Bagel Recipe

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Our easy homemade bagel recipe makes soft, chewy, and golden bagels on the outside—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or anytime in between!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Rest & Rise Time1 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
2 packets active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
4½ - 5½ cups flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let it sit until bubbled and foamy. Add the salt and 4 cups of flour, and mix until combined.
Add the remaining flour, ¼ cup at a time, until a smooth and non-sticky dough forms (we used about 5 cups total). Knead until elastic, then place in a lightly greased bowl to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
After one hour, punch down the dough and divide into 15 equal-sized pieces (about 3 ounces each). Roll each into a ball and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. After thirty minutes, push your finger through the middle of each bagel to make a bagel shape and return to the baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the brown sugar. Add bagels to the water, 3-4 at a time, and cook for two minutes, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds. Return the bagels to the baking sheet and continue with the remaining bagels (you will most likely need another baking sheet).
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water. Brush the egg mixture over the top of each bagel. Bake 28-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let cool before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Be sure that you activate the yeast properly. If the water is too cold, it won't activate; too hot, the yeast will die.
Boiling bagels gives them their signature chewy crust and prevents them from rising too much in the oven. The water should be at a boil, but if it's too vigorous, it can cause wrinkles to form on the dough.
To add sesame seeds or poppy seeds, apply the egg wash, sprinkle on the seeds, and then bake. You can also use everything bagel seasoning, dried onion flakes, or garlic flakes.
The wrinkly crust on your bagels is often caused by over-proofing the dough before boiling, handling the dough roughly, or boiling them harshly or for too long.

Overnight dough. Instead of letting the dough rise for an hour at room temperature, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before you punch it down, shape, boil, and bake.

Freezer bagels. Instead of fully baking the bagels, only bake them for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, finish baking the frozen bagels at 400°F for about 15-20 minutes.

Store fully baked bagels can be stored in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 2-3 days or frozen for 3-4 months.

Nutrition