sourdough pumpkin bagels on a wire cooling rack

The Best Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels

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Welcome the fall season by enjoying the best homemade sourdough pumpkin bagels right at home. The pumpkin sourdough bagels are full of pumpkin pie spice flavors with a touch of maple syrup and a light classic sourdough flavor. These bagels are made without commercial yeast and rely on a sourdough starter to become light and chewy. 

Sourdough pumpkin bagels in a cloth-lined basket

There’s nothing like a toasted chewy bagel topped with melted butter or cream cheese on a crisp, fall morning. The pumpkin lover in me enjoys all the fall flavors and adding pumpkin is a great way to enjoy it with my morning breakfast. These delicious bagels are sure to become a family favorite! 

The Best Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels Ingredients

  • Sourdough starter – This recipe uses an active sourdough starter that’s been fed recently and is full of activity and bubbles. 
  • Pumpkin puree – Either canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree work to make these bagels. (See below how to prepare homemade pumpkin)
  • Maple syrup – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
  • Salt – Flavors the bagels.
  • Cinnamon – Pumpkin and cinnamon are besties that just naturally go together.
  • Nutmeg – Use a whole nutmeg and grate with a zester into the dough for the fullest flavor. 
  • Ground clove – A little goes a long way so you don’t need much. 
  • Water – Warm water will create a better environment for the sourdough starter to bulk ferment. 
  • Flour – I use bread flour to create chewy bagels but the recipe will work with all-purpose flour.

Step-By-Step Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Bagel Instructions

Mixing The Dough

Add 300g (1 ⅓c) pumpkin puree, 200g (1⅔ cups) active sourdough starter, 40 g (2 tbsp) maple syrup, 100 g (½ c) water, 1 tsp cinnamon, 12g (2 tsp) salt, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground clove to a large bowl. Use a dough whisk to mix completely. 

Add 625g (5 c, spoon and level) bread flour to the mixing bowl and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. I use a dough whisk to begin with but because the dough is so stiff I find that using my hands is the best way to get all of the flour mixed in. 

Cover the bowl to let rest for 30 minutes. This allows the flour time to absorb the water.

Stretch and Folds

Over the next 90 minutes, do a series of stretch and folds with 30-minute intervals. 

Grab the edge of the dough and stretch it up and then fold it over onto itself. Continue around the sides of the bowl until all of the dough has been folded over, 4-6 folds. Wait 30 minutes. This completes one set of stretch and folds. Continue with the remaining 2 sets.

TIP: Because the dough is stiff you may need to use a second hand to hold the dough in the bowl as you stretch the edge of it upward.

First Rise 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the bagel dough rise for 3-4 hours at room temperature. The dough will look puffy and have risen a bit, but not a lot. 

Shape

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. If you prefer larger bagels, divide them into 8-10 equal pieces.

With each piece of dough, pull the edges of the dough together, pinching the seams, to create a smooth top.

Flip the dough ball over so the seams are facing down and push your thumb and finger together in the center of each dough ball to create a hole.

Stretch the opening to create the bagel shape and place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough room for the bagels to expand.  

Second Rise

Cover the baking tray with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 2 hours or until the bagels have puffed up by 50%. The exact length of time will vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

TIP: It can be difficult to remember how big the bagels are to gauge how much they have risen. Snap a photo right after you shape them so you can compare their size as they rise.

Boil and Bake

When the bagels have risen and are ready for the next step preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

Add 2 tsp each of baking soda and sugar to a large pot of water and bring to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat.

Gently drop bagels into the boiling water, 3 – 4 bagels at a time, or however many fit without overcrowding the bagels. Boil for 30 seconds on one side, flip, and boil for another 30 seconds

The bagels should float, showing that the dough is filled with plenty of air pockets. Their shape won’t change much, but the color will get slightly darker in the water.

boiling the bagels

Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon and place them back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Place the baking tray into the preheated oven with the rack in the middle position and bake for 20-22 minutes. The bagels are done when the tops of the pumpkin bagels are lightly golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the middle of the bagel reads 200 degrees. 

sourdough pumpkin bagels on a wooden board

FAQs

What Does A Water Bath Do For Bagels?

Boiling the bagels cooks the outer layer of dough to set the bagel’s shape. Adding a touch of baking soda makes the water more alkaline and gives the bagels a pretzel-like quality and the chewiness they’re known for.  The addition of sugar gives the bagels a shine and deepens their color.

How Do I Make Bagels Chewier?

The level of chewiness in bagels is determined by how long they are in the boiling water. 30-60 seconds will cook a thin layer of the dough and create just a bit of chewiness. Cooking for 90 seconds up to a 3 minutes cooks more of the dough, creating a thicker crust and more chew.

What’s The Best Way To Store Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels?

Allow the bagels to cool completely and place them into an airtight container or plastic ziplock bag. Store them at room temperature up to 5 days. 

Can I Freeze Homemade Bagels?

