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🍞 Why I can't stop making—and eating—bagels

Published 5 days ago • 2 min read

An Ode to Sourdough Bagels

For the past few weeks, I've been working on updates to my Sourdough Bagel recipe (both in my cookbook and on the website).

They're pretty awesome as-is, but I've been adding a little whole-grain flour, a different same-day fermentation schedule, and a way for me to make these easier on the regular (we eat a lot of bagels here!).

Here's what I've been playing with in this recipe:

  • Using my pasta madre (panettone starter) for low acidity. A regular starter can be adjusted in this same way—stay tuned.
  • Adding more whole grains: wheat, rye
  • Adding a bit of barley malt syrup to the boil for color and flavor
  • Changing from retarded (overnight) fermentation to direct (same-day)

All of these things have led to a puffy bagel with very, very minimal sournotes and increased crust color. I can't wait to have more updates for you soon.

Here's a shot of my progress so far, though there are still more changes to be made:

(Oh, and if you want to see me make these from start to finish, check out my video on Instagram, too.)

Read on!

In this week's newsletter:

  • Recipes: Sourdough bagels, sourdough crackers
  • Baking Help: Why do my bagel toppings burn?
  • Sourdough Links: An inspiring young woman opens her French bakery (so many products!).

🍞 Sourdough bagels

The simple truth is this: if there are bagels in the house, I'll be eating them every day until they're gone.

Oh, and you might like these...

🍞 Sourdough crackers

One of my favorite—and easiest—ways to use up sourdough starter discard. Crispy, seedy, and so snackable.

đź’ˇ In case you missed it: Guide to dough hydration

If you've ever asked:

How much water should I add to my bread dough while mixing?

This guide is for you!

👋🏼 Join The Community

This past week, there's been a lot of discussion about baker's percentages in The Baker's Corner community. Something I have written a lot about (both at the website and in my cookbook), but I plan to host a virtual meetup sometime soon to go through how I use them to scale and develop recipes.

Join now and get in on the meetup, plus access to our community chat, the recipe archive in editable spreadsheets, and remove ads on the website! As always, I appreciate your support.

đź’¬ Member Discussion of the Week

I make your sourdough bagels all the time — they're perfection. But when I add everything, the garlic and onion bits tend to burn before the bagels are fully baked. Any tips?

I've run into this too. The natural sugars in those toppings make them prone to scorching. The simplest fix is to tent your bagels loosely with aluminum foil for the last 5–7 minutes of baking, once the toppings start to brown too much. This shields them from direct heat while the bagels finish through. You can also try dropping your oven temperature by 15–25°F and extending the bake slightly — that gentler heat gives the bagels more time to finish without pushing the toppings past the edge.

🛟 2 Ways I Can Help You Today

  • Interested in scaling up your baking? Check out my guide to using a larger bread oven.
    ​
  • I use the autolyse technique almost every time I bake. Not only does it make mixing easier, but it also brings a lot of extensibility to the dough, which can help achieve a tall rise and open crumb.

đź“™ What I'm Reading and Watching

Happy baking!

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Thank you for subscribing 🩶. Sent from Maurizio at The Perfect Loaf, 8100 Wyoming Blvd NE Ste M4, #343, Albuquerque, NM 87113.
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Maurizio Leo

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