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The Best Sourdough Blueberry Bagel Recipe (Fresh or Frozen!)

By McKenna Pulda | 72 Comments | March 4, 2026

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Once you make these Sourdough Blueberry Bagels, you’ll have a hard time going back to anything from the grocery store. These bagels are chewy, slightly sweet, and vibrantly purple — made with fresh or frozen blueberries and a handful of dried blueberries for an extra punch of flavor.

This is one of my favorite ways to use an active sourdough starter in something a little more unexpected. If you’re short on time, my Sourdough Discard Blueberry Bagels are ready in just 2.5 hours and just as delicious.

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels on a piece of parchment paper with cream cheese and fresh blueberries

Quick Look: Sourdough Blueberry Bagels

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Fermentation Time: 10 hours
  • Bake Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 hours 50 minutes
  • Servings: 9-inch focaccia, about 12 slices
  • Calories: ~333 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
  • Cook Method: Boiled, then baked
  • Flavor Profile: Chewy and slightly sweet with a vibrant purple color from fresh blueberries. Add dried blueberries for an even more intense blueberry flavor in every bite.
  • Difficulty: Intermediate — Simple ingredients and mostly hands-off with an overnight rise, plus a boiling step before baking.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Stunning color, incredible flavor. The juice from the blueberries gives these bagels a striking purple hue that’s just as impressive as the taste. Each bite has a subtle sweetness that makes them perfect for breakfast or weekend brunch — spread with cream cheese or peanut butter, they’re a big hit with the whole family. And if you love blueberry bakes, my Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia and Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls are worth adding to your list, too.
  • Fresh or frozen, year-round. You can make these bagels any time of year because they work beautifully with either fresh or frozen blueberries. Frozen blueberries actually give you a deeper, richer purple color, so don’t hesitate to grab a bag from the freezer.
  • Better ingredients than anything at the store. These homemade sourdough bagels are made with clean ingredients and naturally leavened with wild yeast through sourdough fermentation — no commercial yeast or additives. That long, slow fermentation also helps break down phytic acid, which makes the nutrition of our dough easier for your body to absorb. If you’re brand new to sourdough, start with my guide on how to make a sourdough starter before diving in.

Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

  • Blueberries: Fresh or frozen both work well here. Frozen blueberries tend to produce a deeper, more vibrant purple color because of how the juice releases during cooking.
  • Active Sourdough Starter: Make sure your starter is fed and active before mixing the dough. This is what gives the bagels their rise and that subtle tangy depth of flavor.
  • Bread Flour: I highly recommend bread flour over all-purpose here. The higher protein content gives you that chewy, fluffy bagel bite and a better rise.
  • Dried Blueberries: Don’t skip these! They add extra texture and a concentrated blueberry flavor that fresh or frozen blueberries alone can’t quite replicate.
  • Honey (for the boil bath): Honey helps give the bagels that shiny, chewy crust. Brown sugar or maple syrup work just as well as substitutes.
  • Salt: Any unrefined salt works here. I like using Redmond’s Real Salt for the extra minerals.

Baking Time For Sourdough Bagels

Time

Process

8:00 AM

Mix and knead the dough

9:00 PM 

First rise 

7:00 AM

Shape bagels & second rise 

8:00 AM

Boil & bake

How to Make Sourdough Blueberry Bagels

Prepare the blueberries

  1. Add fresh or frozen blueberries to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and release their juice.
  2. Turn off the heat and mash the blueberries with a fork. Add 200g of water to the saucepan, stir to combine, and allow the mixture to cool until it’s just above room temperature. If the liquid is too hot (above 120°F), it can harm your starter.

Make the dough:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter, blueberry-water mixture, and sugar. Mix until combined — it will look like a blue, milky liquid.
  2. Add the bread flour and salt. Mix until fully incorporated. The dough will look shaggy at first, and that’s completely normal.
  3. Knead the dough for 5–6 minutes by hand. Keep the dough in the bowl to reduce mess — pull a section of dough up and over itself, then press down with the heel of your hand. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. The dough will feel stiff and look a little bumpy, but stick with it.
  4. Cover with a damp towel or reusable shower cap and let rest for 60 minutes.

