Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels

5 from 1 vote

Oct 12, 2026

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These Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels are perfectly chewy and spiced with warm cinnamon, filled with plump raisins and a hint of brown sugar for just the right amount of sweetness. Made from the base of my Sourdough Bagel recipe, these bagels have been tested multiple times to guarantee they will turn out delicious every time.

A sourdough cinnamon raisin bagel sliced in half next to more bagels and a bread knife.

Save & Summarize

When I made this recipe, I wanted the bagels to have just the right balance of flavors. At first, I only used a touch of brown sugar, but I felt like it needed a little more sweetness, so I increased the amount. The result is well balanced with sweetness from the brown sugar and raisins, warmth from the cinnamon, and tang from the sourdough, just like my Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

While testing this recipe, I found that these bagels took longer to rise than my original recipe because the added sugar and cinnamon slow down fermentation. So I increased the amount of sourdough starter to help keep the timeline similar and allow the bagels to reliably rise overnight. If you love overnight recipes, be sure to also try my Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls!

Why you will love this recipe
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels
Recipe Tips
Sourdough Bagels Sample Schedule
How to store and freeze Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
More sourdough Breakfast recipes
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels Recipe

Why you will love this recipe

Overnight recipe – This recipe is mixed the night before and rises while you sleep so you can shape and bake the bagels the next morning.
Chewy texture – Boiling the bagels in baking soda gives them a delicious, chewy texture.
Balance of flavors – Warm cinnamon and sweet raisins pair perfectly with the subtle tang of sourdough for a well-balanced flavor.

Important Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels on a white background.

Bread flour- I like to use bread flour for this recipe to get the best chewy texture. In a pinch, you can use all-purpose flour but I recommend reducing the water by 25 grams.
Active Starter – This replaces commercial yeast in the recipe and is what leavens the dough. An active starter means that it has been recently fed, is bubbly, and has doubled in size. For a quick yeast hybrid version, you can use my Sourdough Discard Bagel recipe with the addition of cinnamon and raisins.
Raisins – You will add the raisins right in with the dough while kneading. No need to soak them before adding them to the dough; I find that the raisins are already soft enough.

See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels

Sourdough starter in a glass jar with a red lid on a black warming mat.

Step 1 – Feed sourdough starter

About 4 hours before making the bagels build a levain or feed your sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (75 grams starter: 75 grams flour: 75 grams water). Cover and let it rest at 80°F (27°C) until bubbly and doubled in size.

Skip this step if your starter is already activated and ready to bake with.

Note: If you want to feed your starter 10–12 hours in advance, use a 1:5:5 ratio (25 g starter: 125 g flour: 125 g water). Leave it at 70–72°F (21-22°C) until bubbly and doubled.

Dough for Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels in a mixer.

Step 2 – Mix & Knead

Add all the dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using your dough hook, knead the dough for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough can pass the windowpane test. Over time the dough will become smooth and pliable to work with.

You can also mix this dough in a bowl and then knead it by hand.

A hand pull out the dough of cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels to do the windowpane test.

Step 3- Windowpane test

The windowpane test is used to see how well the gluten has developed. When the dough is able to stretch thin enough that you can see light through, without it tearing, it has passed.

Dough for cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels after doubling in size during first rise.

Step 4- Bulk Fermentation (First Rise)

Transfer the bagel dough to a bowl or straight-edge container and let it rise on the counter overnight, covered, until doubled in size. This will take about 8 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. At 72°F, my dough doubled in 8 hours.

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagel dough divided into 12 equal pieces.

Step 5 – Divide & Form into balls

Once doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 133 grams each. I like to use a bench scraper for this.

Taking one section at a time, form the dough into a ball by pulling the sides to the middle of the dough and then flipping it over. With your hand in a cupping shape, rotate the dough ball a few times in a circle. Repeat with the remaining 11.

Sourdough cinnamon raisin bagels on square pieces of parchment paper.

Step 6 – Shape into bagels

Cut twelve 4×4-inch squares of parchment paper.

Poke a hole in the middle of the dough and then, using both pointer fingers inserted on each side, rotate your fingers around each other, making a hole in the middle of the dough. Ideally you want the size of the hole to be 1.5-2 inches.

Place a shaped bagel on each piece of parchment paper, and then place all 12 of them on a large baking sheet and cover.

Cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels on square parchment paper on a sheet pan before second rise.

Step 7 – Second rise

Let the bagels rise for about 1.5-2 hours to relax and puff up; they do not need to double in size.

