Zaatar Bagel Recipe Using Sourdough Starter

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This sourdough zaatar bagel recipe is healthy, long-fermented, and has the earthy citrusy flavor of Zaatar seasoning. Bagels are simple to make using this step-by-step guide.

Zaatar bagels are perfect for making bagel sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, or topping with cream cheese!

Related: Sourdough Discard Bagels

Related: Sourdough Pretzel Recipe

homemade zaatar bagels on a glass cake stand with a brown basket in the background with green and white stems

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Originally published October 2021, updated with fresh content and details June 14th, 2022.

What Are Zaatar Bagels?

Zaatar bagels are bagels made using Zaatar seasoning blend to create a delicious bagel with huge flavor.

Zaatar seasoning is a middle-eastern spice; typically a blend of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. The flavors are a combination of woodsy, tangy, and nutty and are delicious on zaatar bagels!

Can I Convert this Recipe to Yeast or Use Discard?

Yes, you can convert this zaatar bagel recipe to yeast! This is a great guide on how to do that.

If you want to use an unfed sourdough starter, here is my sourdough discard bagel recipe.

Equipment You’ll Need

Sourdough Starter – My favorite kitchen “tool” is my active sourdough starter! Learn how to make a sourdough starter in 7 days right here.
Stand Mixer – This isn’t necessary but makes the process so nice! Double the kneading time if using your hands. Find a stand mixer here.
Large Non-Reactive Bowl – I like using glass or ceramic for sourdough foods so the metal doesn’t kill off my yeast.
Water Filter – Super important to use filtered water for sourdough so the contaminants in tap water don’t kill off your yeast. We use a Berkey water filter and LOVE it! Get a discount using my link.
Baking Sheet – even though my food rarely touches the actual metal, I like stainless steel instead of aluminum.
Dough scraper – optional
Parchment paper – What I cover my baking sheets with if I’m not using silicone mats.
Large dutch oven – or heavy-bottomed pot.
Slotted spoon – to scoop out the bagels after boiling.

How to Make Zaatar Bagels

These bagels are tangy from the long ferment which pairs perfectly with the citrusy taste of the zaatar seasoning.

Bagel Dough

Sourdough starter – make sure she’s active and bubbly, or head to this post to make bagels using sourdough discard.
Filtered water – make sure it’s filtered so the contaminants in tap water don’t kill off the yeast.
Coconut sugar – you could also use honey, molasses, or regular sugar.
Sea salt – use good quality sea salt for better results.
All-purpose flour – you can replace with a different kind of flour, but you may need to adjust the flour or water content if doing so.
Coconut oil – this is just for greasing the bowl.
Baking soda – This is used for the water bath and gives the bagels that sheen on the outside.
Zaatar seasoning – this is the best flavoring to put on bagels!

Zaatar Bagel Tutorial (with pictures)

Feed your starter and let sit at room temp for several hours until it is active and bubbly. Do the float test to see if it is mature. To skip this step, head to this recipe in order to use your discard.

healthy sourdough starter with lots of bubbles and activity revived after bad sourdough experience

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the sourdough starter, water, and coconut sugar, with a wooden spoon until mostly combined.

sourdough starter and sugar and water mixed together in a stand mixer to make zaatar bagel dough

Now, attach the bowl to the stand mixer and fit with the dough hook attachment, add 2 cups of flour and mix on low speed until incorporated.

adding flour to a stand mixer to make sourdough discard bagel dough

Then slowly add the remaining two cups of flour while mixing on low speed until incorporated and let rest for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add your salt and mix for another few minutes until salt is fully combined and you have a ball of dough.
Once the dough has formed, remove and place in a greased glass or ceramic bowl covered with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to ferment at room temperature for about 10 hours.

sourdough discard bagel dough after being transferred to a greased bowl — Before rising

sourdough discard bagel dough after rising for a couple hours in a white bowl — Before rising

During the last few minutes of fermentation, prep a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and divide it into about 8 pieces.

dividing sourdough discard bagel dough into pieces in order to shape into bagels

Shape your bagels by taking each piece and shaping into a ball by gathering up the sides and pinching them together in the center. Turn the dough over so that the seam side is down on the work surface and gently form a smooth ball. This helps to develop the gluten structure.
Then, using your thumb to poke a hole in the middle rotate your dough around your thumb as you smooth and shape the ring. The hole will need to be bigger than you think since it will shrink as the dough performs its second rise.

