieces using a bench scraper. They should weight approximately 112g each. You could use a kitchen scale for accuracy; I usually just eyeball them, and ALWAYS get one huge one, and one small one that we of course fight over, haha.
Roll each piece into a ball, and place back on the baking sheet and cover for 20 – 30 minutes to rise
Step #4 – Making the hole in the center
Using your thumb and middle finger, push a hole through the center, stretch it out a bit, and shape the bagel . Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel for the second rise for 40 – 60 minutes. The dough will puff up slightly.
************During the second rise, you want to bring a large pot of water to a boil, find your slotted spoon, get your honey out, and preheat your oven to 425°. Then, set up a topping station to add your favorite toppings.
Step #5 – Boil the Bagels
Squirt two tablespoons of honey into the boiling water and whisk hard. This adds color and flavor to the bagel crust.
Gently lower 2 – 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water (upside down, so you only have to flip them once). Simmer for 20 – 25 seconds (no longer, or they will be very chewy). Flip and boil for another 20 seconds before pulling them out with the slotted spoon and placing them back on the parchment paper-covered baking sheet. They will appear strange and very lumpy; this is normal. They will also feel wet and rubbery, which is also normal.
Step #6 – Add the Toppings
My favorite is a combination of shredded cheddar cheese with a bit of Asiago cheese sprinkled on top (I shred the cheese myself from a brick, not bagged shredded with the added starch). Ian loves the Everything Bagel combo. We have also tried the Cheddar and Jalapeno (also very good)
Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bagel. For seasonings and seeds, pick up the bagel and dunk it into a plate of the spicy bits. Then, place them back on the baking sheet.
Step #7 – Bake the Bagels
I prefer to bake one baking tray at a time on the top rack, with a second sheet pan underneath on the bottom rack to redirect the heat so the bottoms don't burn. If you're in a hurry, do two sheets, but switch them halfway through baking.
Bake the bagels for 20 – 25 minutes @ 425°.
Transfer the bagels to a wire cooling rack.