Homemade Bagel Recipe
My homemade bagel recipe is an easy treat that takes you halfway across the world with its taste. You’ll love everything about these uniquely boiled and then baked goods, from their tempting aroma to their chewy texture!
Chewy bagels bring back fun memories, like the time I went to New York for a quick vacation. As a foodie, I didn’t want to let the moment pass without trying the city’s iconic eats. So I tried the traditional hot dogs, New York pizza, and, of course, the classic bagel. I was hooked so fast that I wanted to buy them in bulk to take them home with me.
The soft chewiness with the slightly nutty flavor was exactly what my palate wanted. A generous spread of cream cheese with lox made it even better!
Since a trip to New York can set you back a lot, you might want to try your hand at making homemade bagels. Enjoying them for breakfast will have you feeling like you’re in the Big Apple!
What Makes a Bagel?
Although bagels are known as an NYC icon, Jews in Poland were enjoying them back in the 1600s. Our modern word comes from the old Yiddish word “bajgel,” pronounced as “bey-gal,” which roughly translates to a “ring” or “bracelet”.
Poppy and sesame seeds are traditional toppings for extra nuttiness. What makes these beauties different is boiling them before baking. The resulting dense, chewy texture makes it popular among bread lovers! The saying, “If it isn’t boiled, it’s just a bun with a hole in it,” is true.
How to Make Homemade Bagels
Prepare the Dough
- Activate Yeast – Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar and activate the yeast. (Photo 1)
- Knead – Add 3 cups of the bread flour and the salt. Use the dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer. Mix for about 8-10 minutes, adding more flour a little at a time until it forms a firm dough. If mixing by hand, knead your dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes or until smooth. (Photos 2-3)
- Rise – Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn it to coat it in the oil. Cover it loosely with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours or until doubled. (Photo 4)
- Form Rolls – As soon as the dough doubles in size, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (for evenly sized bagels, use a kitchen scale to measure). Roll the dough pieces on the board to form a ball, then flatten them gently. (Photos 5-9)
- The Hole – Dust your thumb or pointer finger with flour and press a hole in the middle of the ball. Then, stretch it to form a 1½-inch hole or an evenly shaped ring. (Photo 10)
- Rest – Place the bagels on a greased sheet pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 10-12 minutes.
Boiling
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Boil – Fill a pot about ¾ full of water and bring it to a boil. Add the bagels a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Boil the bagels for 45 seconds, flip, and boil for another 45-60 seconds. The longer you boil bagels, the chewier they get.
- Drain – Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to soak up excess water. Repeat the process with the rest of the bagels. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Egg Wash – Optional: Mix the egg, water or milk, and salt, brush it over the bagels, and top them with your desired seasoning mix or seeds to give them a beautiful, glossy crust. (Photos 11-12)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bagels from the baking pan and transfer them to the wire racks to cool.
- Serve with cream cheese, lox, and other desired fillings.
Recipe Tips
- Bread flour has a high protein content, which makes it ideal for bagels. You can use all-purpose flour, but the texture won’t be as chewy
- Bagel dough is drier than regular bread dough, with a hydration percentage of around 50%. That means you’ll have a stiff, firm dough. That may be while they boiled them
- New Yorkers claim that the high quality of local water is what makes the pizza and bagels amazing. Who am I to argue? So, use filtered water if possible
- DIY bagel chips are a cinch. Thinly slice the bagels, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and Italian seasonings. Then bake them at 350℉ (180℃) for 15-20 minutes (stirring them every 5 minutes) or until crispy
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
No preservatives means they’re healthier, but homemade bagels are best the same day they come out of the oven. They’ll last 2-3 days in a paper bag at room temperature, and you can refresh them by toasting them.
I love making enough for a week or two and then freezing the extras. If you freeze them individually, you can pop out what you want at that moment and toast them for a quick fix.
How to Enjoy Homemade Bagels
The best part about bagels is that you can fill them with almost anything. From the traditional cream cheese and lox (cured salmon) to smoked ham, it’s A-OK.
I usually drizzle them with my own special mix by combining chopped dill and olive oil. If my taste buds had hands, they’d be clapping right now.
Turning them into a bacon and egg sandwich for a well-balanced breakfast makes McDonald’s and Starbucks unnecessary. And deviled ham on a bagel is pure yum.
