Sourdough Asiago Bagel Recipe (better than Panera)

My sourdough asiago bagel recipe makes better bagels than Panera! Each bite is filled with savory asiago cheese, both inside and out. With the added sourdough tang, it’s a flavor you’ll crave!

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If you want to make these bagels but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.

If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Asiago Bagel Recipe

• They’re perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even a snack!
• The savory Asiago cheese pairs perfectly with the sourdough tang.
• The cheese is throughout the bagel and on top.
• The asiago cheese placed on top of each bagel before baking creates a satisfying crunch when you take a bite!
• These bagels are super simple to make and have minimal hands-on time!
• They taste better than Panera Bread’s asiago cheese bagels! Yes, I said it!

What is an Asiago Bagel?

An asiago bagel is a bagel made with asiago cheese both inside the dough and on top. The cheese adds a unique, savory flavor to the bagels that you’ll love!

Think of cheddar mixed with parmesan or Romano cheese. That’s what Asiago tastes like, at least to me. It’s delicious!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bagel Dough

• fed sourdough starter
• water
• pure avocado oil (or 4 Tbsp melted butter)
• raw honey
• salt
• all-purpose flour
• shredded asiago cheese (buy block and shred at home)

Water Bath

• medium-large pot filled halfway with water
• baking soda
• raw honey

Asiago Topping

• shredded asiago cheese

Kitchen Tools You’ll need

• mixing bowl
• bench scraper 
• unbleached parchment paper
• baking sheet
• spider strainer

How to Make Asiago Bagels with Sourdough

Before You Begin Prepare Your Starter

Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding it a 2:1 ratio of flour to water. It needs to be active and bubbly to begin this recipe

Step #1 – Make Bagel Dough

In a mixing bowl, add sourdough starter, water, avocado oil, honey, and salt. Stir until combined.

Add in flour. Mix until combined. Depending on your starter hydration, it may be shaggy, so use your hands to finish combining it into a dough ball until all the flour is incorporated. DO NOT ADD CHEESE YET.

Knead the dough for 3 minutes (by hand or with a stand mixer with a kneading hook attachment). Add flour to your workspace if needed.

Place dough back into a mixing bowl. Cover loosely with a damp tea towel, lid, or plastic wrap.

Step #2 – Bulk Rise

Let the dough bulk ferment on the counter at room temperature for 12 hours. The dough should double in size during this time and have visible bubbles. 

Step #3 – Shape Bagels

Punch down the dough to deflate air bubbles. Then add in 1 cup of shredded asiago cheese. Use your hands to knead/fold it into the dough evenly.

Once you’re done, turn the dough out on the counter (no flour needed) and cut into six even pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball, push your thumb through the middle to create the bagel shape whole, and finally use your hands to flatten it out into a bagel shape. 

Repeat this step until all six bagels are shaped.

Step #4 – Second Rise

Place bagels on a parchment-lined sheet pan, about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover them with a dry kitchen towel, a second sheet pan, or plastic wrap.

Let bagels rise for 3-4 hours until they are puffy and doubled in size. 

At this point, you can either proceed with the recipe or place the covered sheet pan in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you’re ready to continue the recipe.

Step #5 – Water Bath

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Fill a large pot halfway with water and add baking soda and honey. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat to medium and drop in 1 bagel at a time to boil for 30 seconds, then flip and let boil for another 30 seconds. (If the bagels were in the fridge, they may not float right away; just nudge them after the first 30 seconds before flipping.)

Remove the bagels from the water bath with a spider strainer or slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off.

Place the bagel back onto the parchment-lined sheet pan. Then sprinkle a little shredded asiago cheese on top. You can also use the end of the spatula to gently remake the hole in the center of the bagel if it’s caved in a little.  

Repeat until all bagels go through the water bath. Make sure the bagels aren’t touching on the baking sheet pan.

Step #5 – Bake Bagels

Bake bagels for 20–25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Expert Tips for Homemade Bagels

• Make sure your starter is active! Before you get started with this recipe, you need to feed your starter a 2:1 ratio of flour to water 4–12 hours before you start. Your sourdough starter needs to be very active and bubbly to begin.
• Let the dough bulk ferment for 12 hours. It is important to let your dough bulk ferment for the full 12 hours. It should double in size and have air bubbles in it.
• Place the dough in a warm spot to rise. For both the bulk ferment and the second rise after shaping, your dough needs to be at room temperature in a non-drafty place. If your dough doesn’t look like it’s doing anything halfway through the rises, you need to place it in a slightly warmer area. This can be in a turned-off oven with the light on and oven door open, or you can slightly warm the oven to about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and place your dough inside with the door shut. Never leave the oven on, even on the keep warm setting, with fermenting dough inside. Your dough, for both rises, needs to double.
• Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to get the bagels out of their water bath.
• Use avocado oil; it makes a huge difference in the texture.
• Don’t skip over the kneading process or shorten it.
• Make sure you add both honey and baking soda to the water bath. Don’t skip this step. It’s what makes the bagel a bagel.

Storing Instructions

I recommend storing completely cooled asiago bagels in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. After that, you can place them in the fridge for up to 3 more days. 

Freezing Instructions

To freeze these bagels, ensure they’re first completely cooled. After that, place them in a freezer-safe container or baggie, making sure all excess air is out.

They will last up to 6 months in the freezer when stored properly, but I recommend eating them within 3-4 months for the best flavor and texture.

Thawing Frozen Bagels Instructions

To thaw frozen bagels, simply place them in the fridge overnight. The next day they’ll be ready to reheat!

Reheating Instructions

The best way to reheat bagels is in a toaster or the oven. To heat in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees and place the bagels cut in half, fluffy inside down, on a sheet pan. I like to cover the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Then warm for 5-10 minutes until it’s toasted.

Best Ways to Serve Asiago Bagels

My favorite way to serve these bagels is cut in half, toasted, and plain cream cheese smeared on each half. But here’s a few other ways you can try:

• toasted with my Texas Roadhouse cinnamon honey butter smeared on the halves
• toasted and used for avocado toast
• cut in half and used as a bagel sandwich

Recipe FAQs

More Sourdough Bagel Recipes

• Sourdough Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (better than Panera)
• Sourdough Pumpkin Bagels
• Best Sourdough Bagels

Sourdough Asiago Bagel Recipe

 

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