If you’ve ever come home from a trip to New York City with a mad hankering for a good bagel, you are not alone. A proper bagel has a nice crust, is delightfully dense yet soft and chewy, and, most importantly, is never, ever dry. Piled high with chive cream cheese or filled with the classic bacon, egg, and cheese combo, a bagel is truly the breakfast of champions. Making your own bagels at home is actually pretty easy. While we would never assume our bagels are NYC-caliber (now those are fighting words), a freshly-baked homemade bagel can still scratch that post-vacation itch for a carb-y first meal of the day.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Warm water
  • Instant yeast
  • Honey
  • Bread flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Egg white
  • Poppy seeds, dried onions, coarse kosher salt or flaky salt for optional garnishes

How to Make Homemade Bagels

  1. Proof the yeast. While instant yeast doesn’t technically require proofing to activate, we consider this a “peace of mind” step. There’s nothing worse than going through the rigamarole of making yeast dough only to find your yeast is dead and your dough doesn’t rise.
  2. Mix the dough. Combine the rest of the dough ingredients either by hand or in a mixer. While we’re here, let’s talk flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which means it absorbs more moisture, has a tighter crumb, and does a bit of a better job at helping the bagels rise up instead of spreading out as much. You can use all-purpose flour here but may find you need a few extra tablespoons of flour while kneading to get the dough to the right consistency.
  3. Knead the dough. Speaking of consistency, how can you tell when the dough has been kneaded enough? Visually, it will be nice and uniformly smooth. It will feel quite soft to the touch but not be so sticky it sticks to your finger. Tacky is good. Sticky? Keep kneading and add another tablespoon of flour.
  4. Rise, then rise again. Let the dough rise for one hour in a plastic wrap-covered container, divide into eight pieces, then let the portioned dough do a second rise covered with a clean kitchen towel. This second rise improves flavor and contributes to that characteristic chewy texture we love about bagels.
  5. Form, boil, bake. Form the bagels, boil for a few minutes per side, brush with egg wash + toppings, and bake until golden brown. Try not to cut into one immediately – they really do need to cool off completely for the ideal crumb texture.

Expert Tips

  • Bagel dough requires quite a bit of kneading. Don’t be afraid to keep going until the dough is super smooth and uniform.
  • Bread flour is critical for a bagel with the right amount of chewiness. All-purpose flour just won’t work here.
  • If you’d like your bagels to be a touch darker on the outside, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar to the water bath.

Optional Toppings & Add-ins

While plain bagels are nice, we love giving them an extra sprinkle of something before they head into the oven. Poppy seeds and sesame seeds are classic Jewish deli add-ons, as are dried onions and kosher salt. For cinnamon raisin bagels, mix in a tablespoon of cinnamon and two tablespoons of raisins during the final 1-2 minutes of kneading.

FAQs

What is the purpose of a bagel water bath?

The water bath seals the outside of the bagel and gives it the characteristic shiny crust. It also contributes some to the bagel-y flavor you’ve had in a good bagel.

Can I make homemade bagels in my bread machine?

For sure! The dough can be made up until the shaping step using a bread machine.

Can I prep the dough the night before?

Yes! Bagels only improve more in flavor with a longer rise. Make the bagels up through the shaping step and allow the bagels to complete their second rise on the refrigerator. Remove the bagels from the fridge, get the water boiling, and continue with the recipe as written.

Can I make this recipe without a mixer?

Technically yes, you can. However, bagel dough is a notoriously stiff dough to work with and requires quite a bit of kneading. But with some seriously good forearm muscles, it can be done without a mixer.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Unfortunately not. To achieve the characteristic chewiness found in a bagel, a flour with a much higher protein content is necessary.

Storage Instructions

While homemade bagels are undeniably most delicious within 24 hours of baking, consuming eight bagels within that time frame isn’t likely realistic unless you happen to be feeding an army. Or you’re hosting brunch (can we come?). Bagels can be stored in a sealed plastic bag on the counter for up to three days. However, we recommend freezing any uneaten bagels after 24 hours of baking, also in a sealed plastic bag. To reheat, pop in a 450° F oven for 5-7 minutes for a bagel that’s nearly as good as the fresh-baked version.

More Baking Inspiration

Homemade Bagels

Brooke Eliason
Print
Servings: 8 servings
Cook Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Piled high with chive cream cheese or filled with a classic bacon, egg, and cheese combo, a homemade bagel is truly a breakfast of champions.

Ingredients 

BAGELS

  • 2 cups warm water, roughly 100-110° F (472 grams)
  • 2½ teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1½ Tablespoons honey
  • 5 cups bread flour (700 grams) plus more for dusting surfaces
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 egg white, whisked
  • optional garnishes: poppy seeds, dried onions, coarse kosher salt or flaky salt

CHIVE CREAM CHEESE

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup fresh chives or green onion, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon dried minced onions
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

BAGELS

  • In a stand mixer combine the water, yeast, and honey with a whisk. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. If yeast is not bubbly, throw out and start again (make sure your yeast isn’t expired).
  • Using the paddle attachment, add three cups of flour to yeast mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and add 1 1/2 additional cups of flour and the salt. Mix on low until incorporated, then increase speed to medium and knead with stand mixer for 3-5 minutes, or mix by hand for 5-10 minutes, until the bagel dough is smooth and has been thoroughly kneaded. If the dough is still wet or sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour (or more as needed), one Tablespoon of flour at a time until it does not stick to your hands or the sides of the mixing bowl.
  • Grease a large food container or bowl with cooking spray and place the dough inside. Cover and let rise for one hour (the bagel dough should nearly triple in size). Preheat oven to 425°F. Punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured surface or cutting board. Using a chef’s knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a medium tight dough round and place on the floured surface to rise for another 30 minutes.
  • While the bagels are completing their second rise, fill a large pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. When the 30 minutes of rising are complete, form a hole in the middle of each piece of dough by squeezing your thumb and index finger together. Widen each hole until it reaches roughly 2 inches in diameter and set aside. Once the water is boiling, place each bagel in the boiling water (you should be able to fit about two at a time) for 20-30 seconds per side, then transfer to a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet with a slotted spoon (4 per standard half sheet pan).
  • Once the bagels have been boiled, brush the surfaces with the whisked egg white and top with desired toppings (plain is fine, too). Bake bagels in two batches for 20-25 minutes each. If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the pan halfway through. Let the bagels cool completely and serve on the same day.

CHIVE CREAM CHEESE

  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the chives, dried onions, salt, and garlic powder and whip into the cream cheese until all ingredients are incorporated. Serve with bagels and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

– We used King Arthur bread flour to develop this recipe, which typically yields about 140 grams per cup.

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