Comforting Snack Recipes to Enjoy
This blog post was originally published in December 2021 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful photos
Homemade Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (300ml) warm water (you may need an extra ¼ cup or 60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons (12-13g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (6g) active dry yeast
- 3½-4 cups (420-480g) bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons (8-9g) salt
- optional sprinkles (see notes)
Optional Egg Wash
- 1 egg (or just the yolk for a deeper color)
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) water (or milk for a shinier finish)
- 1 pinch salt (optional, but helps break down the egg for a smoother consistency)
Instructions
- Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl or a stand mixer bowl. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar and activate the yeast.
- Add 3 cups of bread flour and the salt. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you're using a stand mixer. Mix for about 8-10 minutes, adding more flour a little at a time until it forms a firm dough. If mixing by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes or until smooth.
- Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and coat it with oil. Cover it loosely with a clean cloth and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours or until doubled.
- As soon as the dough doubles in size, punch it down and place it on a lightly floured work surface.
- Next, divide the dough into 8 pieces (for evenly sized bagels, use a kitchen scale to measure). Roll the dough pieces on the board to form a ball, then flatten them gently.
- Dust your thumb or pointer finger with flour and press a hole in the middle of the ball. Then, stretch it to form a 1½-inch hole or an evenly shaped ring.
- Place the bagels on a greased sheet pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 10-12 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Fill a pot about ¾ full of water and bring to a boil. Add the bagels a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Boil the bagels for 45 seconds, flip, and boil for another 45-60 seconds. The longer you boil the bagels, the chewier they will be.
- Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to soak up excess water. Repeat the process with the rest of the bagels. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Optional: Mix the egg, water or milk, and salt, brush it over the bagels, and sprinkle them with your desired seasoning mix or seeds to give them a beautiful, glossy crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bagels from the baking pan and transfer them to the wire racks to cool.
- Serve with cream cheese or other desired fillings.
Tips & Notes:
- Optional sprinkles for your bagels include everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and seasoned salt.
- Bread flour or other high-gluten flour is the preferred flour because it creates the classic dense but spongy texture
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I’m so thankful for this recipe! It’s the only one I’ll ever need. Everyone loves them and prefers them to store bought
Thank you, Shelby. That makes my day!
This bagel recipe was really easy, and tasted amazing, although sweeter than an average bagel.
Thanks, Kaylee. Feel free to reduce or even omit the sugar. I have to admit, I like my breads on the sweet side.
What is the “egg mixture” that you place on top? Thanks!
The “egg mixture” that goes on top of the bagel is an egg wash, which is made by whisking together:
1 egg (or just the yolk for a deeper color)
1-2 tablespoons of water or milk (for a shinier finish)
A pinch of salt (optional, but helps break down the egg for a smoother consistency)
Brush this mixture over the bagels before baking to give them a beautiful golden-brown and glossy crust. Let me know if you need more details!
I just made my first ever batch with this recipe and they turned out great. The recipe was super easy to follow and made it really easy to make these. I’m definitely going to be making these regularly.
Hi Rachel,
So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for letting me know.
I love making these ao so easy, but was wondering if there is a way to make dough a head of time and boil and bake next morning
Hi Julia. If you would like to make these ahead of time, shape your dough immediately after mixing the dough. Place them on baking sheets, cover them with plastic wrap, and allow them to proof in the fridge overnight. In the morning, take them out and let them come to room temperature. Then you can proceed with boiling and baking. Hope this helps.
I’ve made this weekly now for the last 5 months. I refuse to buy Costco bagels anymore! I We prefer bread flour, but tried all purpose also. This is an amazing recipe. I make jalapeño cheddar bagels, everything bagels and plain for my family to take sandwiches on. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s kept in the archives 🙂
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
I have never made a bagel before and your recipe made it so simple. They came out beautiful and golden and just the right chewy texture. I boil them for 45 seconds on each side, next time I will do a couple with a 60 second timer just to give it a try. I covered them with everything but the bagel seasoning, some with sharp cheddar cheese and left the others plain. You they made my house smell amazing and everyone absolutely loves them! I would not change a thing.
Woohoo, amazing to hear that. sure you can try as you like. Hopefully it would turned great, stay safe and healthy 🙂
I would love too use this recipe, but I don’t have bread flour, also bread flour is very expensive in Trinidad. Do you have a substitute?
Yes, you can replace it with all-purpose flour with the same measurement. It may affect the texture just a little, but it will still be great.