Stretch and fold:

  1. After the rest, knead the dough again for just 30 seconds using the same motion.
  2. If using dried blueberries, add them now — pour them on top and they’ll incorporate as you knead.
  3. Cover again and let the dough rise overnight.

Bulk rise

  1. Allow the dough to rise until it has at least doubled in size, about 8–12 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. A warmer kitchen speeds things up; a cooler one slows them down.

Shape

  1. Gently turn the dough out onto a work surface and stretch it into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (like cutting a pizza into triangles). Each piece should weigh about 115g if you want to be precise.
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels dough balls and a bench scraper
  1. Grab the corners of each triangle and pinch them toward the center, then roll into a smooth ball.
Shaped Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
  1. Press your thumb through the center of each ball to create a hole, then stretch with both thumbs to about 2 inches wide. The dough will spring back a little — that’s expected.

Second rise

  1. Place the shaped bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel and let rest for 20–60 minutes, until puffed. Not ready to bake? Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull them out when ready and continue with the recipe as normal.
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels after their second rise

Boil bath:

  1. While the bagels are rising, preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill a large pot with water, add honey, and bring to a boil.
  2. Carefully drop 2–3 bagels at a time into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels boiling in a large pot

Bake

  1. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool slightly before slicing.
sourdough blueberry bagels

McKenna’s Helpful Tips

  • Use frozen blueberries for the best color. If getting that deep, striking purple is a priority, go with frozen. The way the juice releases during cooking gives you a more vibrant result than fresh blueberries alone.
  • Don’t skip the dried blueberries. Fresh or frozen blueberries bring moisture and color, but the dried blueberries are where the concentrated blueberry flavor comes from. They also add a nice texture contrast in every bite.
  • Knead by hand, not with a stand mixer. I’ve tried both, and hand-kneading gives you a noticeably softer, chewier bagel. It only takes 5–6 minutes and makes a real difference in the final texture.
  • Don’t skip the boil. It might seem like an extra step, but boiling is what gives bagels their signature chewy crust. Thirty seconds per side is all it takes — and it’s completely worth it.

How to Store

These bagels are best stored in a plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. They also freeze beautifully — store them whole or sliced in a gallon-sized zip bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave for 10 seconds, or leave at room temperature until thawed.

ripped Bagel in half

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

You can use all-purpose flour in a pinch, but I don’t recommend it as your first choice. High-protein flour, like bread flour, gives you a much chewier, fluffier bagel and better rise. If you want to explore flour options further, my Sourdough Whole Wheat Bagels post goes into great detail on how different flours affect texture.

Do I have to boil the bagels before baking?

Yes, and it’s completely worth heating up that large pot of water! Boiling is what gives you that chewy, shiny, thin crust that makes homemade sourdough bagels so much better than anything from the grocery store. It only takes a couple of minutes total.

What makes sourdough bagels different from regular bagels?

The biggest difference is the leavening agent. These blueberry sourdough bagels rise using wild yeast and l.a.b bacteria from your sourdough starter, while most store-bought bagels use commercial yeast. The sourdough fermentation also helps break down phytic acid in the flour, improving how your body absorbs the nutrition of our dough. It’s why homemade sourdough bagels taste more complex and are generally considered easier to digest than grocery store versions.

More Sourdough Bagel Recipes

If you tried this Sourdough Blueberry Bagels recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels on a piece of parchment paper with cream cheese and fresh blueberries

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels Recipe

By McKenna Pulda
Yield: 8 bagels
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rise Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 50 minutes
This easy-to-make Sourdough Blueberry Bagels recipe is not only deliciously chewy, but slightly sweet and vibrantly purple with the inclusion of fresh or frozen blueberries! Make the dough the night before and enjoy homemade bagels the next morning!
4.49 from 47 votes
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 150 grams fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup
  • 150-200 grams water, see notes in directions 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons – 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons
  • 150 grams active sourdough starter 3/4 cup
  • 40 grams sugar 3 Tablespoons
  • 500 grams bread flour 3 1/2 cups
  • 10 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • 120 grams dried blueberries, optional optional
  • 20 grams honey for boil bath

Instructions

Prepare Blueberries

  1. To a small saucepan, add the fresh or frozen blueberries over medium-low heat. Cook the blueberries for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
    150 grams fresh or frozen blueberries
  2. Turn off the heat and mash the blueberries well with a fork.
    The frozen blueberries will become juicy while they cook, while the fresh blueberries will become juicy when mashed. 
  3. Place a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl, then pour the warm blueberries into the strainer. Continue to press the blueberries well with the fork to extract all of the extra liquid into the bowl.
  4. Once all of the liquid has been extracted from the blueberries, add enough water to the blueberry juice in the bowl to equal 250g in total. (This weight is only from the blueberry juice and water)
    150-200 grams water, see notes in directions
  5. Then add the leftover mashed blueberries into the blueberry/water mixture.
    This will increase the weight by 50g or so. Equaling roughly 300g in total.

MAKE THE DOUGH :

  1. In a straight-edge bowl, add the sourdough starter, the blueberry/water mixture, and sugar. Mix with a Danish dough whisk or by hand. It will look like a blue, milky liquid. 
    I love using a straight-edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see when the dough has doubled in size.
    150 grams active sourdough starter, 40 grams sugar
  2. Next, add the bread flour and salt to the dough. Mix until fully incorporated. The dough will be shaggy looking. 
    500 grams bread flour, 10 grams salt
  3. Next is a small labor of love, but trust me when I say, it is all worth it. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes. I’ve tried using a stand mixer, but my bagels never taste as soft and chewy as when I do it by hand.
    However, you can knead the dough on low in a stand mixer for 5-6 minutes.
  4. First, I keep the dough in the bowl – less mess. Praise! Next, pull a small section of bagel dough above the rest, fold it over on top, and push into the dough with the heel of your hand. Repeat this motion while turning the bowl of dough clockwise for 5-6 minutes.
  5. As you knead, you will notice the dough will become pretty stiff and a little bumpy looking – totally normal. After your mini arm workout, cover the dough with a damp towel, or what I use, a and let rest for 60 minutes.

STRETCH AND FOLD :

  1. After 1 hour of resting, we’re back for another round of kneading. But don’t fret! This is only for 30 seconds. Do the same “stretch, fold and push” routine with the heel of your hand for 30 seconds. If you have dried blueberries, add them now! Pour the dried blueberries on top of the bagel dough. The berries will mix while you knead the dough.
    For a more intense blueberry flavor, I highly recommend adding the dried blueberries.
    120 grams dried blueberries, optional
  2. You’ll notice the dough is a little less stiff and now the dough ball is smoother. Cover and let rest.

BULK RISE :

  1. Allow the dough to rise until it has at least doubled in size. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this can take about 8-10 hours, which is why I prefer an overnight rise. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time. The opposite is true for cooler kitchens.

SHAPE :

  1. Gently remove the bagel dough from the bowl and place dough on the work surface. Stretch and shape the dough into a big rectangle, about 1/2 of an inch high. With a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal triangle pieces. (I cut it like I would a pizza.)
  2. You can weigh the pieces of dough on a kitchen scale to verify that they are all equal. I usually want each to weigh about 115g (130g if you added dried blueberries). Otherwise, just eyeball it and call it a day!
  3. Now to shape them into that classic bagel look. Grab the corners of the triangles and pinch them toward the center. Then roll until formed into a dough ball.
  4. One at a time, use your thumb to punch a hole in the center of each ball. Stretch the dough ball with both thumbs, about 2 inches. The dough will shrink back a bit, but that’s totally okay.

SECOND RISE :

  1. Grab a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
  2. Place your shaped bagels on the baking sheet and cover them fully with plastic wrap or my favorite plastic cover so they don’t dry out.
  3. Let them rest until puffed up (about 20-60 minutes).
  4. Not ready to bake? Cover the shaped bagels with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Pull them out of the fridge when ready to bake, and continue with the recipe as normal. Know that the second rise will take longer since the dough is cold.

