Raspberry Pistachio Swirled Sourdough Bagels Recipe
These Raspberry Pistachio Sourdough Bagels combine tangy, natural raspberry sweetness with crunchy, nutty pistachios, braided together into beautifully swirled bagels. Made using a classic sourdough starter, these bagels undergo a slow fermentation for improved flavor, nutrition, and digestibility. The recipe uses natural plant-based food colorings to give vibrant pink and olive-green hues, making them as visually appealing as they are delicious. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, these artisanal bagels offer a unique twist on traditional sourdough breads.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 8-12 hours for starter feeding and overnight proofing)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: Approximately 12-16 hours including starter feeding and proofing times
- Yield: 16 bagels (8 raspberry-pistachio braided pairs)
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American Artisan
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Raspberry Bagel Dough
- 330 g (2 ¾ cups) bread flour
- 125 g (½ cup) fresh or frozen raspberries, mashed
- 80 – 115 g (⅓ – ½ cups) water (adjust for dough texture)
- 85 g (⅓ cup) sourdough starter
- 8 g (1.5 tsp) honey
- 7 g (1 ¼ tsp) sea salt
- 1.5 Tablespoons freeze-dried raspberries, crushed
- Optional: natural plant-based pink food coloring
Pistachio Bagel Dough
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) bread flour
- 120 g (½ cup) water
- 40 g (⅓ cup) sourdough starter
- 3 g (½ tsp) sea salt
- 6 g (1 tsp) honey
- 20 g (2 Tablespoons) finely ground or chopped pistachios
- 20 g (2 Tablespoons) coarsely chopped pistachios for topping
- Optional: natural plant-based green and yellow food coloring to make the dough olive green
- Optional: ½ tsp almond extract for enhanced pistachio flavor
Instructions
- Feed the Sourdough Starter: About 8-12 hours before preparing the doughs, feed your sourdough starter with 25g active starter, 90g water, and 90g flour. Let it rest until it doubles in size and the peak begins to collapse, indicating it is active and ready to use.
- Prepare the Raspberries: Dice fresh or thaw frozen raspberries, reserving all juice. Warm frozen raspberries if needed to release liquid. Ensure raspberries are completely cooled before adding to the dough.
- Mix Raspberry Bagel Dough: In a large bowl, combine bread flour, water, sourdough starter, honey, mashed raspberries with juice, sea salt, crushed freeze-dried raspberries, and optional pink food coloring. Mix with stand mixer dough hook on low speed for 6-7 minutes until smooth and elastic, or knead by hand 8-10 minutes. Optionally sprinkle more freeze-dried raspberries on top of dough for color and texture.
- Cover Raspberry Dough: Transfer dough to a covered bowl or container, sealing with a damp towel or lid to prevent drying out.
- Mix Pistachio Bagel Dough: Clean mixing bowl, then combine bread flour, water, sourdough starter, honey, finely ground/chopped pistachios, sea salt, optional green and yellow food coloring, and optional almond extract. Mix on low speed 6-7 minutes or knead by hand 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add coarsely chopped pistachios on top of dough and lightly incorporate or spritz with water to help them stick.
- First Rise: Cover pistachio dough with damp towel or plastic wrap. Let both doughs rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours until roughly doubled.
- Overnight Proof: Refrigerate both doughs overnight to allow slow fermentation that enhances flavor, texture, nutrition, and digestibility.
- Braid the Doughs: Remove doughs from fridge. Divide each dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 6-inch logs. Pair raspberry and pistachio logs, roll each pair into 9-inch ropes by gently stretching back and forth, and twist the ends to swirl colors.
- Shape the Bagels: Take each twisted rope, bring ends together overlapping about an inch, wrap into a circular bagel shape around your hand, and roll the joined ends on the surface to seal well.
- Final Rise: Place shaped bagels on greased baking sheets. Let rise at room temperature for 1-3 hours until puffy. Alternatively, proof in an oven with proof setting at 80-90°F for 60-90 minutes to accelerate.
- Boil the Bagels: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring large pot of water to a boil. Boil each bagel 1 minute on each side. Remove with slotted spoon and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the Bagels: Bake for 20-25 minutes until bagels turn golden brown and are firm to the touch.
- Cool and Serve: Allow bagels to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy your vibrant, flavorful raspberry and pistachio sourdough bagels!
Notes
- Adjust water quantity to ensure dough is hydrated but not sticky.
- Using frozen raspberries requires warming and cooling before use to preserve dough temperature.
- Natural plant-based food colorings are optional but enhance visual appeal.
- Almond extract amplifies pistachio flavor in the pistachio dough.
- Overnight cold proofing improves flavor depth and dough structure while enhancing gut health benefits.
- Adding freeze-dried raspberries on dough surface adds texture and speckled appearance.
- Proper sealing of bagel ends ensures traditional shape during baking.
- Boiling bagels before baking is essential for authentic chewy crust.
