next 5 recipes: sourdough bagels

oh hello there.

we are halfway through december and quickly approaching the new year. how in the heck did that happen?? it might have taken until the last month of the year, but i am rounding out my next 5 recipes with sourdough bagels from the clever carrot.

personally, i am a bagel gal. while i’m not always cranking out homemade ones, my go-to breakfast right now is a bagel, toasted, from trader joe’s with whipped cream cheese. yum. 

considers stopping right now to go make a bagel...

sweet or savory? toasted or raw? scooped or unscooped? bagels can be, dare i say, divisive depending on what part of the country you’re from (i’m lookin’ at you, nyc), and that is with good reason. there really IS something in the water that makes those big apple bagels hit different.

while those are delicious and you should absolutely have a new york bagel in your lifetime, i offer you an alternate (and perhaps more economical) path to achieving bagel euphoria with some help from our good and almighty friend, sourdough.

sourdough + bagels = a match made in heaven.

crunchy and crisp on the exterior and soft and chewy on the inside makes for a swoon-worthy bagel. the cinnamon sugar topping creates some extra bits of sweet crispiness that are just delightful. i also made some bagels with everything but the bagel seasoning...but maybe it's everything AND the bagel if you add it to a bagel? anyway, sweet or salty, these bagels will hold up to whatever toppings you throw on at them…or on them.

now these take a few more steps than running to the store and buying bagels, but it is worth. it. as with other sourdough bakes, the two most important parts are 1) planning your baking schedule to factor in rise times and 2) ensuring the starter is active and bubbly. if you make sure those things are in order, you’ll be off to a great start.

there is something unique about boiling bread. maybe because it is an unusual step compared to making other types of bread, but it’s fun! boiling bagels is what gives them their personality - it is the base for forming a crust and helps them keep their shape.

i love the flavor and crunchiness of these and they are sure to bring smiles to all who enjoy them. what’s your go-to bagel order?