Homemade Bagels

No ratings yet

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Rising Time1 40

Total Time2 24

Course: Bread, Breakfast, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bagel, Bread, homemade bagels

Servings: bagels

Calories: 266kcal

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition