You’ll need an active starter for this recipe or your dough will not rise, so be sure to feed it before starting. Use your starter when it’s peaking. The peak is just before sourdough starter starts to fall on its jar.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer if using one, mix flour, salt, water, starter, molasses and honey/maple syrup. Mix until all the ingredients are combined and no dry spots remain.

Knead for 5 minutes if using a stand mixer, 10 minutes if doing by hand. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic/beeswax wrap.

Let it rise on a warm spot in your kitchen, or place it inside your fridge to rise overnight. If using your fridge, don’t let it rise for longer than 36 hours and cover using plastic/beeswax wrap. A damp towel won’t be enough for the dough not to develop skin if doing cold fermentation inside the fridge.

After the first rise, your dough should feel light and soft. Divide it into 8 pieces. Let them rest for 10 minutes.

Shape each piece into a tight ball. Watch the video to see how it’s done. Starting by the first ball you’ve shaped, use your thumb to poke a hole straight down through the middle of the dough. Stretch the hole bigger than you want it to be: it will shrink considerably as soon as you place it on the parchment paper, and it will shrink more after the second rise.

Careful to place each bagel so they have enough space between them and don’t touch each other when rising. Let bagels rest until they look puffy and feel lighter. It can take 1 to 2 hours for them to be ready, it will all depend of temperature and how active is your starter.

Preheat oven to 450° F, shelf on middle rack. Using a large pan, boil about a gallon of water with baking soda and sugar. Both your oven and the water must be ready at the same time.

Handle bagels carefully. Gently, grab one by one, place them into the boiling water and boil 45 to 50 seconds each side. You can boil 2-3 bagels per time, it will depend of the size of your pan. Just avoid them touching as that can make them deflate too.

Remove bagels from water and place them on a cooling rack if you have one. Top them with your topping of choice. I love sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning for these bagels.

Place bagels on a lined sheet pan and bake them for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.