This Sourdough Blueberry Bagels Recipe comes together in about 90 minutes and requires a little loving kneading for easy breakfast that your family will love! Switch up the blueberries for chocolate chips, raspberries, or even nuts to suit your taste or use it as a “clean out the fridge” meal to get rid of those odds and ends lurking in your pantry! Trust me, once you sink your teeth into these warm, chewy bagels topped with a smidge of cream cheese or slathered with butter, you’ll be hooked!
Ingredient Breakdown
- Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (150 grams)
- Water (150-200 grams)
- Active Sourdough Starter (150 grams)
- Sugar (40 grams)
- Bread Flour (500 grams)
- Salt (10 grams)
- Dried Blueberries (75 grams, optional)
- Honey (20 grams, for the boil bath)
Let’s Get Cooking!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Blueberries: In a medium saucepan, combine 150g of fresh or frozen blueberries over medium-low heat. Cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want them to burst and get juicy! Ah, the smell of warm blueberries filling your kitchen… makes my heart sing!
Turn off the heat and take a fork to those mushy blueberries, mashing them slightly to release even more of their gorgeous juices.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the warm blueberries into the strainer. Gently press with the fork to extract as much liquid as possible.
Once you have that beautiful blueberry juice, measure it out. You’ll want to add enough water to equal a total of 250 grams in weight (counting both the juice and water). Scale, people, scale, it truly helps!
Add the leftover mashed blueberries into that blueberry/water mixture. You’ll end up with around 300 grams of liquid goodness to add to your dough.
Make The Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, add 150g of your active sourdough starter and the blueberry/water mix along with 40g sugar. Mix all of that with a Danish Dough Whisk (works like a charm!) or just a sturdy wooden spoon, creating what looks like a blue, milky liquid.
Next, sprinkle in your 500g bread flour and 10g salt to the mix. Stir until fully combined, the dough will be shaggy and sticky!
Now, here comes the fun part: knead. I prefer doing this by hand (trust me, it’s so worth it!) for about 5-6 minutes. If you haven’t done this before, here’s a little tip, keep the dough in your bowl to minimize mess.
- Here’s how you knead: Take a small section of the dough, pull it up, fold it over, and push it down with the heel of your hand while turning your bowl clockwise. Gotta get that rhythm going!
After your mini arm workout, you’ll notice the dough has become more stiff and a bit bumpy. Cover it with a damp towel (or shower cap, like I do, because cute!), and let it rest for about 60 minutes.
Stretch and Fold:
- Now that it’s rested, we’re going to stretch and fold it, no biggie! Just for about 30 seconds. Fold it over and push down again, just like before.
- This is when you can add those optional dried blueberries if you’re using them. Toss in 75g of dried blueberries, and knead them into the dough as it’s a lovely extra kick of berry flavor.
You’ll notice the dough is now smoother, yay! Cover it again and let it rise until it has at least doubled in size.
In my temperate 70°F kitchen, that usually takes about 8-12 hours, so I typically let it rise overnight. If you’re lucky enough to have a warmer kitchen, it’ll rise faster.
Shape the Bagels:
Once your dough is bubbly and beautiful, gently remove it from the bowl and place it on a clean work surface. Form it into a rectangle, about half an inch thick.
Now, let’s cut this lovely dough into 8 equal parts, a little like cutting a pizza! Use a bench scraper or a sharp knife, and if you have a kitchen scale, great! Each piece should weigh around 115g.
To shape them into bagels, grab the corners of each piece and pinch them towards the center. Then, roll it into a round dough ball.
Here’s the fun part! Use your thumb to poke a hole in the center of each dough ball, then stretch it gently until it’s about 2 inches wide. The dough will shrink back a bit, but that’s perfectly fine!
Second Rise:
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and place your shaped bagels on it. Cover them fully with a warm, damp towel or plastic wrap, and let them rest until puffed up, about 20-60 minutes.
- Not ready to bake? No problem! You can pop the shaped bagels in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just pull them out when you’re ready to bake.
Boil Bath:
While your bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 425°F.
Fill a large pot with water and add 20g of honey. Give it a good whisk until it’s fully dissolved, then bring the water to a boil.
