Hello, Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. You are my destiny, my divine. You’re just so poofy but also so…light? Honestly, I can’t say that about every cinnamon raisin bagel out there. Sorry, other cinnamon raisin bagels. These ones win by a long shot.
Okay guys, I made this Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagel recipe because honestly, I made a different cinnamon raisin bagel recipe created by someone else and I was SO disappointed. Sigh.
I mean, maybe other people like dense and tough cinnamon raisin bagels but I just can’t with that. I get that the cinnamon raisin bagel crowd is a very exclusive crowd (at least that’s how I think of it) but come on, we have standards…right?
So that’s why I made this recipe be as fluffy as possible. Floofy, even. I’m talking normal white bagel floof but in a cinnamon raisin bagel. I bet you’ve never had that before. Except for in New York. Which is where I’m from. So that gives me some level of expertise in what makes a bagel GOOD, okay?! That also makes me realize that maybe these other cinnamon raisin bagel recipe creators from other places just don’t have the foundation that I have from a childhood with NY bagels. Just saying. *Hair flip*
Just kidding, ya'll. As you can tell, I’m in a sassy mood today as I write this recipe. My only reason being…these bagels have FUELED me for ultimate sass. Because they are the sassiest of all the bagels. They are outlandishly shaped for ultimate fluff and that makes them sassy. I think this must be the most times sassy has ever been written in a recipe before. We’re breaking the internet with these baddies! Get these in your tummy, ASAP!!
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Recipe Details...
Timing!
The night before (9 pm): make your levain!
Noon: Mix the dough minus the raisins & soak the raisins
12:30 pm: Add the raisins and mix
1 pm: Shape the dough and set in a square container
2 pm: Stretch and fold
3 pm: Stretch and fold
7 pm: Shape and set in fridge for an uncovered, cold overnight proof (the bagels have no holes yet!)
The next morning (9 am): Make the holes, boil, & bake!
Freezing!
Something I find *lovely* about this recipe is that it makes 6 bagels. Because bagels are not the greatest after a day or two, it’s wonderful to have a recipe that makes a smaller batch. But yes, you can freeze these bad boys if you know you won’t consume them immediately. I would suggest slicing them before freezing so it makes toasting extra easy.
Vegan fun!
Another lovely fact about this recipe is that it is naturally vegan. Plus, the "cream cheese" you see me spreading over the bagels in the photo above is actually this amazing vegan french herb garlic cheese. I'll be real with you - that spread is a pantry staple for me.
Boiling!
Also, I mention this in the recipe but seriously...add the baking soda in increments to the boiling water and make sure you're stirring! A mass boil over is a wild mess to clean up. You have been warned.
Ingredients!
You can usually find barley malt syrup in health food stores. I know Whole Foods carries the brand Eden Foods - which is one of my favorite health food brands, and I could go on and on about why - and they have a great organic barley malt syrup.
And as for flours used in this recipe, try and source some local flours (ideally stone ground)! Your baked goods will be even more amazing and healthier!
If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments below!
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
- 1 large pot for boiling
Ingredients
for the levain
- 110g water
- 70g peak sourdough starter
- 55g dark rye flour
for the dough
- 250g water
- 310g bread flour
- 110g all-purpose flour
- 50g dark rye flour
- 20g barley malt syrup
- 35g oil
- 5g salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
for prepping the raisins
- 70g dried raisins
- 200g boiling water
to boil
- 2L water
- 30g barley malt syrup
- 10g baking soda
Instructions
- The night before, combine the levain ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and cover for resting overnight (14-16 hours).
- The next day, add all of the dough ingredients and mix on low speed in the stand mixer until completely combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. While it rests, soak the raisins by combining the raisins and boiling water in a bowl.
- After the thirty minutes, drain the water and add the plump raisins to the dough’s bowl. Mix on low speed in the stand mixer again for about a minute or until the raisins are dispersed and the dough is staying together. Cover the dough bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Dump the dough out onto a misted work surface. Stretch and fold four corners of the dough over itself so you have a square shape. Place this shaped dough into a clean flat container or bowl. Cover and let sit for one hour.
- Stretch and fold all four corners of the dough, then let sit for another hour.
- Stretch and fold all four corners of the dough again, then let sit for four hours.
- Mist your work surface and gently release the dough out onto it. Shape the dough into a ball and let sit for ten minutes. Cut up parchment paper that’s the size of a baking sheet into six squares and spread them out onto a baking sheet.
- Using a bench knife, split the dough into six equal sections. Shape each section into a ball and place onto each square of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in the fridge uncovered to cold proof overnight (14 hours).
- The next day, preheat the oven to 450F. Bring 2L of water to boil on the stovetop in a large pot, then add the malt syrup and the baking soda (add this in small increments and whisk while you add to prevent boiling over). Put your two thumbs through the center of each bagel and gently pull or wiggle apart to create a hole in the bagel centers. Place a clean parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Boil the bagels for one minute on each side (you might only fit two or three in the pot at a time since they float), then place them on the prepped baking sheet. If the bagels are having trouble releasing from the parchment squares, you can transfer the parchment square with the bagel on it, flip the top into the water, and slowly dip the paper against the water to help release the bagel from the sheet.
- When all bagels are done being boiled, place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 18 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. Transfer the baked bagels to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying. Let me know what you think below in the comments or on Instagram @higheralchemybaking!
Notes
If you liked this recipe, check out my Sourdough Milk Bread recipe for even more inspiration!
Some of my links are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchasing via these links helps support me and this blog, so thank you.