Easy Bagel Recipe: Baking bread doesn’t have to be intimidating! Save the time and money of running to bagel shops on the weekend and make your own Easy Bagels at home!
When you’re looking for delicious recipes for breakfast, these fluffy pancakes and this brioche French toast are always a hit but now I’m excited to add these homemade bagels to the mix.
Bread does take time to proof, but bagels only need one rise rather than two, making them the perfect brunch meal, especially on a bagel cart. You can easily add toppings to these, or serve them alongside baked bacon and eggs, or even make these bagel sandwiches, for the most amazing homemade meal.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses a few ingredients: With only 5 ingredients, this recipe uses items that you may even have on hand.
- Make-ahead recipe: Bread freezes SO well! You’ll want to keep these on hand at all times.
- Affordable: Running out for bagels can be expensive! Make your own at home to save some dough.
Ingredients Needed
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour has the right protein levels for bagels.
- Yeast – Instant and active dry act the same here. This recipe isn’t formulated for fresh or cake yeast.
- Sugar – White granulated is used to feed the yeast as well as to achieve a crisp crust.
Variations
It’s so easy to add toppings so your bagels aren’t just plain!
- After boiling, let excess water drip back into the pot. Then, place the top of your bagel onto a plate of seasoning (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning…) and press gently. Then rest on the cooling rack to dry.
How to Make Easy Homemade Bagels
Bread can seem finicky, but it’s really just a few simple steps. We are going to mix, proof, shape, boil, and bake. When you think of each step individually, it’s not overwhelming!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
STEP 1. Proof the yeast. Add yeast to warm (not hot!) water and let it bloom or proof (soften) (Image 1).
Tip: If you bake a lot of bread, you’ll know if your water temperature is right just by feel. But if you aren’t sure, pull out that instant-read thermometer and give it a check. Water should be about 100-110°F and no higher. Higher than that and you will kill your yeast and the bagels will be flat and impossible to enjoy.
STEP 2. Make dough. Add salt and 1 cup of flour to the yeast (Image 2). Stir to incorporate and add more flour until a soft dough forms (Image 3).
STEP 3. Knead. Once you can no longer use a spoon, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and continue to knead in more flour (Image 4).
STEP 4. Proof. Add dough back to a clean, greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size (Images 5 & 6).
Tip: Bread dough needs warmth, but not too much, in order for the yeast to multiply. Place the bowl on the counter over your dishwasher if it is running. Another option is to place it in the cold oven and turn on the inside light. Just make sure to remove it before turning on the oven!
STEP 5. Shape. Punch down and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (Image 7). Form into smooth balls and use your thumb to make a center hole (Image 8).
STEP 6. Boil. Add the bagels gently to a pot of boiling sugar water for 1 minute on each side. Remove to a rack for water to evaporate.
STEP 7. Bake. Bake on a parchment lined sheet until golden.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Boil, then bake. This extra step is essential if you want your bagels to have the correct texture.
- Check your yeast. You can use instant or active dry yeast here. This is a perfect recipe for testing if your yeast is still good because we proof it before adding to any other ingredients. No waste if your yeast isn’t good!
Recipe FAQs
Boiling create a “crust” on the bread before it even hits the oven. This actually hinders raising in the oven – which is good for bagels. Unlike a soft and fluffy white bread loaf, we want a dense, chewy interior. The crust prevents the bagels from rising, which aids in their signature chew.
If you want the classic bagel texture, both inside and out, then boiling is a must. This one-two punch of boiling before baking will give you a crust to truly bite into before getting to that dense, chewy interior that will hold up to any spread you like.
The crispy outside and chewy inside! Making any type of bread from scratch allows you to enjoy it fresh from the oven. This is the best way to experience the perfect texture of each type of bread. Boiling then baking will make really good bagels!
Yes! I used granulated sugar here, which takes the place of honey. This allows your bagels to be vegan to fit a majority of diets. Using sugar in your boiling water glazes the dough and gives bagels their classic outer texture.
What to Serve with Homemade Bagels
Bagels are great on their own, when topped with jam, peanut butter, cream cheese, anything you like! You can also use them as the base for an egg sandwich, hot ham and cheese, or a fantastic chicken caprese.
Storage
Store bagels in a plastic bag, either with a tie or a zip. Make sure they are cooled completely, all the way through, before placing in the bag. If they are warm at all they will create condensation and the bagels will turn soggy!
For long term storage, place in a plastic bag with all air removed and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before slicing and toasting.
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Easy Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup warm water 296 ml
- 1 packet active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons or 7 g
- ¼ cup sugar divided, 50 g
- 3 ½ cups flour 420 g
- 2 teaspoons salt 4 g
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm water, yeast, and 2 tablespoon of sugar. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Once the yeast has softened, add 1 cup of flour and the salt. Using a whisk, spatula, wooden spoon, or the dough hook of your stand mixer, stir to combine.
- Slowly incorporate the rest of the flour ½ cup at a time. In the beginning, you can add an additional cup of flour. Once you get to the point (if making by hand) of not being able to add more flour with a spatula or wooden spoon, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
- Begin kneading in more of the flour. You will want to knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and pliable.
- If you are using a stand mixer, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes using the dough hook the dough will easily release from the sides of the bowl.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. This should take between 1 ½ to 2 hours. This will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface.
- Divide the dough into 8 even pieces.
- Form the pieces of dough into balls and then, using your finger, puncture a hole in the middle creating a donut shape then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process for all 8 pieces.
- Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water with the remaining 2 tablespoon of sugar to a boil.
- Line a cooling rack with a paper towel or kitchen towel and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Gently place 2-4 bagels (one at a time) into the pot of boiling water. Allow them to boil for 1 minute on each side.
- Remove them from the water and place them on the prepared cooling rack. Once the excess water has dried or evaporated, return the bagel to the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat this process for all 8 bagels.
- Place the bagels in the oven at 375°F and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- Using a large slotted spoon works really well when placing the bagel into the boiling water.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Myrtle Corkum says
First time making bagels and using this recipe and directions, I think they turned out pretty good!
Jessica says
That’s fantastic to hear, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and let me know!