Blueberry Bagel
When I used to work in a bakery, we made fresh bagels every morning. One of the best selling flavors was the blueberry bagel. That’s why I want to share this recipe of blueberry bagels with sourdough starter.
| Ready in: 18-36 hours | Serves: 8 people |
| Yield: 8 bagels, 110-115g each | Units: US, EU |
Ingredients
Sourdough starter
- 10g sourdough starter
- 50g water
- 50g bread flour
Dough
- 550g bread flour (100%) (+/-50g extra flour if needed)
- 225g water (40%)
- 100g starter (18%)
- 40g sugar(7%)
- 10g salt (2%)
- 100g frozen and thawed blueberries
- 0.5g yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)
Boiling
- You need a wide pot
- 1 gallon of water
Directions
Day 1
Starter
Night before
- Add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
Day 2
Dough
Morning
- Mix water, sugar, sourdough starter (100g on its peak, the rest use for future feedings), thawed blueberries, salt and flour in your mixer.
- Mix until dough will come up together and all blueberries will be mixed into the dough.
- Cover and let it rise until it becomes lighter with bubbles on surface, for 3-4 hours , perform a couple folds during that time.
Shaping
- Prepare the baking tray with the parchment paper in it. Place the dough onto a non-floured surface.
- Flatten the dough into a rectangle and divide it into 10 equal pieces, about 100 grams each.
- Round each piece into a ball and let rest for 10-15 min.
- Poke each ball with your finger in the middle and start to stretch the hole with your fingers, until it will get bigger about 2 inches long.
- Set bagels on the prepared baking tray.
- Cover the tray with plastic or wet towel. Let bagels rest for 1-1.5 hour at a room temperature.
Note: If you want to bake bagels the same day, let them proof 1 extra hour and proceed to a boiling stage.
Note: If you want to bake bagels in the morning for breakfast:
- Then transfer the tray to the fridge for 6-18 hours (overnight).
Day 3
Boiling
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
- Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).
- Remove bagels from the fridge add 1-2 bagels into the pot and wait for them to float to the surface, for about 10 seconds (some will float right away).
- Cook for 30 seconds on each side for a thin crust. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bagels from the water, dip the rounded side into seeds (or whatever topping) to coat.
- Place them back on to the sheet-pan covered with parchment paper generously sprayed with oil.
- Bake the bagels for about 20-25 minutes at 425F.
Blueberry Bagels (Sourdough Method)
250kcal
Ingredients
The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)
- 10 g Sourdough starter culture
- 40 g Water
- 40 g Bread flour
The Stiff Blueberry Main Dough
- 450 g High-gluten bread flour (13–14% protein content)
- 190 g Water (Cold)
- 80 g Active sourdough starter levain (From the stage above)
- 25 g Honey (or barley malt syrup)
- 8 g Salt
- 100 g Fresh blueberries (Wash and dry thoroughly; alternatively, use high-quality dried blueberries)
The Glossy Boiling Water Bath
- 2 Quarts water
- 1 tbsp Honey (or barley malt syrup)
- 1 tsp Baking soda
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (Fitted with a heavy-duty dough hook)
- Large Wide Pot (For the boiling water bath)
- Baking Sheet & Parchment Paper
- Slotted Spoon or skimmer
Method
Day 1 – Active Starter Ignition
- 10:00 PM: In a clean glass jar, dissolve your 10g of starter culture into 40g of water. Stir in 40g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it triples in volume.
Day 2 – Dense Stiff Kneading, Shaping, and Cold Retard
- 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 190g of cold water, 25g of honey, and 80g of active overnight starter. Whisk together cleanly.
- Dump all 450g of high-protein bread flour and 8g of salt directly over the liquids.
- The Stiff Knead: Attach your heavy-duty dough hook. Mix strictly on low speed for 10 to 12 minutes. Warning: Bagel dough has a very low hydration level and will feel exceptionally stiff and dense; do not increase your mixer speed, or you risk overheating the motor. Knead until the dough forms a completely unified, tight, smooth mass.
- The Inclusion Fold: Stop the mixer, add all 100g of blueberries, and run the machine on low speed for exactly 1 minute just until the berries are mixed through. (Some fresh berries will burst slightly, bleeding gorgeous purple streaks into the dough matrix—this is perfectly normal!).
- Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment for 4 hours at a warm room temperature of 76–80°F (24–26°C) until it expands and feels slightly puffy.
- 12:30 PM – Precision Shaping: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it lightly with flour. Divide the dough mass cleanly into 8 equal pieces weighing roughly 110 to 115 grams each.
- Roll each piece firmly against your counter under a cupped hand into a smooth, tight ball.
- Flour your thumb. Plunge it straight down through the exact center of a dough ball to create a hole. Lift the ring and gently rotate your fingers inside the gap, pulling outward until the center hole measures roughly 2 inches in diameter. Repeat for all 8 pieces.
