Soft & Chewy Einkorn Sourdough Bagels
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If you’ve been wanting to try homemade einkorn sourdough bagels, this easy recipe is a great place to start. Made with active sourdough starter and ancient einkorn flour, they bake up soft and airy with a lightly chewy crust. A quick boil gives them classic bagel texture without heaviness. Simple, wholesome, and perfect for breakfast sandwiches or toasted with butter or cream cheese.
If you’ve ever thought homemade bagels sounded intimidating, these einkorn sourdough bagels will completely change your mind. They’re simple, forgiving, and made with wholesome ingredients, no commercial yeast needed.
Einkorn flour gives these bagels a naturally soft, slightly chewy texture with a subtle nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the light tang of sourdough.
One of the biggest keys to success with einkorn is handling the dough gently. Because einkorn has a more delicate gluten structure, it doesn’t need aggressive kneading or shaping. Instead, the goal is to preserve the air created during bulk fermentation, which helps give these bagels a lighter interior.
Another important step is the quick boil. Keeping the boil short, just 15-25 seconds per side, helps set the crust without making the bagels overly dense. This is especially important with einkorn, which can become tight if overworked or overboiled.
These bagels are incredibly versatile. You can keep them classic with everything bagel seasoning, go savory with cheese on top, or leave them plain for the perfect base for cream cheese or sandwiches. They toast beautifully and have that perfect balance of soft interior and lightly chewy exterior.
If you’ve been looking for a way to use your sourdough starter with einkorn flour, this einkorn sourdough bagel recipe is a great place to start. The process is straightforward, the ingredients are simple, and the results are consistently delicious. If you need more help with einkorn sourdough recipes, my How to Convert Bread Recipes to Einkorn (Hydration Guide + Calculator) has a lot of helpful information about working with yeast and sourdough when baking with einkorn flour..
If you love these einkorn sourdough bagels, you’ll also love my einkorn sourdough English muffins and my einkorn long fermented sourdough pancakes, they’re easy, wholesome breakfast options that are both healthy and quick to make.
Table of Contents
Ingredient’s You’ll Need for These Einkorn Bagels
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Step-By-Step How to Make These Einkorn Sourdough Bagels
Combine Wet Ingredients
To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, active sourdough starter, and sugar, and mix until the mixture becomes smooth and milky.
Add Dry Ingredients
Add the all-purpose einkorn flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on the stir or low setting until combined.
Mix
Mix on the stir setting for 1–3 minutes, until the dough comes together, cleans the sides of the bowl, and no dry flour remains. Remove the dough and shape it into a smooth ball, then clean the stand mixer bowl and return the dough to the bowl (no need to oil it). Cover with plastic wrap and let it bulk ferment for 3–6 hours in a warm spot, such as on top of an espresso machine or in the oven with the light on.
Divide Into Balls
Once the bagel dough has nearly doubled and looks airy, carefully transfer it to a clean work surface, handling it gently to preserve the air from the bulk fermentation. Weigh the dough, then divide it into 8 equal pieces; each bagel is typically around 95g.
Shape into Dough Balls
Bring the sides of the bagel dough together, being careful not to deflate the air from the bulk fermentation. Turn the dough ball seam-side down, then use your palm to gently push the dough away and pull it back toward you, creating a “C” shape with your hand. This helps form smooth, round balls and builds surface tension. Don’t over do the surface tension. 1-2 times is usually enough.
Form Into Bagels
Cut 8 individual square parchment papers just large enough to hold bagels. Place them on a large baking sheet. Gently poke a hole through the center of the dough ball, then twirl it around your fingers to widen the hole. Place each shaped bagel onto prepared parchment squares.
Proof The Bagels
Cover the bagels with a damp tea towel and let them proof for 1–2 hours (mine are usually ready around 1.5–2 hours). You won’t see a dramatic change—just a slight puffiness. You can see in the photos below: the left is before proofing, and the right is after. This is always harder to tell with einkorn.
Boil The Bagels
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water, sugar, and baking soda to a boil. Working with 2 bagels at a time, gently lower them into the water with the parchment still attached; after 10 seconds, carefully peel off the parchment and place back onto the sheet pan. Boil for 15–25 seconds per side, then transfer back to the sheet pan—do not overboil. A short boil gives you a lightly chewy crust while keeping the interior soft and airy (perfect for einkorn bagels), while boiling too long can make them dense and tough.
