The Story Behind Sourdough Pretzel Bagels
You guys, these sourdough pretzel bagels are near and dear to my heart. No really. I don’t usually get attached to food. But, my family would request soft pretzels every year for Christmas growing up. Rather than doing the traditional ham and mashed potatoes and gravy, my family has German roots. So we like our bread. The bread makes the meal, the sandwich…the event, really. That’s why, each year for Christmas, I make soft pretzels. They’re time consuming, yes. But there’s nothing like them. And they taste like Christmas.
Then, of course, I discovered sourdough. After multiple failed attempts to make my own starter, I caved and asked a friend for hers. The result was me getting hooked on sourdough and wanting to make everything I once had made with yeast from sourdough. Enter these bagels.
The internet is full of bagels, but I couldn’t understand why there weren’t more sourdough soft pretzel bagels. To me the fact that you boil both of them (plus the fact that these bagels would make an awesome bagel sandwich!) made the combo irresistible.
Rather than wait for someone else to make these, I decided to give it a spin myself. Because the combination of bagels, soft pretzels, and sourdough were just calling my name. I have no regrets.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Soft Pretzel Bagels
They’re Delicious- I’m sorry, I’m a bit of a bread snob. I have high standards for bread. These sourdough bagels totally live up to these standards. I highly recommend you make them…ASAP!
They’re Simple- Yes, I know, they’re sourdough which instantly scares some of you. But let me just say, bagels are very forgiving. If you’ve made sourdough bread before, you can totally make these bagels. They’re just a different shape and require “poaching,” a fancy term for boiling on each side (see my instructions below)
Elevate Any Breakfast- Just imagine. You’re going to sit down for your typical bagel and cream cheese. Only now it’s a pretzel sourdough bagel. Mind blowing anyone? Or better yet, you’re making a fancy weekend breakfast sandwich. Perhaps an egg BLT sandwich, perhaps a sausage, egg, and cheese. Only now it’s a pretzel bagels sandwich. I mean can it get any better? Toasted and covered with savory goodies?
Sweet and Salty Combo- anyone else addicted to sweet and salty combos? I love that you could just as easily spread these bagels with apple butter, jam, cinnamon sugar and butter, or a sweet cream cheese. The perfect addictive combination!
Ingredients In Sourdough Pretzel Bagels
Active Sourdough Starter- gives these bagels their lovely flavor and, of course, causes them to rise!
Water-helps hydrate the dough
Salt- Oh-so-important yet so often overlooked! Salt gives this dough impressive flavor. You won’t think twice about it unless it’s gone!
All-Purpose Flour-gives these bagels structure. The gluten allows them to become nice and chewy!
Baking Soda- add this to water when it’s time to “poach” the bagels. This gives them their golden brown salty pretzel goodness.
Egg/Water- the egg wash adds a beautiful color to finish off these pretzels and helps the course salt stick to them.
Kosher/Course Sea Salt- this is what makes these soft pretzel bagels taste like soft pretzels. So delicious!
How To Make Sourdough Soft Pretzel Bagels
1. Combine starter, flour, salt, and water.
Allow dough to sit and hydrate for 30 minutes. Perform stretch and folds!
2. After stretch-and-folds, allow to sit until doubled in size.
This can take between 6 and 12 hours depending on how active your starter is and the temperature of the room. Mine has been taking closer to 12 hours because of the colder temperatures in our home right now. The key is not to rush things and to wait until it doubles, then begin shaping before the dough over-ferments!
3. Shape into bagels
Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and form into circles by folding the ends under. Next, poke your thumb through the center of the dough piece and move dough around your thumb, pinching to form into a bagel! If you still have questions, check out this link on shaping bagels for more info. Allow to rise until doubled in size.
The bagels below are nice and puffy, indicating they are ready to be poached in the baking soda/boiling water mixture.
4. Poach in boiling water/baking soda mixture
This is what gives the bagels their beautiful golden color and amazing pretzel flavor! Boil for one minute per side.
5. Brush with egg wash and course salt and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes
Enjoy Your Sourdough Pretzel Bagels!
So delicious!
Other Sourdough Recipes You’ll Love
Other Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Easy Cottage Cheese Banana Bread
How To Serve Sourdough Pretzel Bagels
With a Cozy Soup- I personally love this cheesy chicken orzo soup, but you could totally pick your favorite as well!
With A Dip- Anyone else a fan of queso? This is one of my most consistent pregnancy cravings. Another fun option would be this taco cottage cheese dip! I love that it is served hot! You could also do a cold dip, such as this cottage cheese ranch dip.
With Cream Cheese- whether you love plain, flavored, or sweet, these bagels would be fantastic with a great cream cheese spread. I’m especially intrigued to try a sweet cream cheese such as cinnamon or honey-flavored for a sweet/salty combo.
Elevate Your Sandwich- I’m dying to make a BLT sandwich or breakfast sandwich using these bagels (toasted of course). If anyone tries it please let me know ASAP how amazing it is!
Sourdough Pretzel Bagels
Description
The most chewy and delicious sourdough bagels with a pretzel twist! Perfect for breakfast sandwiches, snacks, and more!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Combine water (should be room temperature), active starter, flour, and salt in a bowl with a spoon or with fingers. Start out with 6.5 cups flour and wait to see how much water the dough it absorbs before adding more. It may feel wet but do not add more water yet.
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Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes covered. This allows the dough to absorb excess water. Now it's time for stretch and folds.
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To perform a stretch and fold, first uncover your dough. While dough is in the bowl, grab a corner of the dough and slowly pull it upwards. Fold the corner back into the center, turn the bowl, and repeat on another "quarter" of the dough. Continue twice more. This is one stretch and fold.
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Complete 4 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes until the dough passes the window pane test (you can stretch the dough so thinly it lets light through without breaking).
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Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size. Depending on temperature, this could take anywhere from 6-12 hours.
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Grease a baking sheet. Next, turn dough on onto the counter. Add more flour first if the dough is still sticky. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
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Fold in the corners of each piece of dough to the center to make into a circle (this is the same way you fold a basic dinner roll).
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Insert your thumb into the center of the "roll" and pinch outwards to form a bagel shape. Repeat for remaining pieces of dough. (See this link for bagel-shaping tips)
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Allow bagels to rise 2-5 hours or until doubled in size.
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In a large pot, fill with water until the water is approximately two inches deep. Bring to a boil.
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Next, add 2 tablespoons baking soda to the water. You are now ready to "poach" your bagels.
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With a slotted spoon or spatula, gently slide your bagels into the simmering water. Boil bagels one minute per side, then drain using a slotted spoon and place on the greased baking sheet. Repeat for remaining bagels.
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In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with course salt.
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Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bagels are golden brown on tops and bottoms and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
