Za’atar & Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels
These Za’atar & Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels are unbeatably tasty and flavorful. They have a chewy yet crispy crust with a soft, open, slightly irregular crumb. They are also reasonably easy to make, especially compared to some of my other sourdough recipes. So give them a try – I know you’ll love them!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Ultimate Sourdough Bagels
- Recipe run through
- What is an active sourdough starter?
- What is Za’atar?
- Tools I recommend
- Easy way to shape bagels
- Bake Za’atar & Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels with me
- More buns, rolls, and bagels recipes:
- Bakers schedule
Ultimate Za’atar Sourdough Bagels
This recipe is a simplified version of my Homemade Sourdough Bagels recipe. No folds – and we are also doing the shaping after the fridge rest as opposed to the previous recipe where we placed the already shaped bagels in the fridge on baking trays – resulting in fridge space issues for some.
Sourdough bagels will stay fresh for multiple days or up to a week if stored in a bag at room temperature. However, I recommend popping them in the toaster after day 1. I think they are almost as good toasted on day three as when they are freshly baked.
The dough itself is a low-hydration dough that should be easy to handle and shape. Make sure to read through the whole recipe before you begin, and don’t forget to check out the bakers schedule at the very end of this post to help plan out your bake!
Recipe run through
Day 1
- Prepare the levain – All you have to do to prepare the levain is to mix active sourdough starter, water, and flour in a bowl. Either transfer the mixture to a starter jar or simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Next, place the levain in a warm spot, ideally at 78°F/26°C for 4 hours, or until the levain has doubled/tripled in size (reached peak.)
- Mix up the main dough – Once the levain has peaked (doubled/tripled in size) – Add water, levain, and flour to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until just combined. Cover the bowl and autolyse/rest for 30 minutes
- Add salt, malt, and olive oil – Sprinkle salt, barley malt extract, and olive oil on top of the autolysed dough and knead on low-medium speed for about 10 minutes. Until the dough lets go of the sides of the bowl and is strong and bouncy (should not stick to the fingers)
- First proof – Oil a large baking bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the lightly oiled bowl. Proof for four hours at around 75°F/24°C. As always, especially during the winter months, I use my Brød and Taylor proofer to manage the temperature during proof.
- Rest in the fridge / cold proof – Finally, place the dough in the fridge for 10-15 hours. This second rest stiffens up the dough, which makes it easier to handle during shaping. It also helps develop flavor and awesome texture in the finished bake.
Day 2
- Shape – Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into ten equal pieces. Be careful not to use too much flour during this step. You actually want the dough to somewhat stick to the work surface to create enough tension to form a dough ball that will hold its shape. Next, hape all the pieces into seamless rounds. Then you want to press a finger through the center of each round and use your hands/fingers to widen the hole to 1,5 in/3,5cm.
- Preparations for final proof – Line two baking trays with parchment paper and sprinkle rice flour or semolina on top. Rice flour has no gluten in it and won’t be absorbed by the dough in the same way as regular flour would. Rice flour therefore works as a barrier between the parchment and dough pieces – making the bagels easy to remove from the paper and into the boiling water later on. Arrange the shaped bagels on the trays.
- Final proof – Proof for 1.5-3 hours (ideally at 75°F/24°C,) until the bagels have risen slightly, and is nicely puffed up and relaxed.
- Boil the bagels – 30 minutes before you are ready to bake: preheat the oven to 430°F/220°C, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sugar and baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the bagels, 3-4 at a time, for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the bagels to a clean kitchen towel to drain and then place on a lined baking tray.
- Sprinkle with olive oil and Za’atar seasoning – Brush each bagel generously with a good olive oil. Sprinkle za’atar seasoning on top.
- Bake the bagels – Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Finally, transfer the bagels to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
What is an active sourdough starter?
The sourdough starter is what makes the bread, or in this case, bagels, rise. In short, a sourdough starter is a colony of good bacteria and wild yeast created by mixing flour and water and letting it ferment. If you usually store your starter in the fridge, I recommend taking it out and feeding it every 12 hours for 2-3 days before making this recipe (or any of my sourdough recipes.)
Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? Click here to download my free E-book, how to make a sourdough starter – an easy guide to get you started.
What is Za’atar?
Za’atar (“zah-tahr“) is a Middle Eastern seasoning. And while the ingredients vary from country to country across the Middle East, it is typically made from a blend of savory dried herbs. It is super delicious, and there are endless ways you could put it to use!
