In a large bowl, add active starter, warm water, and brown sugar. Mix by hand (or use a Danish Dough Whisk, one of my favorite sourdough tools!) until it it looks like a tan, milky liquid.

150g (2/3c) active starter, 250g (1 c) warm water, 40g (4 T) light or dark brown sugar

Next, add the bread flour and salt to the dough. Mix until fully incorporated.

500g (3 1/2 c) bread flour, 9g (1 1/2 tsp) salt

Next is a small labor of love, but trust me when I say, it is all worth it. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. I’ve tried using a stand mixer, but my bagels never taste as soft and chewy as when I do it by hand. So it is still my preferred method.

Pull a small section of bagel dough above the rest, fold it over on top, and push into the dough with the heel of your hand. Repeat this motion while turning the bowl of dough clockwise for 5-6 minutes.

As you knead, you will notice the dough will become pretty stiff and a little bumpy looking – this will be a stiff dough, so totally normal.

Cover the dough and let it it rest for 60 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the raisins. This isn’t 100% necessary, but I prefer plump and juicy raisins in my bagels. To do so, add the raisins to a small bowl and pour boiling water on top until fully covered. Allow them to soak while the dough rests.

140g (1 c) raisins

After 1 hour of resting, strain the raisins and pat dry with a paper towel. Pour the raisins on top of the bagel dough as well as the ground cinnamon. Repeat the same “stretch, fold, and push” routine with the heel of your hand for 30 seconds. Some of the raisins won’t be fully mixed in, and that’s okay. We will correct this during shaping.

4g (2 tsp) cinnamon

I prefer adding the cinnamon now, rather than with the flour, so that you can see the beautiful cinnamon streaks in the bagels!

You’ll notice the dough is a little less stiff and now the dough ball is smoother. Cover the bowl with a reusable shower cap and place the dough in a warm place to rise.

Leave the dough to double in size. In my 69-degree F kitchen, this typically takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time, and the opposite is true if it is colder.

Please note: Cinnamon has antimicrobial properties that can slow down the fermentation process, so be prepared for an extended bulk fermentation. However, you can sprinkle just the tops of the bagels with ground cinnamon just before baking, if you prefer. Check on the dough regularly before shaping.

Once the dough has at least doubled in size, gently remove the sourdough bagel dough from the bowl and place it in your work surface – no flour dusting needed.

Stretch and shape the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 of an inch high. Now, with a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal triangle pieces. (I cut it like I would a pizza.) You can weigh the pieces of dough on a kitchen scale to verify that they are all equal (about 115g), otherwise, just eyeball it and call it a day!

To shape, grab one piece of dough and pull the corners of the triangles towards the center, tucking in any exposed raisins. Then roll the dough until formed into a smooth ball. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

One at a time, use your thumb to punch a hole in the middle of the dough ball. Some raisins may escape, you can tuck them back in or leave them out. Stretch the dough ball with both thumbs, about 2 inches. The dough will shrink back a bit, but that’s okay.

Place your shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover them fully with this plastic cover (love this thing!) or a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.

Let them rest until puffed up in a warm place until they puff up slightly. In my 69 degree F kitchen, I usually leave them for about 30-60 minutes.

Not ready to bake? Cover the shaped bagels with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Pull them out of the fridge when ready to bake, and continue with the recipe as normal.

While your bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Fill a large pot of water. Add honey and whisk until well mixed. Bring the water to a boil.

20g (1 T) honey

Once the bagels have risen, it’s time to set up your station. I like to place a kitchen towel on the counter and a cooling rack on top to help for minimal cleanup later.

Carefully drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bagels and place them on the cooling rack. Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.

Bake the Sourdough Bagels for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the bagels from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Once they are cool enough to handle, I highly recommend slicing into one while it is still warm and spreading a slab of butter on top. That chewy, buttery bite will be out of this world, I promise!