Valentina's Corner
This homemade bagel recipe is easier to make at home than you’d expect! With just a few pantry staples, you’ll have perfectly chewy, soft bagels ready to be enjoyed.
If you like making your own bread doughs, try our Homemade Pizza Rolls or the best Soft Pretzels!
Homemade Bagel Recipe-
Making this homemade bagel recipe is a cheaper way to enjoy fresh bagels from your own home. The dough is perfectly soft and after just a few hours of resting, the bagels are boiled and baked until glossy and golden brown. They can be enjoyed fresh from your oven, or stored to enjoy later.
Use this classic bagel recipe as a starting point for making flavored bagels such as everything, cinnamon raisin, or asiago cheese!
Why You’ll Love This Bagel Recipe:
- It’s customizable to your flavor preferences!
- Bagels freeze well for easy breakfasts.
- Doesn’t require overnight proofing!
- This is a kid-friendly recipe!
Ingredients:
The ingredients for these easy bagels are pantry staples.
- Flour- all-purpose flour will work just fine. Tip: To properly measure flour, scoop it into a measuring cup and level. Then sift the flour to get rid of lumps.
- Yeast- active dry yeast will help the bagels rise. You can also use instant yeast for a quicker rise time.
- Sugar- helps to activate the yeast and lightly sweetens the bagels. You can use white or brown sugar.
- Water- warm water, between 100°F and 115 °F, to help activate the yeast and bring the dough together.
- Salt- brings out the flavor in the bagels.
- Water- boiling bagels in water prior to baking helps achieve their classic, chewy texture and gives them shine. Plus, it will help them keep their shape when baking.
- Baking soda- baking soda helps achieve a glossy exterior after baking.
| Pro Tip: How to test if yeast is active? Make sure your yeast is still active before using it in a recipe. Add yeast to warm water and sprinkle sugar over the yeast. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and it should become foamy and active. |
How to Make Bagel Recipe:
Making the best New York-style bagels is easier than you think!
How to make bagel dough-
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 420°F at step five.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well and add water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- Mix and knead: Mix everything together and dump onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead for five minutes, until the dough is smooth.
- Let rise: Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise for two hours.
- Divide dough: Once the dough has rested, dump it onto a clean work surface and divide it into eight even sections. Roll each section into a ball.
- Rest dough: Allow the sectioned balls to rest for another 15 minutes.
How to shape and cook bagels-
- Shape bagels: There are two ways you can shape bagels. Poke a hole in the center of each of the dough balls with your finger. Twirl the dough around two fingers to widen the hole to desired size. Roll each of the dough balls into a log with tapered ends. Bring the ends together into your palm and pinch lightly to close and seal the edges.
- Boil: Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda. Cook each bagel for 30 seconds per side. Remove the bagels onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add toppings: Brush the tops of the boiled bagels with an egg wash (one egg lightly beaten with a tablespoon of water) to help the toppings adhere. Sprinkle desired toppings on the bagels or just dip the bagel into the topping.
- Bake: Bake bagels for 18-20 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!
Bagel Toppings:
The recipe for traditional bagels can be topped in so many different ways to create different bagels. Prior to topping bagels, brush with a lightly beaten egg to help the toppings stick.
- Everything bagel: Dip the bagels in a plate of everything bagel seasoning, or sprinkle lightly on top if you want less seasoning. You can either buy a seasoning or make your own.
- Cinnamon crunch: Melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp flour, and 2 tsp cinnamon. After you brush the bagels with egg, top them with the crunch topping.
- Cheese: Mix in about ½ cup of shredded cheese into the dough during the last few minutes of kneading in step 2. Once the bagels are boiled, brush them with egg and top each bagel with additional shredded cheese. Asiago, mild cheddar, or jalapeno cheddar are great cheese options!
- Sesame seed: Pour 1/4 cup of sesame seeds onto a plate. Dip each bagel into the seeds. You can season with white seeds or a combination of white and black sesame seeds.
- Poppy seed: Dump 1/4 cup of poppy seeds onto a plate. Dunk the bagels into the seeds, or sprinkle on top for a less saturated bagel.
Bagel Add-Ins:
- Cinnamon raisin: Mix ¾ cup of raisins into the dough during step 1. Dump the dough onto the counter and sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar onto the dough. Knead the cinnamon and sugar into the dough until swirled in. Continue resting the dough per instructions.
- Blueberry: Add the fresh or frozen blueberries once the dough is mixed, gently fold in the blueberries.
Serving Suggestions:
Bagels are a classic breakfast, but can also be eaten at any time of day. Here are some ways to serve the bagels:
- Eat smeared with plain cream cheese or flavored cream cheese.
- Try topping it with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and sliced cucumbers.
- Top with butter and your favorite jam.
- Try making our Breakfast Bagel Sandwich.
frequently asked questions-
Every flour is different, so you may have added too much flour. Or, you may have overworked the dough!
Without boiling, the bagels will not have the chewy center that is characteristic of bagels.
Adding a few tablespoons of sugar, honey, or barley malt syrup to your poaching water can help achieve a crispier crust. However, we have success without adding it.
Bread flour is best for bagels. The higher protein content will give the bagels the chewy texture you look for in a bagel. However, a good quality all-purpose flour will work just fine.
Store & Freeze-
- STORE: Bagels will stay fresh when stored at room temperature in a bread bag for up to 2 days before starting to become hard.
- FREEZE: Bagels freeze beautifully! Cut each bagel in half and place it into a freezer-safe bag. Optionally, wrap each half in plastic wrap first to prevent freezer burn.
THAW FROZEN BAGELS:
- COUNTER: Thaw bagels at room temperature for 2-3 hours for bagels to return to their original texture.
- TOASTER: Place bagel halves into the toaster for a crispy crust with a chewy inside.
- OVEN: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place bagels on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, flipping bagels halfway.
More Bread Recipes:
If you enjoyed this bagel recipe, be sure to try our other homemade bread:
Homemade Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, measured and sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 2/3 cups warm water
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- poaching water:
- 12 cups water
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 420°F when shaping the dough into balls.
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well. Add the water to the well, sprinkle the yeast over the water then the sugar over the yeast. Allow yeast to sit until foamy and active, about 5 minutes.
- Now, mix until everything is incorporated. Transfer dough to the countertop and knead for five minutes.
- Spray bowl with cooking spray, add the dough and allow to rise in a warm area for 2 hours.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal sections and shape into balls. Cover the balls with a kitchen towel and rest 15 minutes.
- Poke a hole in the center of each of the dough balls with your finger and widen the hole to desized bagel size.
- Bring water to a boil and add the soda. Drop bagels into water and cook for 30 seconds, flipping halfway (I do about 3 at a time).
- Cover bagels with desired topping and bake until golden and crispy, about 18-20 minutes.