BOIL BATH :

  1. While your bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. 
  2. Fill a large pot with water. Add the honey and whisk until well mixed. Bring the water to a boil.
    20 grams honey
  3. Before boiling the Sourdough Blueberry Bagels, I like to place a kitchen towel on the counter and a cooling rack on top to help for minimal cleanup later.
  4. Carefully drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds on each side. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the boiled bagels and place them on the cooling rack. Repeat with the rest of the bagels.

BAKE :

  1. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the Sourdough Blueberry Bagels from the oven and move them onto a cooling rack.
  2. Once they are cool enough to handle, I highly recommend slicing them into one while it is still warm and spreading a slab of butter. That chewy, buttery bite will be out of this world. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe card was updated on March 4th, 2026.

SAMPLE BAKING SCHEDULE

8 pm: Make and knead the dough. Cover the bowl and let rest for 1 hour.
9 pm: Knead bagel dough for 30 seconds, cover, and let rest overnight for 8-12 hours.
7 am: Remove dough from bowl and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll and shape them into small dough balls, poke holes in the middle, and stretch them to shape. Cover and let them rest for 20-60 mins until puffed up.
8 am: Boil bagels for 30 seconds on each side. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

How to Store

If you are like my family, these homemade Sourdough Blueberry Bagels won’t make it to see the next day! They are that good!
But if you do find yourself with a few bagels left over, they are best stored in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
These bagels also freeze really well! Place them in a gallon-sized plastic bag either sliced or whole for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm the bagel up for 10 seconds in the microwave or leave them on the counter to thaw until room temperature. 

FAQs:

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BOIL SOURDOUGH BLUEBERRY BAGELS BEFORE YOU BAKE THEM?

It may seem like a hassle to bring a whole pot of water to a boil for such a short cooking time but trust me, you won’t want to skip this step! Boiling the bagels helps to achieve that chewy exterior we love about homemade bagels so much. Believe me, once you bite into these Sourdough Blueberry Bagels, it will all be worth it!

Why don’t my Sourdough Blueberry Bagels taste like blueberries?

Don’t skip adding the dried blueberries to this bagel dough. Though the blueberry juice and mashed blueberries will give you the most beautiful purple bagels, it doesn’t offer an intense blueberry flavor. However, adding dried blueberries give you a delicious blueberry flavor and texture to the bagels.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
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4.49 from 47 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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72 Comments

  1. I made bagels before and I noticed recipes ask to add BS to the water. Your recipe asking for honey. Can you explain the difference. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Luda! Honey and baking soda are used for the same reason – to help the bagels brown quickly during the short baking time. However, honey will offer just a touch of sweetness, as well. You can opt for baking soda if you prefer. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  2. Have you ever made a cinnamon and raisin bagel? My son loves them, but I am not sure how much raisins I should add and how much cinnamon? I love your recipes!!! Thank you!!! I can’t wait try your blueberry bagels!!!

    Reply

  3. Hi, I’m making these right now and after mixing all of the ingredients together, are the 5-6 minute kneads two seperate steps? Or do we only knead once for 5-6 minutes? After mixing should I let my dough rest before I knead?

    Reply

  4. When you say “dried” blueberries – do you mean freeze dried or raisin-esque? Wow, this is kind of a funny question, now that I read it back to myself.

    Reply

  5. I’d love the nutrition info for these! These turned out really good but imo needed more blueberry flavor. I didn’t add the dried blueberries when shaping so maybe that’s why. And the other issue I had was with the stickiness, just really hard to work with. I used frozen and fresh blueberries. I ended up just adding in more and more flour until the dough wasn’t so unbearably sticky and it worked out. I was proud of myself for making these!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Joanna! I’m currently looking for a way to share the nutritional info for all of recipes, so stay tuned! Since blueberries contain extra moisture, it is crucial to measure the ingredients precisely with a kitchen scale. That way you won’t be met with extra sticky dough!

      Reply

  6. Lol I think I need help. I don’t know what I did wrong, but my dough was extremely sticky and I had a very hard time transferring my shaped bagels into the boiling water. I appreciate any help or tips you can give me as to where I went wrong.

