Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
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These sourdough pumpkin bagels are soft and chewy with just the right amount of pumpkin, warm fall spices, and sourdough flavor in every bite.
Recipe Overview: Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
- ⏱ Prep Time: 37 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Baking Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 57 minutes, plus fermentation
- 🥯 Yield: 8 bagels
- ⚡ Calories: 395 calories per bagel
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Warm pumpkin spice, subtle pumpkin sweetness, and a lightly tangy sourdough flavor.
- 👌 Difficulty: Intermediate. The process includes fermentation, shaping, boiling, and baking, but each step is simple and gives you that classic chewy bagel texture.
- 🤎 Why You’ll Love Them: These sourdough pumpkin bagels have a chewy exterior and soft, tender center with real pumpkin and warm fall spices.
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Pumpkin is one of those ingredients I start reaching for as soon as fall feels even remotely close. I love that these bagels feel seasonal without being overly sweet, so they still work as an everyday breakfast. And if you’re already feeding your sourdough starter, you might as well fully commit to pumpkin season and make my sourdough baked pumpkin donuts too. They’re baked instead of fried and topped with a simple maple glaze.
My favorite way to eat these bagels is toasted with the cinnamon cream cheese spread. The warm spices in the bagel with the sweet, creamy spread are just so good together. If you love that combination of pumpkin, sourdough, and cinnamon as much as I do, my sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are another favorite for fall mornings. Those are a little more of a weekend project, while these bagels are perfect to make ahead and have ready for breakfast throughout the week.
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Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
Chewy and soft: Boiling the bagels before baking gives them that classic chewy outside while keeping the centers soft and tender.
Made with real pumpkin: Pumpkin puree adds moisture, beautiful color, and just enough pumpkin flavor without making the bagels overly sweet.
Full of fall flavor: Warm pumpkin spice makes these perfect for fall mornings, especially toasted with cinnamon cream cheese.
Naturally fermented: Sourdough starter gives the bagels that subtle tang and develops even more flavor as the dough ferments.
Perfect for pumpkin season: If you’re on a pumpkin baking kick, try my sourdough baked pumpkin donuts or sourdough pumpkin scones next.
Key Ingredients
Active sourdough starter: Use a bubbly, active starter that has been recently fed. This gives your sourdough pumpkin bagels their rise and that slight sourdough tang.
Pumpkin purée: You use a generous 250 grams of real pumpkin purée, which adds moisture, color, and actual pumpkin flavor. Make sure you’re using pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
All purpose flour: There’s no need to buy bread flour specifically for these bagels.
Honey: Instead of refined sugar, you use honey to add a little sweetness to the dough and compliment the pumpkin and spices.
Pumpkin pie spice: A full tablespoon brings in those warm fall spices and gives the bagels their pumpkin spice flavor.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
- Step 1: Add the active sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, water, honey, flour, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until everything comes together into a thick dough, then knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Step 2: Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover. Allow it to ferment at room temperature until noticeably risen and puffy. The exact amount of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your starter.
- Step 3: Turn the fermented dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth, tight ball.
- Step 4: Create a hole through the center of each dough ball and gently stretch it with your fingers to form a bagel. Place the shaped bagels onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Step 5: Cover the shaped bagels and allow them to rest until slightly puffy. They do not need to double in size.
- Step 6: Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully lower the bagels into the water, working in batches so they have plenty of room. Boil according to the recipe card, flipping as needed, then remove and allow the excess water to drain.
7. Step 7: Transfer the boiled bagels back to the parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Let them cool before slicing.
What to Serve with Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
🍁 Cream cheese, maple syrup, and pecans: My favorite way to eat these! Spread a toasted bagel with cream cheese, drizzle with pure maple syrup, and sprinkle chopped pecans over the top.
🧈 Butter or honey butter: Simple, but so good when the bagel is warm and freshly toasted.
🥜 Peanut butter: A little salty, creamy, and really good with the warm pumpkin spice flavor.
🍳 Eggs and breakfast sausage: Serve alongside your bagel when you want to turn it into a more filling breakfast.
🍎 Apple butter: Another easy fall topping that pairs perfectly with pumpkin and warm spices.
Baker’s Schedule
Here’s an example schedule for having fresh sourdough pumpkin bagels ready the next morning. Your timing may vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen and how active your starter is.
🌙 8:00 PM: Feed your sourdough starter and leave it at room temperature overnight.
☀️ 8:00 AM: Mix and knead the pumpkin bagel dough.
🥣 8:20 AM: Cover the dough and begin the bulk fermentation.
🕑 2:00 PM: Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape into balls, and form the bagels.
❄️ 2:30 PM: Cover the shaped bagels and place them in the refrigerator for an overnight cold ferment.
☀️ Next morning, 8:00 AM: Bring a pot of water to a boil and preheat the oven.
🥯 8:15 AM: Boil the bagels in batches.
🔥 8:30 AM: Bake until golden brown.
🤎 Around 9:00 AM: Let them cool slightly, then slice, toast, and add cream cheese, maple syrup, and pecans.
Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels FAQs
Yes. Canned pumpkin puree works perfectly and is what I use. Just make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains added sugar and spices.
Look for dough that has noticeably increased in size and looks puffy and airy. Fermentation time can vary quite a bit depending on the temperature of your kitchen and how active your sourdough starter is, so watch the dough more than the clock.
Boiling helps set the outside of the dough before it goes into the oven. This is what gives homemade bagels their classic chewy exterior instead of making them bake up more like regular bread rolls.
Yes. These are great for making ahead. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for a few days or freeze them for longer storage. I like to slice them before freezing so I can pull one out and toast it whenever we want one.
More Sourdough Pumpkin Recipes
If you’re loving these sourdough pumpkin bagels, here are a few more pumpkin sourdough recipes to add to your fall baking list.
If you make these sourdough pumpkin bagels, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment and star rating below, and if you share them on Instagram, tag me @sylviahofer_ so I can see your fall baking.
Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl or stand mixer
- 1 Kitchen scale or bench scraper
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 150 g active sourdough starter
- 250 g pumpkin purée
- 250 g water
- 600 g flour
- 50 g honey
- 10 g salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the active sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, water, honey, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined. Add the flour and salt and knead on medium speed for 7 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Poke your thumb through the center of each ball, then gently stretch the opening to form a bagel.
- Place the shaped bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.
- For a stronger sourdough flavor, cover the shaped bagels and refrigerate overnight. They can be boiled and baked straight from the refrigerator the next morning.
- Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and add 1 tablespoon baking soda. Working with 1 to 2 bagels at a time, boil for 30 to 40 seconds per side for a softer texture, or up to 1 minute per side for a chewier bagel. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Transfer the bagels to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
These sourdough pumpkin bagels are one of my favorite fall breakfasts! I love them toasted with cream cheese, a drizzle of maple syrup, and chopped pecans.
What a delightful twist on a bagel — using real pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice instead of just flavoring gave these bagels a rich, full flavor that felt indulgent yet wholesome. The tip to freeze extra bagels and toast them later is such a game-changer for busy mornings!