Homemade Bagels are so much easier than you’d think, and once you try this recipe you’ll never want store bought bagels again. They’re chewy in the middle, with perfectly golden and lightly crispy crusts. You’ll want to make these homemade bagels for breakfast, sandwiches, or just snacking on.
These Homemade Bagels are a game changer, and you may never want to eat a bagel from the store again. It might sound intimidating to make your own bagels, but I promise with this easy recipe you’ll see its actually not hard to make them at all!
This year I’m going a little bit back to the basics with some of our recipes, covering some of the things that we’ve been missing on our site that might be considered an essential recipe. Including these bagels. You’ll love the hands on process and pride of making these recipes at home, even if you just do it once, its so nice to know that you know how!
This recipe is super customizable, so you can give your bagels whatever toppings you like, everything bagel seasoning, cinnamon sugar, add blueberries, you name it. They’re delicious plain, or extra good toasted and smeared with some cream cheese!
Why You’ll Love these
- Chewy Texture: The best dense inside, chewy outside. These bagels have just the right texture thanks to using bread flour!
- Customizable: You can top the bagels with whatever toppings you like, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sugar, everything bagel seasoning, or cheese, or try different mix ins like raisins, chocolate chips, or blueberries. (Follow my tips below for how to make some of these varieties).
- Extra Fresh: Nothing beats fresh warm bread, and now nothing beats a fresh homemade bagel. So much better than store bought.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Homemade Bagel Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Water: We need water for the dough, and for boiling the bagels. The bagels get briefly boiled in water which gives them their chewy texture, and almost crisp exterior.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast. Instant yeast will have a shorter rise time than active yeast.
- Bread Flour: The extra protein in bread flour is necessary for giving the bagels their dense and chewy texture
- Brown Sugar: To slightly sweeten the bagel dough
- Salt: Adds a little flavor to the dough
- Honey: Bagels get boiled in a lightly sweet water which helps give them their chewy, slightly crispy exterior.
How to make Homemade Bagels
Step 1: Proof the Yeast. Add the warm water, yeast and sugar to a bowl and stir together. Let it sit for a few minutes until the top of the water gets foamy.
Step 2: Make the Dough. Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and mix together until it is smooth. If the dough becomes sticky again as you’re mixing it, add in more flour 1 teaspoon at a time. Knead the dough for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 3: Let the Dough Rise. Cover the dough loosely with a towel and let it rise for about 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 4: Shape the Bagels. Punch down the dough and separate it into 8 equal sized portions. Shape them into balls, then press your finger through the center of each, then use a couple fingers to widen the hole until its about 1.5 to 2 inches. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Boil the Bagels. Fill a large pot with 2 quarts of water and 1/4 cup of honey and bring it to a boil. Add 2 or 3 bagels at a time and boil them for 1 minute, then flip them over to boil the other side for another 1 minute. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon, and let the water drip off.
Step 6: Add Toppings if Desired. Brush the tops of the bagels lightly with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 TBS water). Sprinkle the tops with your choice of toppings.
Step 7: Bake. Bake the bagels on cookie sheets until the tops are golden. Rotate the cookie sheets half way through to make sure they bake evenly. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to keep cooling.
Bagel Varieties:
- Plain Bagels: Follow the recipe below as is.
- Everything Bagels: After brushing the bagels with their egg wash you can dip them directly into a bowl of everything bagel seasoning, or sprinkle it evenly over the top and sides of the bagels.
- Poppy Seed Bagels: Brush the bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle or dip the top and sides of each bagel into poppy seeds.
- Cheese Bagels: Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I like asiago, cheddar, or mozzarella) to the dough when adding the flour. Then sprinkle extra cheese on top after adding the egg wash.
- Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels: Knead 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of diced jalapenos into the dough. After the bagels have been boiled, brush them with the egg was hand sprinkle the tops with more cheddar cheese. Place 2 to 3 slices of jalapenos on top of the cheese carefully then bake.
