Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)
If you're obsessed with Panera's Cinnamon Crunch Bagels but want the same treat for way less money (and fresh out of your own oven), then you must try these! These Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat) are chewy, golden, and topped with a thick cinnamon-sugar coating that bakes into a crackly, caramelized shell. And if you want to go all in? I've even included an easy way to make homemade cinnamon chips too!
Equipment
- Kitchen scale - for accurate measurements.
- Stand mixer or a large bowl - for mixing and kneading dough.
- Small mixing bowl - for mixing cinnamon chips.
- Pizza cutter or pastry wheel - to cut cinnamon chips.
- Bench knife - for dividing dough.
- 9 4x4 in parchment squares - to void bagels sticking while proofing and boiling.
- Large pot - for boiling bagels.
- Slotted spoon or spider - to remove bagels from water.
- Baking sheets - for cinnamon chips and baking bagels.
Ingredients
Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
Sweet Levain:
- 1 (25g) Tablespoon mature sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 1/2 (100g) cup water
- 1 (25g) Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 (100g) cup all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Chips:
- 2 (28g) tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 (25g) tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 (25g) tbsp granulated sugar
- 1½ (12g) tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Bagel Dough:
- 3⅓ (500g) cups all-purpose or bread flour
- ¾ (200g) cup sweet levain
- 1 (236g) cup warm water
- ¼ (70g) cup honey
- 1¾ (10g) tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- All prepared cinnamon chips
- 1/4 (40g) cup white chocolate chips
Cinnamon Crunch Topping:
- 2 (28g) tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 (25g) tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 (25g) tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 (8g) tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
For Boiling:
- 2 quarts water
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar or honey
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)
- Baker's Schedule: 8:00 PM- Night Before
- In a clean jar, mix your mother starter with the flour, water, and sugar. Give it a good stir, and allow it to rest at room temperature (optimally 73-75 degrees F). I like to mark the volume in my jar with a rubber band so it's easy to asses the rise the next morning. When the sweet levain has doubled in size, it's time to mix your bagel dough.1 (25g) Tablespoon mature sourdough starter (100% hydration), 1/2 (100g) cup water, 1 (25g) Tbsp granulated sugar, 3/4 (100g) cup all-purpose flour
Step 2: Make Cinnamon Chips
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- In a small bowl, melt your butter. Add your brown sugar, white sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix ingredients in the bowl until a thick paste forms.2 (28g) tbsp unsalted butter, melted, 2 (25g) tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 (25g) tbsp granulated sugar, 1½ (12g) tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- Spread paste thinly onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for about five minutes, then using a pizza cutter or pastry wheel cut into 1/4 inch strips diagonally and horizontally to form small squares.
- Allow chips to cool completely then break up and store in an airtight container until ready to make your bagels.
Step 3: Make Bagel Dough
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, water, sweet levain, honey, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.3⅓ (500g) cups all-purpose or bread flour, ¾ (200g) cup sweet levain, 1 (236g) cup warm water, ¼ (70g) cup honey, 1¾ (10g) tsp sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead until mostly smooth (5–8 minutes by hand or stand mixer).
- Transfer dough to an oiled bowl or container. Loosely cover dough with plastic or a lid while resting. Allow dough to rest 30 minutes, and then add all of your homemade cinnamon chips and white chocolate chips if using.All prepared cinnamon chips, 1/4 (40g) cup white chocolate chips
- Perform a set of stretch and folds to incorporate inclusions into the dough. You do this by grabbing the edge of the dough, and folding it towards the center. Repeat until you've worked the dough into a ball.
- Repeat your step of stretch and folds again one more time 30 minutes later to fully incorporate your inclusions. Cover dough and allow to rest.
Step 4: Bulk Fermentation
- Cover dough and rest at room temperature until doubled (this will take anywhere between 6-10 hours depending on temperature, but if you keep your dough between 75-78 degrees this should take about 8 hours).
- Overnight Fermentation Option: Seal container with lid or plastic, and transfer to refrigerator for overnight cold fermentation.
Step 5: Shape the Bagels
- Divide dough into 9 equal pieces (roughly 120 grams each). Shape into tight balls, allowing them to rest 10-15 minutes.
- Line your baking sheets with 9 4x4 parchment squares. Spray squares with non-stick oil. Poke a hole in the center of each dough ball and gently stretch into a bagel shape. Roll between your fingers to stretch the bagel hole wider. You want a hole about the size of a quarter. Transfer shaped bagels to pre-cut parchment squares. Cover bagels with oiled plastic wrap and allow to proof roughly 2 hours until puffy. See below on how to shape your bagels.
Step 6: Prepare Cinnamon Crunch Topping
- While bagels are rising, prepare your cinnamon crunch topping.
- In a bowl combined your softened butter (make sure this isn't melted) with your brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. This should form a crumbly mixture. Set this aside for later.2 (28g) tbsp unsalted butter, softened, 2 (25g) tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 (25g) tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 (8g) tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp salt
- To help the topping adhere, prepare an egg wash for the tops of the bagels.
- Beat 1 egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of water and set aside for later. Cover lightly with plastic if needed.
Step 7: Boil and Bake Bagels
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Fill a medium sized pot of water with water and sugar (or honey) added to water. Bring pot of water to a boil on high heat.2 quarts water, 2 Tablespoons white sugar or honey
- When water is boiling, transfer 2-3 bagels with the parchment paper to the pot of water. Bagels should float to the top of the pot, this can take 1-2 minutes. Remove parchment paper after it separates from bagels from the pot with tongs. Transfer bagels to a parchment lined cookie sheet, and repeat with remaining bagels until all bagels have been boiled.
- Fold up a paper towel to form a little brush, and dip into the egg wash. Brush all of the bagels with the egg wash. This paper towel trick helps avoid an egg rim at the base of the bagel.
- Top bagels with 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon topping, gently patting down with your fingers to help it stick to the tops of the bagels.
- Transfer bagels to preheated oven and bake 22-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven when bagels have a golden exterior and internal temperature has reached 190-200 F. Allow to cool fully before slicing.
- Enjoy your homemade Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels!
- Yields 9 bagels
Notes
How to Store:
Room Temperature- Bagels are best enjoyed same-day, but can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days on the counter. Gently reheat by toasting to enjoy! Freezer Storage- Freeze bagels (sliced or whole) for up to 2 months. Toast straight from frozen or let thaw at room temp then toast. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!