Alternatively, you can place all 12 of them on a silicone mat, but when you pick them up to boil them the shape of the bagel can change.

Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels boiled in a pot with baking soda.

Step 8 – Boil

After the bagels have had a chance to rise, preheat your oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 12 cups of water) with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.

Add 3-4 bagels at a time to the boiling water, parchment paper side up, and boil them for about 1 minute on each side. Once the bagels are in the water, you can easily remove the parchment paper from the dough with tongs. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the bagels from the water and drain excess liquid. Transfer to a cooling rack to remove excess water.

Freshly baked sourdough cinnamon raisin bagels freshly baked on a sheet pan.

Step 9 – Bake

Transfer the bagels to a lined baking sheet. Bake for 18- 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the bagels cool on a wire rack and then enjoy them with butter or cream cheese.

Recipe Tips

I highly recommend making individual parchment paper squares for the bagels to rise on. It makes it easier to put the bagels into the boiling water without messing up the shape.
If room temperature is 65°F or lower, use a temperature-regulated dough mat (use code country10 for 10% off) or proofing box to keep it warmer. Learn more about tips to keep your dough warm here.
Knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test. This ensures proper gluten development in the dough.
Use your sourdough starter at peak. Using a bubbly and active starter will set you up for success and help your dough to rise. Learn more about how to feed and care for your sourdough starter.

Three cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels stacked on top of each other.

Sourdough Bagels Sample Schedule

Here is a sample schedule for baking the sourdough bagels. The timeline can depend on the temperature and the activity of your starter, so your time may vary. This schedule assumes the temperature is around 72°F.

* Note: If you mix the dough in a mixer, your dough temperature will likely start higher, in my Bosch it’s around 85-90°F, which will help boost fermentation. If you are mixing the dough by hand, your dough may take longer than 8 hours to rise because the starting temperature will be cooler. Using slightly warmer water to mix the dough can help warm it up.

Step	Time
Feed starter a 1:1:1 ratio and leave at 80°F. (75 g starter: 75 g flour: 75 g water)	Day one: 5 pm
Mix the dough together First rise	Day one: 10 pm
Shape the bagels Second rise	Day two: 6 am
Boil the bagels Bake	Day two: 8 am

How to store and freeze Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

You can store these bagels on the counter in a plastic or paper bag for about two to four days. To store the bagels longer, you can freeze them for three to four months. You can either freeze them whole or sliced, and then add them to a freezer gallon bag. To defrost the bagels, pop them in your toaster, microwave, or oven on a low setting.

Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you boil bagels before baking?

Similar to my sourdough pretzel bites, bagels are boiled in water and baking soda before baking. This gives bagels that chewy texture and shiny crust we all love.

Can I use honey instead of sugar in the Sourdough Bagel recipe?

You can add honey or maple syrup instead of sugar in the recipe. I would recommend starting with 60 grams or 1/4 cup. This will add more moisture to the dough, so I would also reduce the water by 25 grams and note that you may need to add extra flour if the dough feels really sticky.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for Sourdough Bagels?

I prefer to use bread flour because it helps yield a chewy texture, but in a pinch, you can use all-purpose flour and reduce the water by 25 grams.

Can I shape the Sourdough Bagels and then add them to the fridge for the second proof?

Yes, you can put the dough or the bagels in the fridge before baking. I prefer to refrigerate the shaped bagels so that they are ready to go the next day. Just be sure to allow the bagels to rise and become puffy before baking.

Can I knead bagel dough in a KitchenAID mixer?

I have a 5qt KitchenAid mixer, and mine is not strong enough to knead this dough. Unless you have one of the more powerful KitchenAid mixers, I don’t recommend it, as it can burn up the motor. I use my Bosch mixer to knead this dough. Or you can knead by hand.

Why are my sourdough bagels wrinkly?

This can be a sign of overproofing. When the dough is left to rise for too long it can overproof, which deflates the dough, leading to a flatter, wrinkly bagel. Shortening the second rise time will solve this issue.

Can I add yeast for a fast rise time?

Yes, if you’d like to use yeast and sourdough discard, you can add 7 grams of yeast and follow the instructions for Sourdough Discard Bagels recipe. Keep in mind that the cinnamon and sugar can slow down rise times so they may take a little longer than what is written.

Why is my cinnamon raisin sourdough bagel dough not rising?

If your dough sat overnight and did not rise, it either needed to be in a warmer spot to rise, or your sourdough starter needs to be strengthened. You can find tips on maintaining and strengthening your sourdough starter here.