I like to have a kitchen towel on the counter and a cooling rack ready for minimal cleanup later.
Carefully drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling water, letting them boil for about 30 seconds on each side. Using a slotted spoon, scoop them out and place them on the cooling rack. Repeat with the rest.
Bake!:
Bake those beautifully boiled bagels for about 20-25 minutes, until they’re golden brown and totally irresistible. Their smell will be heavenly. I promise!
Allow them to cool slightly before slicing. Once they’re warm, try a schmear of butter or cream cheese!
I mean, come on. What’s not to love? Chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, with blueberry sweetness bursting through, they can quickly become your go-to breakfast.
Why I Love This Recipe
This is my go-to recipe when I want something easy and comforting for breakfast or brunch. I’m a real sucker for homemade bread and baked goods, there’s just something magical about whipping up dough from scratch! And the best part is that these Sourdough Blueberry Bagels are incredibly versatile. You can use whatever you’ve got on hand and experiment with flavors or toppings. They’re always a family favorite in my house, and I know they’ll be in yours too!
If you loved these Sourdough Blueberry Bagels, be sure to check out my Sourdough Coffee Cake Muffins, my Sourdough Apple Fritter Discard Loaf, or my Yogurt Covered Blueberries!
Why This Recipe Works
Comfort Food
These bagels are definitely loaded with tons of flavor! The combination of blueberry sweetness and the tanginess from the sourdough starter makes every bite feel like a warm hug.
Make-Ahead Friendly
Perfect for meal prep! You can shape the bagels ahead of time, pop them in the fridge, and bake them fresh whenever you’re craving.
Customizable
Got some spare chocolate chips lying around? Use them! You can adapt this recipe to whatever you have in your pantryn, adjusting it to suit your taste is incredibly easy.
Budget-Friendly
With basic ingredients that you likely already have, these bagels are a treat that won’t break the bank!
Crowd-Pleaser
Whether for brunch or an afternoon snack, your family will love these bagels. They’ll disappear as quickly as you can bake them!
Serving & Storage Tips
Serving Suggestions
These bagels are perfect on their own, but you can elevate them with cream cheese, butter, or even almond butter and honey for breakfast! Pair them with a fresh fruit salad or a cup of yogurt for a balanced meal.
Storage
Store leftover bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also put them in the fridge if you want a longer shelf life!
Reheating Instructions
Reheat them in the toaster or oven for a couple of minutes to restore that delightful chewiness. You could also microwave for about 10-15 seconds if you’re in a hurry, just don’t overdo it, or they might get chewy!
Freezer Friendly
Yes, these bagels are freezer-friendly! To freeze, place them in a zip-top bag after completely cooling. They can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Just set them out to thaw at room temperature or pop them into the toaster straight from the freezer.
And there you have it! Your very own Sourdough Blueberry Bagels Recipe that’s bound to become a weekend breakfast staple. Happy baking, my friends! Enjoy! Follow us on Pinterest for daily meal inspiration!
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium saucepan, combine 150g of fresh or frozen blueberries over medium-low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they burst.
- Turn off the heat and mash the blueberries gently with a fork.
- Strain the blueberries through a fine mesh strainer to extract the juice.
- Combine the blueberry juice with water to total 250g and add the leftover mashed blueberries to this mixture.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix 150g sourdough starter, blueberry/water mix, and 40g sugar.
- Sprinkle in 500g bread flour and 10g salt, stirring until fully combined.
- Knead the dough by hand for about 5-6 minutes until stiff and bumpy. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 60 minutes.
- After resting, stretch and fold the dough for about 30 seconds. Add dried blueberries if using.
- Cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually overnight.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a rectangle. Cut into 8 equal parts.
- Shape each piece into a bagel by forming dough balls and poking a hole in the center.
- Place shaped bagels on a lined sheet pan, cover with a towel, and let them puff up for 20-60 minutes.
- Optionally, refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Boil water with 20g honey.
- Carefully add bagels to the boiling water, cooking for 30 seconds on each side.
- Bake bagels for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing.
- Serve with butter or cream cheese.