Place bagels on the parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly spaced, cover with a tea towel and let rise again for about an hour (you can get away with longer if needed). They will have bulked up after this second rise.

using thumb to poke a hole in sourdough discard bagel dough

using hands to pull apart the middle of the bagel dough

During the last few minutes of the second rise, boil a large pot of water and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Once your water has come to a boil add your baking soda and coconut sugar.

adding coconut sugar to a white dutch oven of boiling water

Using a slotted spoon, scoop a bagel one at a time and gently place it in the boiling water. Only boil 3 bagels at a time. Boil for about 1-2 minutes on each side then remove using a slotted spatula and place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Note that your bagel dough will likely be stuck to the parchment paper a little but before boiling – that’s ok. They will keep their shape if you carefully use the flat spatula to peel off the paper.
- Also note that your bagels sink when you first put them into the pot of boiling water – they will rise to the surface after a few seconds.

placing homemade sourdough bagel dough into pot of boiling water in a white martha stewart dutch oven on a gas stove

removing sourdough bagel from boiling water in a white martha stewart dutch oven on a gas stove

As soon as your take the bagels out of the boiling water, sprinkle with your Zaatar seasoning (while they’re wet) and place your second batch in the water. Continue until all bagels have been boiled and seasoned.

zaatar seasoning blend from private selections

pouring zaatar seasoning blend onto a white plate with striped white and black shirt

Bake the bagels for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven, let cool (at least slightly), and serve with cream cheese, ghee, or whatever else sounds delicious to you!

sliced open homemade zaatar bagel on a white plate with a perfectly crumby inside

How to Store Zaatar Sourdough Bagels

homemade zaatar bagels stacked on top of eachother with a basket in the background

Store cooked bagels covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. Storing in the fridge is not recommended as they will dry out.

How to freeze homemade bagels

To freeze baked bagels, let cool completely. Wrap bagels individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

To reheat bagels, let thaw on the counter. Cut in half and heat in toaster, toaster oven, on broil in the oven, or heat in the microwave.

Zaatar Sourdough Bagel Baking Tips

sourdough bagel with zaatar seasoning on top held up between two fingers with a basketweave basket in the background with green and cream stems on top and a batch of sourdough bagels on a cake stand

Bigger holes – Make the holes bigger than you think you need to make them when you’re shaping your bagel dough. The hole will shrink as they start to puff up and if it isn’t big enough your hole will completely disappear.
Don’t skip the boiling step – The boiling step helps the outside of the bagels to cook quickly enough to help the bagels hold their shape during the baking step. Secondly, it helps the zaatar seasoning to stick better. Lastly, it gives the bagel a shiny and crisp coating making them absolutely delicious and gorgeous.
Add sugar and baking soda – Don’t skip out on adding the coconut sugar and baking soda to the pot of boiling water – this is used to caramelize the outside of the bagel, increase surface gelatinization by breaking down some starch in the bagel dough, and also gives the bagels a “pretzely” taste.
Rest before salt – Be sure to let the dough rest for 15 minutes before adding the salt. If not, the salt will kill the yeast before it has a chance to activate.

In a Pinch Ideas

To make zaatar sourdough bagels in a pinch, you’ll want to make a batch and freeze them for later so you can easily pull them out of the freezer whenever you want one!

Use sourdough discard and make same-day sourdough bagels using this recipe.

Zaatar Bagel Bakers Timeline

homemade zaatar bagels on a glass cakestand with a textured bottom on a granite countertop

This timeline will allow you to break [bagel] by 8 am. You can change the timing however works for you, but here is an example.

Day 1

12PM – Feed your sourdough starter.
6PM – Mix bagel dough in stand mixer, cover and let sit on counter overnight.

