Overnight sourdough bagels are so simple to make, I promise they will become a staple in your home. Whether served with cream cheese for breakfast or like a pizza for dinner, the whole family is certain to gobble them right up. They are perfect for the freezer if you want to do a little freezer cooking as well.
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Sourdough to the Rescue
In high school, I started breaking out in hives for no apparent reason. We had been to every doctor in town and nobody knew why I was so itchy. I eliminated foods and eventually discovered that gluten set off the hives. I changed my diet to permanently remove gluten. It was a hard breakup. Tears were shed.
I had never enjoyed cooking, therefore I didn’t know much about it. Cooking just about anything required a research paper first. During that research I stumbled upon sourdough. I read about the benefits of fermented foods, how to make a starter, and amazing looking recipes.
Then I found something interesting about gluten in connection to sourdough. The article stated that people who are sensitive to gluten can oftentimes handle sourdough because of the fermentation. I was immediately curious and did what any nerd would do. More research!
That led me to creating a sourdough starter. After a week, I set out to make all things sourdough. I failed a lot. But I also learned a lot. I eventually mastered sourdough waffles. They became my breakfast staple. I kept waiting for the hives to show up or my stomach to hurt, but I never had either. So I kept practicing recipes so that everything could be sourdough.
Then something crazy happened. I was in a situation where I had to eat gluten to avoid being awkward. Going home that night, I was preparing myself for the worst. I knew that hives and a stomach ache lay ahead of me that night. I just hoped that it would wait until I was safe in my own house. The hives never came. My stomach didn’t hurt. So naturally I ate gluten again a week later. No side effects!
That was about a year ago. I eat sourdough at least once a day, if not more. Have you tried a sourdough English muffin? If I’m baking something at home, I always try to ferment it. I can then eat all the gluten I want without getting sick or breaking out in hives. Sourdough totally changed my life and eating habits. Despite the bad breakup, gluten and I have gotten back together and have a wonderful relationship, as long a sourdough is there.
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Why Sourdough?
Sourdough was used by people to leaven bread before they were able to go to the store and by those little yeast packets. Sourdough is the old-fashioned yeast packet.
Grains contain phytic acid, but our bodies don’t really process it well. Phytic acid prevents our bodies from absorbing the nutrients from our food. Fermentation gets rid of most, if not all of the phytic acid, in the grains before we eat them. The fermentation process also helps break down some gluten, so although the bread isn’t gluten free it does have a lower gluten content. This allows people like me, who are sensitive to gluten, to eat sourdough. It also acts like a probiotic, which makes it great for gut health. Sourdough has prebiotic characteristics as well, which simply means that the good bacteria in your gut enjoy eating the fiber.
Overnight Sourdough Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
½ cup active sourdough starter
1 – 1 ½ cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
4 – 4 ¼ cups flour
Instructions
- The night before you want bagels, combine ½ cup of sourdough starter, 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. I use my KitchenAid mixer and dough hook attachment. *Active starter means that it has been fed in the last 4 to 12 hours.
- Then while mixing, add in the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and is not sticky. It should be stiff and a little stretchy.
- Next cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth and allow it to sit on the counter and ferment for 8-12 hours. I let them sit overnight.
- The next morning, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each one into a ball and flatten it. Now poke a hole through the middle with your fingers. It’s ok to stretch it out a bit to make a larger hole.
- Place the bagels on a parchment covered baking sheet and once again cover with plastic wrap or beeswax cloth. Allow them to sit in a warm place for about an hour until they are puffy. I’ve had this take as long as 4 hours in the winter, so I’ll set them on top of a heat vent. In the summer I’ll often set them on the porch.
- Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the bagels are puffy, bring a large pot of water to a bowl. Add in a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of baking soda to the pot of water.
- Carefully place the overnight sourdough bagels into the boiling water. Allow them to boil for a minute on each side. Then return them to the parchment lined pan. I boil 4 at a time in my large pot. Just make sure they don’t overlap while they are boiling. Having a spider really helps to flip them and remove them from the boiling water.
- Lastly, it’s time to bake. Place the boiled bagels in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Serving Overnight Sourdough Bagels
These bagels make a great breakfast and they freeze very well. I will take out a couple at a time to thaw on the counter the night before. When I run out, I grab another couple out of the freezer. Works great and keeps them from going bad before I can eat them all.
We like to eat overnight sourdough bagels with cream cheese most of the time. Peanut butter, creamed honey, butter, or sugar and cinnamon all make good options as well. I’ve also found that they make a great lunch or dinner as well. Peanut butter and jelly bagel sandwiches anybody? Our favorite is overnight sourdough bagel pizzas. A little pizza sauce, cheese, and whatever topping you like. Super delicious and makes for a very quick dinner or freeze the little pizzas in the freezer for later.
Overnight Sourdough Bagels
Overnight sourdough bagels are so simple to make, I promise they will become a staple in your home. Whether served with cream cheese for breakfast or like a pizza for dinner, the whole family is certain to gobble them right up. They are perfect for the freezer if you want to do a little freezer cooking as well.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 1 - 1 ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 - 4 ¼ cups flour
Instructions
- The night before you want bagels, combine ½ cup of sourdough starter, 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. I use my KitchenAid mixer and dough hook attachment.
- Then while mixing, add in the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and is not sticky. It should be stiff and a little stretchy.
- Next cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth and allow it to sit on the counter and ferment for 8-12 hours. I let them sit overnight.
- The next morning, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each one into a ball and flatten it. Now poke a hole through the middle with your fingers. It’s ok to stretch it out a bit to make a larger hole.
- Place the bagels on a parchment covered baking sheet and once again cover with plastic wrap or beeswax cloth. Allow them to sit in a warm place for about an hour until they are puffy. I’ve had this take as long as 4 hours in the winter, so I’ll set them on top of a heat vent. In the summer I’ll often set them on the porch.
- Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When the bagels are puffy, bring a large pot of water to a bowl. Add in a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of baking soda to the pot of water.
- Carefully place the overnight sourdough bagels into the boiling water. Allow them to boil for a minute on each side. Then return them to the parchment lined pan. I boil 4 at a time in my large pot. Just make sure they don’t overlap while they are boiling. Having a spider really helps to flip them and remove them from the boiling water.
- Lastly, it’s time to bake. Place the boiled bagels in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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