Freezing homemade bagels is a great way to keep them fresh for 3-4 months. Before freezing, slice the bagels in half horizontally to make it easier to place into the toaster without thawing. Place bagels into a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and label with the name and date before placing into the freezer. Enjoy within 3 months for best flavor.

I Don’t Have Canned Pumpkin, Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin To Make Bagels?

Because pumpkin puree in a can isn’t readily available everywhere or sometimes you have pumpkins that you want to use, it’s nice to know how to make pumpkin puree at home.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Don’t throw them away! Save them to roast for a delicious snack!

Place the pumpkin halves onto a baking sheet and place into the oven at 400 degrees. Bake until the flesh of the pumpkin is soft when poked with a knife, generally 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin. Let the pumpkin cool to room temperature and scoop into a food processor.

Because baked pumpkin contains more water than canned pumpkin it needs to be strained otherwise it’ll alter the ratios of the recipe. Scoop the pureed pumpkin into a few layers of cheesecloth, tie the ends together, and hang with a small bowl underneath to catch the liquid. After 8-12 hours the pumpkin puree is ready to use in the same way as canned pumpkin. 

4 sourdough pumpkin bagels in a cloth-lined basket

Same Day Sample Baking Schedule

8 am – Feed the sourdough starter a ratio of 1:1:1 and allow it to come to its peak

12 pm – Mix the dough and rest for 30 minutes

12:30, 1:00, and 1:30 pm – 3 sets of stretch and folds with 30 minute intervals

1:30 pm – First rise in the bowl at room temperature

5:30 pm – Shape the bagels and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet

5:45 pm – The shaped bagels second rise on baking sheet at room temperature

7:45 pm – Boil the bagels and preheat oven

8 pm – Bake the bagels

I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and rate the recipe. Tag photos #Lockremhomestead over on Instagram when you share pictures of your Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels!

sourdough pumpkin bagels on a wire cooling rack

The Best Homemade Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels

Welcome the fall season by enjoying the best homemade sourdough pumpkin bagels right at home. The pumpkin sourdough bagels are full of pumpkin pie spice flavors with a touch of maple syrup and a light classic sourdough flavor.
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 10 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 20 minutes
Course breads
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Bagels

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g active sourdough starter 1⅔ cups
  • 300 g pumpkin puree 1⅓ cups
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 tbsp
  • 12 g salt 2 tsp
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground clove
  • 100 g warm water ½ cup
  • 625 g bread flour 5 cups, spoon and level

Instructions
 

Mixing The Dough

  • Add 300g (1 ⅓c) pumpkin puree, 200g (1⅔ cups) active sourdough starter, 40 g (2 tbsp) maple syrup, 100 g (½ c) water, 1 tsp cinnamon, 12g (2 tsp) salt, ½ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground clove to a large bowl. Use a dough whisk to mix completely. 
  • Add 625g (5 c) bread flour to the mixing bowl and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. I use a dough whisk to begin with but because the dough is so stiff, I find that using your hands is the best way to get all of the flour mixed in. 
  • Cover the bowl to let rest for 30 minutes. This allows the flour time to absorb the water.

Stretch and Folds

  • Over the next 90 minutes, do a series of stretch and folds with 30-minute intervals. 
  • Grab the edge of the dough and stretch it up and then fold it over onto itself. Because the dough is stiff you may need to use a second hand to hold the dough in the bowl as you stretch the edge of it upward.
  • Continue around the sides of the bowl until all of the dough has been folded over, 4-6 folds. Wait 30 minutes. This completes one set of stretch and folds. 
  • Continue with the remaining 2 sets.

First Rise

  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the bagel dough rise for 3-4 hours at room temperature. The dough will look puffy and have risen a bit. 

 Shape

  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. If you prefer larger bagels, divide them into 8-10 equal pieces.
  • With each piece of dough, pull the edges of the dough together, pinching the seams, to create a smooth top.
    Flip the dough ball over so the seams are facing down and push your thumb and finger together in the center of each dough ball to create a hole.
    Stretch the opening to create the bagel shape and place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough room for the bagels to expand. 

Second Rise

  • Cover the baking tray with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 2 hours or until the bagels have puffed up by 50%. The exact length of time will vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Boil and Bake

  • When the bagels have risen and are ready for the next step preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
  • Add 2 tsp each of baking soda and sugar to a large pot of water and bring to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat.
  • Gently drop bagels into the boiling water, 3 or 4 bagels at a time, or however many fit without overcrowding the bagels. Boil for 30 seconds on one side, flip, and boil for another 30 seconds. The bagels should float, showing that the dough is filled with plenty of air pockets. Their shape won't change much, but the color will get slightly darker.
  • Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon and place them back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. 
  • Place the baking tray into the preheated oven with the rack in the middle position and bake for 20-22 minutes.
  • The bagels are done when the tops of the pumpkin bagels are lightly golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the middle of the bagel reads 200 degrees. 

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