- Arrange the shaped rings onto your prepared baking sheet. Cover the tray securely with plastic wrap and slide it straight into the refrigerator for an 8 to 14-hour overnight cold fermentation retard. This long chill slows down the yeast while allowing natural acids to build up, creating those signature micro-blisters on the crust.
Day 3 – Boiling Bath & High-Heat Bake
- 6:30 AM: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Fill a wide pot with 2 quarts of water, add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and bring to a steady rolling boil.
- Pull your cold bagels straight from the refrigerator. Slip 2 or 3 bagels carefully into the boiling water bath. Boil for exactly 1 minute, flip them over with a slotted spoon, and boil for 1 additional minute on the second side.
- Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to lift the boiled bagels out, letting any excess water drain off, and place them right back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Slide the tray into the hot oven immediately and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 20 to 22 minutes until the outer crust turns a deep golden brown and feels perfectly firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and smearing with cream cheese!
Nutrition
Calories250kcalCarbohydrates51gProtein8gFat1gSaturated Fat0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat0.5gMonounsaturated Fat0.1gCholesterol2mgSodium222mgPotassium88mgFiber2gSugar6gVitamin A9IUVitamin C1mgCalcium20mgIron1mg
Notes
- The Fresh vs. Dried Blueberry Dynamic: If you choose to use fresh blueberries, they will naturally release moisture and burst slightly during the mechanical mixing stage, coloring your dough a lovely purple color. If you prefer a cleaner, uncolored dough matrix with intact fruit pockets, simply substitute the fresh berries dynamic-for-dynamic with 80g of plump dried blueberries instead.
- The Float Test Guardrail: If you are worried your bagels didn’t proof enough during their cold night in the fridge, drop one shaped ring into a bowl of cold water before starting your boiling process. If it floats instantly to the surface, your yeast is perfectly active and ready to go. If it sinks like a stone, let the tray sit on your warm kitchen counter for 30 to 45 minutes to wake up before boiling.
- Why the Boiling Bath is Essential: Dropping the proofed rings into boiling water with baking soda and honey serves a vital chemical purpose. The intense heat instantly gelatinizes the starches on the exterior surface of the dough, locking the ring shape in place and preventing further expansion. This process ensures your bagels develop a thick, satisfyingly chewy outer shell rather than expanding into a soft, airy roll.
- Handling Low-Hydration Stiff Doughs: Do not be tempted to add extra splash streams of water during step 4 if the dough matrix looks incredibly dry or takes a while to clean the bowl. Authentic bagels demand a low-hydration structure to maintain their dense texture. Trust your stand mixer hook to steadily compress and smooth the ingredients together on low speed.
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Hello, Natasha
Thank you for your amazing detailed recipes, I’m so happy that I found your profile and subscribed to you on Instagram.
My question about this recipe is – can I use fresh blueberries, or I should freeze it first?
Thank you in advance
Iryna, thank you for your kind feedback! I would suggest frozen blueberries, or you can make a purée from fresh berries.
Hi Natasha, This is related to next day bake where CR in frudge. You mentioned “Remove bagels from the fridge add 1-2 bagels into the pot and wait for them to float to the surface, for about 10 seconds (some will float right away).”. Meaning straight from fridge to pot of boiling water? Or do I need to leave it at room temperature for it to proof first. Thank you.
You can let them rest at room temperature before boiling them, or something I just boil them right away, and they are still great.
Thank you. Have a great day.
Hello Natasha, I have a quick question about the Bakers Percentage in this formula.
Shall I add 40g sugar as the recipe or 17g sugar instead to follow 3% BP?
I’m looking forward to trying it tomorrow, so I’m gonna prepare the starter tonight. Thank you.
Sorry it is my typo, definitely 40g (7%)
Hello Natasha, I have same question as Patricia. Boil bagel straight from fridge or need to give time for rise up at room temperature. Thank you for your patience.
Both ways will work great! Good luck 🙏
Thank you.
Happy good morning,
Thank you for the detailed recipe. You mentioned “ Place them back on to the sheet-pan covered with parchment paper generously sprayed with oil.”
Does this mean that I spray the pan before putting the parchment sheet or I spray the papper on top before putting the bagels?
Hi!
You need to spray the paper with oil, because otherwise bagels will stick to the paper during baking.
Hi, looking forward to trying this! It says it makes 8 bagels, but your directions say to divide into 10 pieces?
Sorry it was a typo. You will get 10 bagels from the recipe 🙏
Natalya, thank you for your generosity of posting detailed recipes. I’ve made your white sandwich loaf and blueberry bagels yesterday and both were terrific. The only thing I can add to the recipe that after thawing blueberries – don’t add that liquid. I didn’t – and it was perfect .Thank you.
All’s, thank you do much for your feedback and suggestion not to add water.
I should try it too 🙏
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Great recipe! I used fresh blueberries and it worked out great. My husband’s fav so I’ll def be making again!