How to make Za’atar seasoning
| Ingredients: | |
|---|---|
| 1,5 tbsp dried thyme | |
| 1 tbsp dried cumin | |
| 1 tbsp dried sumac | |
| 1 tbsp dried marjoram | |
| 1,5 tbsp toasted and crushed sesame seeds | |
| 1,5 tsp flaky sea salt |
Instructions:
Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan and lightly crush them in a mortar and pestle to release the aromas. Add all the ingredients to a jar and shake to combine—store at room temperature for 3+ months.
You can also use store-bought Za’atar if you don’t feel like making it yourself.
You don’t need a lot of tools to make Za’atar & Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels, but there are a couple of things I recommend you have on hand:
- Digital scale is essential for exact measurements.
- Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to easily knead your dough.
- Brød & Taylor Proofer Box – to perfectly manage the temperature during proof.
Easy way to shape sourdough bagels
There are countless ways to shape bagels. However, I like this method because it is super easy and quick once you get the hang of it.
Swipe to view all images –>
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into ten equal pieces. Be careful not to use too much flour during this step. You actually want the dough to somewhat stick to the work surface to create enough tension to form a dough ball that will hold its shape. Next, shape all the pieces into seamless rounds. Then you want to press a finger through the center of each round and use your hands/fingers to widen the hole to 1,5 in/3,5cm.
Bake Za’atar Sourdough Bagels with me
More rolls, buns, and bagels:
- HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BAGELS
- THE BEST SOURDOUGH CINNAMON ROLLS
- SOFT SOURDOUGH MILK BUNS
- SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE BURGER BUNS
- SOURDOUGH CARDAMOM BUNS
Za’atar & Olive Oil Sourdough Bagels
Equipment
- Digital scale
- Stand mixer
- Large bowl
- Brød & Taylor proofer box (optional, but recommended)
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Levain
- 50 g active sourdough starter
- 50 g water
- 50 g bread flour
Main Dough
- 600 g bread flour
- 340 g water
- 150 g levain
- 20 g olive oil
- 15 g barley malt syrup
- 10 g salt
For Boiling
- 3 liters/quarts water
- 45 g sugar
- 1,5 tbsp baking soda
Other
- rice flour
Toppings
- olive oil
- za'atar seasoning
Instructions
Levain
- Add the active sourdough starter, water, and flour to a bowl. Mix until combined, cover, and rest in a warm spot for four hours or until the levain has doubled in size.50 g active sourdough starter, 50 g water, 50 g bread flour
Main Dough
- Add flour, water, and levain to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on, and mix for about 2 minutes until the dough comes together. Cover the bowl and autolyse/rest for 30 minutes.600 g bread flour, 340 g water, 150 g levain
- Turn the mixer on again and add the salt, barley malt syrup, and olive oil. Knead for 10 minutes at medium speed. After about 10 minutes, the dough should be strong and bouncy (should not stick to the fingers).15 g barley malt syrup, 10 g salt, 20 g olive oil
- Oil a large baking bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the lightly oiled bowl. Cover and rise for four hours at around 75°F/24°C.
- Transfer the dough to the fridge and cold-proof for 10-15 hours.
Shape
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into ten equal pieces. Use a scale for accuracy. Shape all the pieces into seamless rounds. Press a finger through the center of each round, use your hands/fingers to widen the hole to 1,5 in/3,5cm.
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper and sprinkle rice flour or semolina on top. Arrange the shaped bagels on the trays.rice flour
- Proof for 1.5-3 hours (ideally at 75°F/24°C,) until the bagels have risen slightly and are nicely puffed up and relaxed.
Boil & Bake
- 30 minutes before you are ready to bake: preheat the oven to 430°F/220°C, and bring a large pot of water to a boil.3 liters/quarts water
- Add sugar and baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the bagels, 3-4 at a time, for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the bagels to a clean kitchen towel to drain and then place on a lined baking tray.45 g sugar, 1,5 tbsp baking soda
- Bruch each bagel generously with olive oil. Sprinkle za'atar seasoning on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.olive oil, za'atar seasoning
Notes
Nutrition
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3 Comments
Daisy Lobo
Is Barlet malt extract is a must to add?
Emma
I looked up and you can change it for molasses, I am making them now and I am using agave syrup. I think it will work out fine
Rebecca
These were the best bagels I’ve made so far! The addition of olive oil made them nice and soft.