This easy homemade bagels recipe shows that you can make deliciously chewy bagels at home using just a few simple ingredients and basic baking tools.
Today, I’m showing you how to make homemade bagels with only a few pantry staples and kitchen tools. You’ll face any fears about yeast and bread baking today and don’t worry, I’ll guide you every step of the way.
Bagels, crème brûlée, soft pretzels, and French macarons all seem difficult to make at home. That’s why they often sit on your baking bucket list. But the truth is, they’re much easier than they look. Homemade bagels taste fresher, cost less, and you also get bragging rights for baking from scratch.
Bagels Require a Lean Dough
The first step is making the bagel dough. This is the same dough used for everything bagels. You only need 5 ingredients.
- Warm Water: Provides moisture for the dough.
- Yeast: Helps the dough rise. I recommend instant or active dry yeast.
- Bread Flour: High-protein flour is required for bagels. We want a dense and chewy texture, not soft and fluffy like cinnamon rolls. Bread flour is the best choice.
- Brown Sugar: Bakeries use barley malt syrup, which can be hard to find. Brown sugar works as a great substitute.
- Salt: Adds flavor.
Notice there’s no fat in this dough. This type of dough is called a lean dough. Lean dough works well for recipes like focaccia, pizza dough, artisan bread, and cranberry nut no-knead bread. Recipes like dinner rolls, homemade breadsticks, and sweet breads such as cinnamon rolls include fat for extra richness and flavor.
You can mix and knead the dough using a mixer or by hand. After kneading, let the dough rise for 60–90 minutes. Then punch it down, divide it into 8 pieces, and shape them into bagels.
How to Shape Bagels
Shaping bagels is easier than it looks. Push your finger through the center of the dough ball, then use two fingers to widen the hole to about 1.5–2 inches. That’s it. No fancy steps are needed, and the bagels don’t have to look perfect. Mine never do!
Bagel Water Bath
Bagels must be boiled for 1 minute on each side in a pot of boiling water. This is the most important step in the recipe. Here’s why:
Boiling gives bagels their shiny finish. That shine comes from the dough’s starches setting during boiling, creating a crisp and glossy outer layer. This technique comes from Cooks Illustrated.
Boiling also cooks the outside of the dough, which helps the bagels keep their shape while baking.
Adding honey or barley malt syrup to the water adds extra color and crispness. Brushing the bagels with egg wash does the same. Don’t skip these steps.
Homemade Bagel Varieties
- Plain Bagels: Great for breakfast casseroles.
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dough.
- Everything Bagels: The standard combination of toppings on an everything bagel is as follows: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, garlic, and salt.
- Sesame Seed Bagels: Use 1/3 cup sesame seeds. After the egg wash in step 9, top or dip each bagel.
- Poppy Seed Bagels: Use 1/3 cup poppy seeds. Add after the egg wash in step 9.
- Salt Bagels: Use 1/3 cup coarse sea salt. These are salty, so feel free to use less.
- Cheese Bagels (Asiago, Cheddar, etc.): Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese when adding the flour. Sprinkle extra cheese after the egg wash.
- Cinnamon Crunch Bagels: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dough with the salt. Use double the cinnamon crunch topping from cinnamon crunch bread and spoon it on after the egg wash.
Some readers replace half the bread flour with whole wheat flour to make whole wheat bagels. I haven’t tried it myself, but I do use whole wheat flour in homemade English muffins.
Homemade Bagels Recipe
Description
Make fresh bagels at home with this tested dough recipe. Don’t skip the water bath and egg wash, they help create a chewy texture and golden crust.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml) warm water (100–110°F / 38–43°C)
- 1 Tablespoon barley malt syrup, granulated sugar, or brown sugar*
- 2 and 3/4 teaspoons (8g) instant or active dry yeast*
- 4 cups (520g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Nonstick spray, butter, or olive oil for the bowl
For Boiling & Topping
- 2 quarts (1.9L) water
- 1/4 cup (85g) barley malt syrup or honey
- Egg wash: 1 egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
In a stand mixer bowl with a dough hook, mix warm water, sugar, and yeast. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, use a large bowl and mix by hand in the next step.
Add flour and salt. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides. If sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should be stiff but not crumbly. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time if needed.
Knead the dough:
Knead on low speed for 6–7 minutes or by hand on a floured surface for the same time. The dough should feel smooth and elastic. If sticky, add flour a little at a time. The dough should bounce back when poked. You can also use the windowpane test to check if it’s ready.
Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover and let rise for 1.5–2 hours, or until doubled.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Shape the bagels:
Punch down the dough. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape into balls, then poke a hole in the center of each. Place on baking sheets, cover loosely, and rest for 5–10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
Water bath:
- Bring water and syrup or honey to a boil. Boil 2–3 bagels at a time for 1 minute per side. Remove and drain, then place back on baking sheets.
- Brush with egg wash. Add toppings if using.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until deep golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool fully.
- Slice, toast, and enjoy. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
Overnight Instructions:
Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge after step 4. In the morning, rest at room temperature for 45 minutes, then continue.
Freezing:
Freeze baked bagels for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as desired. Dough can also be
frozen after step 6.
Yeast:
Instant or active dry yeast both work. Active dry yeast may need a longer rise.
Bread Flour:
Bread flour is best for chewy bagels. All-purpose flour works, but results won’t be the same.
Barley Malt Syrup:
Adds classic bagel flavor. Alternatives like brown sugar and honey work well too.
Bread Machine:
Use the dough setting, then continue with the recipe.
Halving or Doubling:
You can halve the dough ingredients. Don’t double make separate batches instead.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour, Cook’s Illustrated, and Complete Book of Breads.