Artisan Bryan’s Sourdough Everything Bagels

If you think you can't get a good bagel outside New York, think again. Some iteration of them have been around for hundreds of years, and now millions of Americans eat bagels for breakfast every day. It’s a food rooted in history, most likely starting in 15th century Poland, and in the US, it’s connected to Jewish culture, in part because “When European Jews began emigrating to the United States in the 19th century, bagels came along for the ride.”

With so much history behind it and variations since, it can be difficult to know what, exactly, constitutes a bagel. According to Ed Levine in Was Life Better When Bagels Were Smaller? it’s a round bread made with high-gluten flour, salt, water, yeast and malt. The dough is boiled and then baked, and the resulting colour should be a rich caramel with a slight cracking sound when you bite into it. Always made by hand, early bagels were smaller and denser than most today; when it was time to bake, they were put on redwood slats covered in burlap and placed in a stone or wood oven. 

Our version of a bagel doesn't stray too far from the American classic, and this tasty recipe from award-winning bread baker, author and Ooni Ambassador Bryan Ford (@artisanbryan) proves you can have it all from the comfort of your home. And with books such as “New World Sourdough” and “New World Baking: 150 Recipes from Central America, South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean” (out in 2024) he’s got an endless supply of knowledge and tips for novices and pros alike. 

For Bryan’s bagels, he adds his own twist by incorporating a levain – an offshoot of a mature sourdough starter – and whole wheat flour to help with the flavour profile, enhancing the taste and aroma. The dough is then shaped into rings and, before baking, briefly boiled in water with malt syrup for colour and a dash of sweetness (traditionally, malt was mixed in with all the other ingredients before rolling and shaping). Lastly, the bagels are covered in seeds and oven-baked until they develop a golden-brown colour – perfect for schmearing with your favourite spread or as a classic egg, bacon and cheese sandwich.

Before you know it, you’ll have yourself aromatic, crackly and seedy on the outside and chewy on the inside bagels that will cause envy and admiration. That doesn't mean they have to look perfect, of course: misshapen or not, they’ll still taste delicious. Making homemade bagels is also an opportunity to play around with toppings – lots of people are precious about what goes on a bagel, but we say do what tastes great to you. 

Difficulty

Servings

Twelve 130-gram bagels

Prep Time

5 hours and 45 minutes

(not including starter and dough prep)
Cook Time

16 minutes

By Ooni HQ

A stack of unsliced everything bagels and one bagel sliced and spread with cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions and capers on an Ooni Bamboo Pizza Peel

Note

This recipe takes time. Before cooking, you’ll need an active, mature sourdough starter that’s ready to go. We suggest you make the starter a week in advance, or you can also buy one online. Your favorite local bakery may even be willing to share a bit of theirs. Bryan uses a 48-hour cold-proof for his bagels, so be sure to set aside at least 2 days for proofing before cooking, and the levain will need 4 hours to proof before cooking. 



For the levain

1. Mix the mature sourdough starter, whole wheat flour, bread flour and warm water together by hand or with a fork and let sit at room temperature for 4 hours.

Once doubled in size, it will be ready for use. 

For the bagel dough

1. Combine the bread flour, warm water, levain mix, diastatic malt powder, salt, yeast and sugar into a medium bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer and knead until it's smooth.

Combine the bread flour, warm water, levain mix, diastatic malt powder, salt, yeast and sugar into a medium bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer and knead until it's smooth. (If mixing by hand, this will take about 10 minutes and with the mixer, about 5 minutes on medium speed.)

2. Take the dough out of the bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or towel.

Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

3. After the dough has rested, divide it into twelve 130-gram pieces using a digital scale for accuracy.

With the palms of both your hands, roll each ball into a long cylinder shape. Each piece should be about the length of your hands from pinky to pinky, with your thumbs touching.

4. Wrap the dough around your hand and press down on the seam.

Roll the dough back and forth a few times to seal the bagel.

5. Put the bagels onto a parchment-lined sheet pan to prevent sticking and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.

Transfer the dough to the fridge for a 48-hour cold fermentation.

6. If using a home oven: An hour before you are ready to cook your bagels, preheat your home oven with the Ooni Pizza Steel inside, aiming for 260 °C.

If using a home oven: An hour before you are ready to cook your bagels, preheat your home oven with the Ooni Pizza Steel inside, aiming for 260 °C. 

If using wood or charcoal in a Karu 16: About twenty minutes before cooking, preheat the oven stone to 260 °C. (If using charcoal, you want to cook when it’s glowing and there isn’t a rolling flame.)



7. Remove the bagels from the fridge.

Bring a large pot full of water with the malt syrup to a boil until the water is frothy. Skim away some of the froth before adding your bagels, 3 at a time. Boil for 1 minute. 

8. Carefully remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving board covered with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Once cool to the touch, drop one bagel at a time into a bowl filled with everything bagel seasoning, making sure to get seeds over the entire bagel. Repeat this step with the other boiled bagels.  

9. If using a home oven: Carefully launch the bagels and parchment paper onto the pizza steel, 4 at a time.

If using a home oven: Carefully launch the bagels and parchment paper onto the pizza steel, 4 at a time. (Make sure the parchment paper stays to avoid the bagels sticking to the steel.) Bake for 15 minutes or until a light brown crust forms. 

If using wood or charcoal in a Karu 16: Place 4 bagels on a strong baking tray lined with parchment paper. (The Pizza Steel is not compatible with Ooni ovens.) Carefully launch the tray into the oven and bake for 8 minutes, turning regularly for an even cook. After 8 minutes, remove the bagels from the tray with a pair of tongs, and cook them directly on the baking stone for about 5 minutes, or until you get a light brown colour on the bottom crust.



10. Remove the bagels from the oven.

Slice, spread with butter or cream cheese and enjoy!

11. Repeat the steps with the remaining bagels.

Ooni HQ

From wood-fired flavour to gas-powered consistency to electrified convenience, you can use Ooni's portable pizza ovens in the kitchen, backyard or beyond.

Recommended Products

1 / 1