    Reply

    1. Hi Molly! I’m sorry to hear that your dough was sticky. Bagel dough is a low hydration dough, so it is critical to measure all of the ingredients, especially the blueberries correctly. I would highly suggest using a kitchen scale.

      Reply

      1. I measured all of my ingredients with the kitchen scale, and I still had incredibly sticky dough. I was unable to make bagels with it. I live in Wisconsin and it’s the winter so it’s very dry right now… I’m not sure where it went wrong.

        Reply

        1. Hi Kelly! So sorry about that! I have updated the recipe to include some extra tips and tricks, especially when it comes to measuring the blueberries, to help prevent sticky dough. Hope this helps and you give this recipe another try.

          Reply

    2. I’ve learned a new lifesaver trick with bagels. I cut individual squares of parchment paper to place the bagel on. When it comes time to transfer and boil them just plop the bagel with the parchment if it’s stuck. After a few seconds of boiling that parchment just peels off and the bagels retains its perfect shape !!!!

      Reply

  7. If this dough is really sticky after 1st and 2nd knead, do I need to add more flour? It is sticking to the bowl pretty bad, so I think I may need a little more flour, but don’t want to ruin the process 😊

    Reply

    2. Hi there, i’ve measured everything super precicely with scales but my dough is so sticky, really hard to shape and impossible to take off the parchment paper. Should I add more flour if the dough doesn’t firm up?

      Reply

      1. Great question! Bagel dough should be fairly firm, but it can feel stickier depending on things like humidity, flour brand, or the moisture in your blueberries. If it’s very sticky and hard to handle, you can absolutely add a little extra flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough feels easier to shape. Hope that helps!

        Reply

  8. Mine came out ok but they were very difficult to shape and I had to use my mixer to knead it because it was so sticky and any extra flour I added was quickly absorbed. I followed the recipe but I had to use a blueberry emulsion (1 tsp) because I don’t have access to dried blueberries and I added maybe 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to my blueberries, could this be the reason? P.s I live on a sub-tropical island and I used frozen blueberries

    Reply

    1. Hi Rio,

      Sorry to hear the bagels didn’t turn out as you hoped. Bagels are meant to be a low hydration dough, so any extra liquid will alter the tested recipe. Another factor could be your environment. If it especially humid, you will need to decrease liquids furthermore. Those in high-humidity environments have shared that they will decrease the water by 30grams or so.

      Reply

  11. Made these today and they are fabulous! Great texture and subtle blueberry flavor. I didn’t have the dried blueberries so I will add those next time for a stronger flavor, but since it is subtle it makes these bagels very versatile. Great recipe!

    Reply

  13. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m so excited to try it. I was wondering if you have tried putting the bagels to the fridge after shaping and before the boiling and baking steps? Just wondering in case I don’t have time to bake them after shaping if that could work. Thank you!

    Reply

      1. After shaping, can we put them directly in the fridge or should we let them puff up then fridge them? Or the next day, do you need to let them come to room temp and puff up after fridge? I tried the delayed method and my bagels are very flat after refrigerating without letting them off up, they’re currently in the oven! *Fingers crossed*

        Reply

        1. Hi Jess! You could do either of those options! You can shape, pop them in the fridge, remove them the following day, let them puff up and bake. Or you can shape, let them puff up, pop them in the fridge, bake right of the fridge the following morning. I hope you love these bagels as much as we do!

          Reply

  14. I’ve made these three times! I absolutely love how chewy they are. Just like a real bagel should be. I do prefer adding the optional dried blueberries, as the blueberry flavor is not strong enough for me without them.

    Reply

  15. hi there! i’m currently making these and realized i only have 250g bread flour as i was pouring into the blueberry mixture. would it still work if i did 250g bread flour and 250g all purpose? TIA! i always make your bread and it’s divine!!

    Reply

          1. Great question! In this recipe, the honey in the water adds a bit of sweetness and helps with browning during boiling and baking. Baking soda can be added to the water if you want a slightly shinier, more traditional bagel crust, but it’s optional depending on the finish you prefer.