Bake The Bagels
As soon as the bagels are removed from the boiling water, immediately add your toppings (everything bagel seasoning, cheese, etc.), as waiting too long can prevent them from sticking properly. Bake in a 425°F oven for 13–15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200–210°F. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before diving in!
Helpful Tips
FAQ’s
Why are my einkorn bagels dense?
Bagels naturally have a slightly dense and chewy texture; however, these einkorn sourdough bagels should still be light, airy, and pleasantly chewy with just a touch of that classic density. If your bagels turn out heavy or overly dense, it’s usually due to an inactive starter, not fermenting long enough, under proofing, or boiling them too long. Because einkorn has a delicate gluten structure, gentle handling after bulk fermentation is key to preserving the air in the dough and achieving the perfect texture.
How do I know when the dough is done bulk fermenting?
Bagel dough is naturally dense due to its lower hydration, which gives it that classic chewy texture—so it can be harder to tell when bulk fermentation is complete. Look for a dough that has nearly doubled and appears slightly airy; you may notice small bubbles or holes forming on the surface. This typically occurs within 3–6 hours after mixing the dough.
How do I store homemade bagels?
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. Toasting brings them back to life beautifully.
Can I coldproof these bagels?
I find these bagels turn out best when proofed the same day; however, you can absolutely cold proof them. Simply cover the shaped bagels with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for a slower proof, then boil straight from the fridge and bake the next day. For best results, keep the cold proof between 8–12 hours—any longer and you risk over proofing.
Why did my bagels not float in the water bath?
When bagels don’t float, it usually means they’re underproofed.
Floating is a quick indicator that enough gas has developed inside the dough during fermentation. If they sink, it means:
- Not enough air has built up yet
- The dough is still too dense
Most common reasons:
- Starter wasn’t active enough
- Bulk fermentation was too short
- Final proof wasn’t long enough
- Dough was handled too roughly and lost air (less likely)
More Einkorn Sourdough Recipes
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Einkorn Sourdough Bagels
Equipment
- 1 kitchen aid stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- 8 Individual parchment squares
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
Einkorn Sourdough Bagel Dough
- 200 grams Active sourdough starter
- 145 grams Warm filtered water (100-110) degrees Fahrenheit
- 36 grams Granulated sugar
- 400 grams All-purpose Einkorn flour
- 8 grams Fine grain sea salt
Water Bath
- 6 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Sugar for water bath
- 2 tsp Baking soda for water bath
Instructions
- Combine wet: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sourdough starter, warm water, and sugar. Mix until smooth and milky in appearance.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the einkorn flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on stir setting or low speed until the flour is fully absorbed and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 1–3 minutes.
- Bulk ferment: Remove the dough and gently shape into a ball and place it back into the cleaned bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 3–6 hours, or until nearly doubled and slightly airy with small bubbles throughout.
- Cut parchment squares: Cut parchment into 8 individual squares, slightly larger than a bagel and place them on a large baking sheet.
- Shape the dough: Gently transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Divide into 8 equal portions (about 95-100g each). Carefully shape each piece into a ball without deflating the dough. I like to gather the sides, pinching them in the middle, then turn seam-side down and gently roll using a “C” motion with your hand to create light surface tension. Poke a hole through the center with your finger, then gently stretch the hole to form a bagel shape.
- Cover and proof: Place the shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then cover with a damp tea towel. Let them proof in a warm area of your house (an oven with the light on works great) for about 1.5–2 hours. You’re looking for a slight puffiness, this will be more subtle than with regular bread flour.
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Prepare the water bath: Bring 6 cups of water, the sugar, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.
- Boil the bagels: Working with 2–3 bagels at a time, carefully lower each bagel into the boiling water with the parchment square still underneath. After about 10–15 seconds, the parchment will release from the bagel. Carefully remove the parchment with tongs and place it back on the baking sheet to reuse for baking. Continue boiling the bagels for 10–15 seconds per side, then transfer them back onto their original parchment squares. Repeat with the remaining bagels, reusing each parchment square.
- Add toppings: Immediately sprinkle the boiled bagels with your desired toppings, such as everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or cheese. The surface will be tacky right after boiling, which helps the toppings stick.
- Bake: Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200–210°F.