Bagels are my favorite breakfast comfort food, and these sourdough cinnamon raisin bagels are perfect. They are soft and chewy and pair great with any spread. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create bakery-style bagels at home. An active sourdough starter is the key to this recipe, so make sure it’s bubbly before you start.
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Equipment
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (85-100℉; 30-38 ℃)
- ½ cup active sourdough starter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 ½-6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins
Water Bath
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda optional – see notes
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Instructions
- Feed your starter. Feed your sourdough starter 8 hours before you plan on using it. In a jar or bowl, stir together 30 grams of sourdough starter, 45 grams of all-purpose flour, and 45 grams of water. (You can double these amounts if you want more to feed later). Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow your mixture to sit on your counter for 8 hours or until it is bubbly and has doubled in size.
- Mix starter, water, sugar. Add the warm water, active sourdough starter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the water and sourdough starter is almost fully incorporated.
- Add flour and salt. Add the flour and salt and use a wooden spoon to combine as much as you can. You may need to use your hands to add the rest of the flour.
- Rest. Place the formed dough in a clean bowl and cover with a towel, plate, or plastic wrap. Allow to sit covered for 1 hour.
- Add cinnamon and raisins. After 1 hour, remove the cover. Turn the dough onto a clean, dry surface (if the dough is sticky, sprinkle a small amount of flour to the surface). Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and raisins onto the dough. Fold the dough into thirds, covering the cinnamon and raisins. Then sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon and raisins onto the dough and roll the dough up into a ball.
- Bulk rise. Transfer the dough back to the bowl. Cover with a towel, plate, or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 8-12 hours or overnight.
- Divide dough. Remove the cover and transfer the dough to a clean, dry space using a sprinkle of flour as needed. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and form them into a ball.
- Rest. Cover with a towel and allow to sit for 1 hour.
- Prep water bath. Prepare the water bath by adding the water, brown sugar, and baking soda (if using) to a large pot and boil over medium-high heat.
- Prep parchment paper. While the water is coming to a boil, cut a sheet of parchment paper down into 12 squares 4×4 inch (2.5×2.5 cm) and set aside.
- Prep for baking. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prep dough. Uncover the dough balls and use your thumb to press a hole into the middle of each dough ball, stretching it slightly. Place each prepared bagel onto a piece of the 4×4 inch (2.5×2.5 cm) parchment square. Repeat this process 11 more times until all of the dough balls have been shaped into bagel shapes. (Note: The parchment paper allows for easy transfer, preventing the dough from sticking to your hands or the counter.)
- Boil. Working in batches, place the bagels into the water bath. Allow them to cook for 3 minutes, flipping halfway. Transfer the boiled bagels to the parchment-lined baking sheet using a spider or slotted spoon.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F (190 C) for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool on the cooling rack for 10 minutes before cutting into them. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Adding baking soda to the water bath gives the bagels a classic chewy texture and a beautiful golden brown color. It is not completely necessary to use as your bagels will brown up in the oven.
- It is important to measure the water for the water bath so the bagels come out golden brown.
I’m a big fan of these bagels! They’re the perfect combination of chewy and soft, with just the right amount of sweetness from the cinnamon and raisins. My family loves them toasted with a bit of butter or cream cheese. They’re perfect for a quick breakfast or a satisfying snack.
My kids gobble these up, so I often make a batch of these and plain chewy sourdough bagels for breakfast for the whole week.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Here are a few things you’ll need to make these bagels.
- Active sourdough starter. You’ll need a bubbly and active sourdough starter to give these bagels their signature tangy flavor and chewy texture.
- All-purpose flour. This is the foundation of your bagel dough.
- Cinnamon. Use high-quality cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Raisins. Plump raisins add a touch of sweetness to every bite.
With these key ingredients, you’ll be ready to bake delicious bagels!
Troubleshooting and Help
Hmm, a few things could cause that. First, make sure your sourdough starter is super active. It should be nice and bubbly. Also, be careful not to overwork the dough, as this can make it tough. Finally, make sure you let the dough rise properly in a warm, draft-free place.
Absolutely! Just leave them out, and you’ll have wonderful plain sourdough bagels. You could also try my blueberry sourdough bagels.
Your bagels should be golden brown and sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom. If they’re still doughy, bake them for a few more minutes.
That’s a great question! The water bath is a key step in getting that chewy bagel texture. It gelatinizes the starches on the surface of the dough before it goes in the oven, creating a kind of skin that helps the bagel hold its shape and develop that characteristic chewiness. While you could skip it, your bagels might not have the same texture. They might spread out more and be a bit softer.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m happy to help.
I hope you enjoy these bagels as much as my family does! They’re perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast or a satisfying afternoon snack. Make a big batch for the whole week, or use your leftovers to make a casserole! These bagels are delicious either way.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.