
Why I Love These Sourdough Bagels
For starters, making sourdough bagels was way easier than I thought they would be. Heck, sourdough in general was easier than I thought.
Over time, I've heard many people talk about how difficult sourdough is, bagels are, etc. When I saw a video on how to make sourdough bagels I thought, "I can do this!". Sourdough is now not only a staple in my house but something I love to experiment with and learn more about.
Today I will share how I made my fermented Honey Garlic Sourdough Bagels.
Fermented Honey Sourdough Bagels
If you've been following along in my fermented series, you'll notice my bagel recipe uses a fermented recipe! It's 2 fermented items in one - how neat is that!
When I was thinking about flavors for my sourdough bagels, I didn't want a plain bagel. I thought through a few options:
Asiago Cheese
Cinnamon Raisin
Jalapeno Cheddar
Everything Seasoned
Honey Garlic
Dill & Black Pepper
Ultimately, I wanted to use my honey garlic for a sweet/savory combo. This flavor combo did not disappoint. Next time I may try a cheesy honey garlic sourdough bagel. If you are using the honey garlic, I didn't need to cut the garlic, it was so soft that it incorporated itself perfectly in the dough.
The video below shows how to make your bagel shape. First start with the rolled dough, shape it around your finger, then place it on a silicone-lined baking sheet!
Pre-Bake Steps For Bagels
One thing I learned during this process was that sourdough bagels need lots of rest, as well as a water bath before baking. The water bath helps form a crust on the bagel, it's what differentiates a bagel from a roll - so do not skip that step!
I found my bagels didn't want to hold their shape while resting. There are tools out there to help keep the center hole of the bagel, but that's not needed. No problem if you have a bagel with no center hole.
After you remove your bagel from the water bath, you'll want to rest them on a silicone-lined tray. I used parchment paper and found all my bagels stuck to it after baking! Next time I will allow the bagels to drain briefly on a cookie rack, then place them on a silicone baking sheet.
First, form your dough into rolls, then shape and allow to rest. Then, dunk into a water bath, when finished place on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven.
Final Thoughts On Sourdough Bagels
Sourdough bagels are likely much easier than you think - give them a try sometime! Experiment with different flavor combos - maybe even try using a beet and see if you end up with a pink bagel!
What flavor will you make your sourdough bagels?