- Blueberry Bagels: Add 1/2 cup of a 1 cup of cooked down blueberries to the dough with the wet ingredients, then add 1 cup dried blueberries to the dough when adding in the bread flour.
- Chocolate Chip Bagels: Add 1 cup of chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips to the dough when adding in the flour to work them evenly into the dough.
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Mix 3/4 cup raisins, 1 TBS sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon into the dough right at the end of kneading.
Tips and Tricks:
- Boil the Bagels: We have to boil the bagels for about 2 minutes to give them their signature chewy crust. Bagels are boiled in a lightly sweetened water (we use honey), where as if you were making homemade pretzel bites they’d be boiled in water with baking soda for their crust.
- Mini Bagels: Cut the dough into 16-20 portions, then form each into a bagel shape with a hole in the middle. Boil each side for 30 seconds, then bake them for 13 to 18 minutes until golden.
- Yeast: Use instant or active dry yeast. If you’re using active dry yeast, the rise time may be longer, probably closer to 2 hours, while instant yeast will be less time. Both work equally.
Storage Instructions
Let the bagels cool completely on a wire rack to prevent the bottoms from getting soggy. Store the bagels in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze the bagels by wrapping them in plastic wrap then foil. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then toast or warm however you’d like.
There is nothing like a warm, chewy homemade bagel straight from your kitchen. They’re soft and tender on the inside, with the perfect chewiness in every bite. You’ll never want to buy store bought bagels again.
More Bread Recipes
Homemade Bagels
Ingredients
For the Bagel Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups Warm Water
- 1 TBS Brown Sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant or Active Yeast
- 4 cups Bread Flour
- 2 tsp Salt
For Boiling the Bagels:
- 2 quarts Water
- 1/4 cup Honey
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 TBS water
Instructions
- Add the warm water, yeast, and sugar to a large bowl and whisk together. Let it sit for a few minutes until foamy. 1 1/2 cups Warm Water, 1 TBS Brown Sugar, 2 1/4 tsp Instant or Active Yeast
- Add in the flour, and salt and use a dough hook to mix it together until the dough forms. If it is sticking to the edges of the bowl add in 1 teaspoon of flour at a time until its no longer sticky. The dough will be a little stiff. 4 cups Bread Flour, 2 tsp Salt
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and knead it with your hands for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Lightly grease the bowl and add the dough back into it. Cover it with a towel and let it rest for 60 to 90 minutes (up to 2 hours) until it is doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough with air to release the air.
- Separate the dough into 8 portions (each should be about 4 oz, or 113g). Shape them into balls, tucking the ends under.
- Press your finger into the middle of the dough ball and then use multiple fingers to spread the hole to be about 1.5 to 2 inches across. Arrange them onto two lined cookie sheets and let them rest for 10 minutes, while you prepare the water.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring a pot filled with 2 Quarts of water, and honey to a boil over medium heat. 2 quarts Water, 1/4 cup Honey
- Drop in 3 bagels at a time. Let them boil for 1 minute, then flip and boil the other side for another minute.
- Lift the bagels out of the water with a slotted spoon and let extra water drip off. Repeat with other bagels. Place four onto baking sheet.
- Whisk together 1 egg and 1 TBS of water for an egg wash. Brush each bagel lightly with the egg wash. 1 large egg, 1 TBS water
- Sprinkle the bagels with your choice of toppings on the tops and sides if desired.
- Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Rotate the pans half way through.
- Let the bagels cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm.
Notes
- Boil the Bagels: We have to boil the bagels for about 2 minutes to give them their signature chewy crust. Bagels are boiled in a lightly sweetened water (we use honey), where as if you were making homemade pretzel bites they’d be boiled in water with baking soda for their crust.
- Mini Bagels: Cut the dough into 16-20 portions, then form each into a bagel shape with a hole in the middle. Boil each side for 30 seconds, then bake them for 13 to 18 minutes until golden.
- Yeast: Use instant or active dry yeast. If you’re using active dry yeast, the rise time may be longer, probably closer to 2 hours, while instant yeast will be less time. Both work equally.
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