Jersey Style Sourdough Bagels
These New Jersey style sourdough bagels are fluffy, flavorful, and easier to bite into than many homemade bagel recipes. Barley malt syrup gives them that classic bagel shop flavor while an overnight cold ferment develops sourdough flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 450 g Bread Flour
- 225 g Warm Water
- 100 g Active Sourdough Starter
- 25 g Barley Malt Syrup or Powder
- 10 g Sea Salt
Boiling Water
- Large Pot Water
- 1 tbsp Barley Malt Syrup or Powder
Toppings
- Poppy Seeds, optional topping
- Everything Seasoning, optional topping
- Sesame Seeds, optional topping
- Flaky Sea Salt, optional topping
Instructions
Feed Your Starter
- For this recipe you'll need ACTIVE sourdough starter. I like to feed my starter the night before around 10-11pm so I can start this recipe first thing in the morning. The next morning around 8-9am it should be perfect. Let the starter double, and use it right away OR feel free to let it fall. This recipe is flexible!
Mix the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl combine the sourdough starter, warm water, salt, and barley malt syrup or powder. Use a dough whisk to froth vigorously. The sourdough should be mostly dissolved with lots of bubbles throughout the liquid.
- Add your flour and mix with a rubber spatula, then switch to your hands to knead for 6-7 minutes. Refer to the photos in the blog post to visualize how everything should be looking. The dough should be smooth and cohesive but still firm.
First Rise
- Cover and let rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Bagel dough will not exactly double like a loaf of bread. You’re looking for a dough that feels slightly puffed and relaxed.
Divide & Shape
- Turn the dough onto a clean work surface. Do not flour your surface - I work directly on my kitchen counter.
- Use your hand to slightly flatten your dough ball and cut into SIX equal pieces. Use a kitchen scale to measure each piece - I aim for around 130g though it's hard to get perfect. Between 120 - 140g is fine.
- Turn each piece into a smooth dough ball. Cup one piece in your non-dominant palm, then use your dominant hand to tuck the dough top to bottom to form a round ball. You're almost caressing the dough to smooth it out and push everything towards the bottom. No need to be perfect as you'll be rolling it out in a minute.
- Use your hands to roll each ball into a rope about 8-9 inches long. Wrap into a circle, overlap the ends by about 2 inches, and firmly roll the seam together.
- Make the center hole larger than you think you need. It will shrink during proofing, boiling, and baking. Dust a large dinner plate with bread flour and transfer your shaped bagels there. You CAN do a baking tray, but keep in mind you'll have to put it in the fridge and it may not fit.
Second Rise
- Cover and let rest for 3 hours.
Cold Ferment
- Transfer the covered plate to the fridge and let ferment up to 36 hours. You don't have to do this step at all, but it enhances the sourdough benefits, AND allows you to start your bagel the next morning (or following morning) without hassle.
Boil
- Preheat oven to 425°F and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the barley malt syrup or powder. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on either side. I usually do 2 bagels at once.
- Transfer the bagels to the parchment-lined baking sheet. While still damp, add toppings. If your bagels get dry for whatever reason, you can brush the starchy water you boiled the bagels in back onto the bagels.
Bake
- Bake on the middle rack for 18-22 minutes, rotating once throughout.
- Bake until glossy and golden brown. The tops should be deeply golden but not dark brown. If it's been 22 minutes and the tops still look pale, turn on the broiler and keep a close eye as it'll brown very quickly.
Cool
- Transfer immediately to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- They are best day of, to store them I recommend slicing them and freezing them, then popping them in the microwave for about 45 seconds OR into the toaster.