Day 2

6AM – Shape bagel dough and let rest for another hour.
7AM – Boil bagels, add toppings and bake.
8AM – Enjoy your zaatar bagels!

Zaatar Bagel Serving Suggestions

Here are some great serving options for your zaatar bagels.

homemade sourdough bagels with zaatar seasoning on a glass clear cake stand with a basket in the background on a granite countertop

Cream cheese
Ghee or butter
Hummus
Breakfast Sandwiches
Deli sandwiches
Zaatar bagel avocado toast
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
Poached eggs
Tuna salad
Chicken salad

Sourdough Bagel Topping Options

Zaatar seasoning
Everything bagel seasoning
Cheddar cheese
Pepperjack cheese
Sea salt
Dehydrated onions
Poppy seeds
Seseme seeds
Minced garlic
Cheddar and jalapeno

Sourdough Bagel Dough Add-Ins

Cinnamon and raisins
Chocolate chips (my hubby’s favorite – anytime I make something and there aren’t chocolate chips he asks why haha)
Roasted garlic cloves
Blueberries

How to Make Healthier Zaatar Bagels

Use healthier toppings – no matter the recipe, the toppings will get ya! Be sure to use healthy toppings if you want to make these bagels as healthy as possible.
Long ferment the dough – instead of using yeast, consider using an active sourdough starter and long fermenting the dough before shaping the bagels. This makes them more digestible.
Use natural sweetener – Using coconut sugar or honey in the dough is a much healthier option than refined sugar.
Quality ingredients – using quality ingredients when it comes to sea salt, flour, and even your water is important for healthy cooking.

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(These affiliate links help to support this blog at no extra cost to you. Your support means the world to me!)

Berkey water filter (we use the Royal because we drink an insane amount of water!)

Thrive Market – 25% off & free gift! (where I get a ton of my ingredients)
Azure Standard: $25 off your order. Code kyrieluke1
Dutch oven
Stand mixer
Stainless steel
Dough scraper
Parchment paper
Large dutch oven
Slotted spoon
Glass or ceramic bowls

More Sourdough Recipes

Sourdough Pretzel Recipe

Roasted Garlic Sourdough Bread

Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Lemon and Lavender Sourdough Discard Muffins

Sourdough Starter from Scratch

Sourdough Breadsticks Recipe

Zaatar Bagel Faq

What is Zaatar bagel?

A zaatar bagel is a bagel with zaatar seasoning either mixed into the dough of the bagel, sprinkled on top of the bagel, or both. Zaatar seasoning is a middle-eastern spice blend.

What is Zaatar bread made of?

Zaatar bread is homemade bread topped with a blend of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds.

What can I put Zaatar in?

This blend of spices can be used for pretty much anything! The woodsy taste makes it a great spice for meat; the tanginess makes it great for fish too. It’s also delicious sprinkled on avocado, eggs, or bagels.

Are bagels healthier than bread?

This completely depends on the type of bagel in question and the type of bread. However, if we are talking about similar ingredients in each, a bagel would have more calories because they are larger than a slice of bread. Both bagels and bread can be healthy.

Why are bagels so good?

The process of boiling the bagel first is what makes this circular treat so delicious! Boiling the bagels before baking them helps to create a glossy and crispy outer layer while keeping the inside soft and chewy.

What are the healthiest bagels?

The healthiest bagel is one that uses clean ingredients, no refined sugar, good quality flour, and soured dough.

Why do bagels have holes?

The hole inside a bagel is to help the entire bagel cook evenly throughout. The hole is also used to enable stacking on top of each other through a long dowel.

Why do you add baking soda to the water for bagels?

The baking soda in the boiling water is used to alkalize the water in order to release some of the starches in the bagel dough. This helps to create a glossy and crispy finish on bagels.

Why do you add sugar to the water for bagels?

The sugar added to the boiling water is used to help caramelize the outside of the bagel dough during boiling.

Pin It for Later – Zaatar Bagel Recipe

Healthy sourdough bagel recipe flavored with Zaatar seasoning.

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