Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels

A sourdough cinnamon raisin bagel sliced in half next to more bagels.

5 from 1 vote

After countless rounds of testing, I finally landed on the perfect Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels with a chewy texture, plenty of raisins and cinnamon flavor, and just the right amount of sweetness.

Prep Time30

Cook Time18

Rise Time9 30

Total Time10 18

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: bagels

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Active Sourdough Starter (Levain)

75 grams sourdough starter ⅓ cup
75 grams flour ½ cup + ½ teaspoon
75 grams water 5 Tablespoons

Dough

350 grams room temperature water 1⅓ cups + 2 Tablespoons
225 grams active sourdough starter scant 1 cup
75 grams brown sugar ⅓ cup
15 grams salt 2½ teaspoons
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
715 grams bread flour 5¼ cups
240 grams raisins 1½ cups

Water Bath

2840 grams water 12 cups
14 grams baking soda 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

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.
75 grams sourdough starter, 75 grams flour, 75 grams water
Skip this step if your starter is already activated and ready to bake with. If you don't have extra sourdough starter, use 80 grams of each so you have some leftover.
Note: If you want to start the dough in the morning, feed your starter 10–12 hours in advance using 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.
Mix & Knead: Add all the 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.
You can also mix this dough in a bowl and then knead it by hand. If mixing by hand, I recommend using warm water.
350 grams room temperature water, 225 grams active sourdough starter, 75 grams brown sugar, 15 grams salt, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 715 grams bread flour, 240 grams raisins

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.

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.

If you mix the dough in a mixer, your dough temperature will likely start higher, 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 warmer water to mix the dough can help speed things up.

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.
Prep parchment paper squares: Cut twelve 4×4-inch squares of parchment paper.
This step is optional, and you can place the bagels on a silicone baking mat instead. However, I find the individual parchment squares make it much easier to transfer the bagels into the boiling water without stretching or losing their shape.
Shape into bagels: 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.
Second rise: Let the bagels rise for another 1.5-2 hours to relax and get puffy. The bagels will not double in size.
Preheat oven: After the bagels have had a chance to rise, preheat your oven to 425°F.
Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 12 cups of water) with 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
2840 grams water, 14 grams 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.
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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition