Sourdough Onion Bagels (Print version)

Chewy bagels with tangy starter and sweet sautéed onions, great for morning meals or sandwiches.

# Required ingredients:

→ Sourdough Starter

01 - 3.5 oz active sourdough starter at 100% hydration

→ Dough

02 - 14.1 oz bread flour
03 - 1.8 oz whole wheat flour
04 - 0.35 oz sea salt
05 - 0.88 oz granulated sugar
06 - 8.1 fl oz lukewarm water

→ Onion Topping

07 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter
09 - 0.25 teaspoon sea salt

→ Boiling

10 - 67.6 fl oz water
11 - 1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or honey
12 - 1 teaspoon baking soda

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions with sea salt and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, sea salt, granulated sugar, and lukewarm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let rest for 4 hours at room temperature. Perform stretch-and-fold techniques every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours to strengthen gluten development.
04 - Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight for 8 to 12 hours to develop complex flavor and improve dough workability.
05 - Divide the fermented dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a tight ball, then insert your thumb through the center. Stretch the dough to form a bagel shape with approximately a 2 inch diameter hole.
06 - Place shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until slightly puffy but not fully doubled.
07 - Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot, bring water, barley malt syrup or honey, and baking soda to a rolling boil. Working in batches, boil bagels 1 to 2 at a time for 1 minute per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet.
08 - While bagels are still damp from boiling, press sautéed onions onto the top surface of each bagel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked through.
09 - Transfer bagels to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing to preserve internal structure.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sourdough fermentation gives you that complex, slightly tangy flavor that tastes like you've been baking all your life.
  • Caramelized onions are basically candy made savory, and they stick to the bagel like they were always meant to be there.
  • You can make the dough the night before, so your Saturday morning becomes relaxed instead of rushed.
02 -
  • Your bagels will deflate if you overproof them—that gentle poke test is real, and if they don't spring back slowly, they're done rising.
  • The boiling step is non-negotiable and completely changes the texture, creating that signature chewy bagel exterior that you simply cannot get from baking alone.
  • Don't skip the overnight fermentation in the cold—rushing this step means you lose the sourdough flavor that makes these bagels worth the effort.
03 -
  • Keep your starter at room temperature for a few hours before using it so it's at peak activity and bubbly—this makes a real difference in flavor development and rise.
  • If your bagels seem to be browning too quickly in the oven, tent them with foil for the first 15 minutes, then uncover to finish browning.
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