Before sourdough took over my entire life and kitchen, I was learning the basics of bread baking. Classic sandwich bread came first, and then I just kept going. Cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, biscuits, and somewhere in that early bread-baking journey came bagels. And honestly, bagels were one of those recipes that completely surprised me with how doable they are.

I think bagels intimidate people. They look fancy and specific and like something that should only come from a proper New York bagel shop. But once you make them at home, you realize they are just bread with one extra step, the boiling, and that step is actually what makes them so fun and so satisfying to make. There is something deeply rewarding about pulling a tray of golden, glossy homemade bagels out of your oven. It feels like a real accomplishment every single time.

This was one of the first things I made after mastering my classic sandwich bread, and I love sharing it because I genuinely believe anyone can make this recipe. I say that about a lot of things, but I really mean it here. If you have made any kind of bread before, you already have the skills you need. And if this is your first bread recipe ever, welcome; you are going to do great.

The more you work with dough, the more you start to notice that they all share the same basic foundation. Yeast, flour, water, and salt—the proportions and techniques shift, but the heart of it is always the same. Bagels are just another beautiful expression of that foundation, and once you make them fresh and hot from your own oven, you are going to have a very hard time going back to the store-bought bag.

Let’s Make It

Start by mixing your warm water, sugar, and yeast together and letting it bloom for 10 minutes. You want it foamy and fragrant; that is your sign the yeast is alive and ready to work. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, your yeast may be expired. Grab a fresh packet and start again. Once your yeast is beautifully bloomed, add your flour and salt and mix everything together.

Then knead, either with a dough hook on your stand mixer for 7 minutes or by hand for about 10 minutes with the hook followed by 3 minutes by hand. You want a smooth, firm, elastic dough. Bagel dough is stiffer than regular bread dough, and that is completely normal and exactly right.

Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil, place your dough inside, cover it, and let it rest for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Once it has doubled, punch the air out and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, then poke a hole right through the center with your finger and stretch it out to form your bagel shape. Place each bagel on an individual piece of parchment paper, cover them, and let them rest for 1 hr. 

While they rest, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, drop your bagels in and boil them for 1 minute per side; flip them halfway through. This is the step that gives bagels their signature chewy exterior and gorgeous shiny crust. Do not skip it!

Transfer the boiled bagels to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush each one generously with egg wash, and add your toppings.

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes until deeply golden and beautiful.

Topping Ideas

This is where you get to make them completely your own:

• Everything bagel seasoning — the classic and always the most requested in our house
• Sesame seeds — simple, nutty, and gorgeous
• Poppy seeds — classic and delicious
• Coarse sea salt — simple and perfect
• Cinnamon sugar — for a sweet bagel that is incredible toasted with butter
• Asiago or cheddar cheese — sprinkle shredded cheese on top and watch it melt into a golden cheesy crust
• Plain — sometimes simple is perfect and a plain bagel toasted with cream cheese needs nothing else

Tips From Your Mom Bestie

Let the yeast fully bloom. Ten full minutes; do not rush it. A fully bloomed yeast gives you a light, airy bagel with a beautiful rise. Dead yeast gives you a dense, disappointing result, and we are not doing that.
Bagel dough is stiffer than bread dough. Do not panic when it feels firmer than what you are used to. That stiffness is exactly right and is what gives you that chewy bagel texture. Trust it.

Put the bagels on individual pieces of parchment paper so when you drop them in the boiling water, the parchment comes right off. 

The boiling step is nonnegotiable. I know it feels like an extra step, but it is THE step that makes a bagel a bagel. That quick boil sets the exterior, creates the chew, and gives you that gorgeous shiny crust. One minute per side, flip them and get them on the baking sheet.
Stretch the hole bigger than you think. The hole closes up significantly during the second rise and the boiling and baking. Make it bigger than looks right, and it will end up perfect.

Egg wash is everything. Do not skip the egg wash. That is what gives your bagels that beautiful glossy golden bakery finish. Brush it on generously right before they go in the oven.
These freeze beautifully. Slice them before freezing so you can pop them straight in the toaster from frozen. Fresh homemade bagels available any morning of the week—that is the dream. 

Fresh hot homemade bagels in about two hours. If that is not a win, I do not know what is. Make a batch this weekend and toast one up with a generous smear of cream cheese and just try to tell me it is not the best thing you have eaten all week

…and that’s all we did today. 

Cyndi 

@themhoffers Homemade bagels- too easy not to make yourself! #themhoffers #homemadebagels ♬ original sound – Cyndi – Themhoffers

Item’s Used:

• Kitchen Aid Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Mixing Bowl
• Scale
• Rubber Spatula
• Bowl Scraper
• Stainless Steel Pot Set
• Sheet Pans

Homemade Bagels

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

What You’ll Need

• 1½ cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 7 g yeast
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• Olive oil for the bowl
• 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water for egg wash
• Your favorite toppings

Method

 

1. Combine warm water, yeast, and sweetener in a mixing bowl and let sit until foamy.
2. Add flour and salt, then knead until a smooth dough forms.
3. Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.
4. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into bagels.
5. Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil and boil each bagel briefly on both sides.
6. Transfer bagels to a baking sheet and add toppings if desired.
7. Bake until golden brown and chewy.
8. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

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