Homemade Bagels

Bagel orders are a deeply personal decision. It seems like no two people have the same go-to bagel order. And why would they when there are so many ways to take a bagel? Sweet or savory, toasted or untoasted, flavored cream cheese or loaded lox—bagels are completely customizable experience. That same level of customization can be said about homemade bagel recipes.

Surprisingly enough, making a great bagel is easier than you’d think. We’ll show you step-by-step how to make bagels at home, including tips for modifying this easy bagel recipe. Add your favorite bagel toppings like everything seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or Asiago cheese. You can also knead in additions like blueberries, chocolate chips or pumpkin puree to make pumpkin bagels. No matter how you make them, just don’t forget about the schmear!

Bagel Ingredients

• Active-dry yeast: This type of yeast needs to be proofed (or activated in warm liquid) to wake it up. You can substitute instant yeast in a pinch, but the two yeasts work differently. For substitution suggestions, refer to our guide on how to use yeast.
• Milk: Warm the milk to 110° to 115°F to activate the yeast. Anything warmer might kill the yeast, and anything cooler will take too long to proof.
• Butter: Soften one stick of butter to room temperature before starting these homemade bagels.
• Sugar: Sugar is used sparingly in our bagel recipe. We don’t want to make the bagels sweet per se, but we do want to add a touch of flavor. Sugar also helps the bagels brown up to an appealing color as they bake.
• Egg: One egg yolk helps to bind the ingredients and adds richness to the dough.
• All-purpose flour: You can use all-purpose or bread flour for this bagel recipe. Bread flour creates dense and chewy bagels, while all-purpose flour creates lighter, softer bagels.
• Toppings: Feel free to use your favorite bagel toppings, like poppy seeds or sesame seeds.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk. Add in the softened butter, sugar, salt and egg yolk, and mix well. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough.

Editor’s Tip: To proof the yeast, let the yeast and milk stand for 5 to 10 minutes (or until it’s nice and foamy) before adding the remaining ingredients.

Step 2: Knead the dough and let it rise

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until it’s smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

Editor’s Tip: If you’re new to kneading dough, know that the dough will start to tighten as you knead. It will relax after a few minutes, taking on a springy, elastic feel and slightly shiny look.

Step 3: Shape into rings

Punch the dough down. Divide and shape the dough into 12 balls.

Push your thumb through the center of each ball to form a 1-1/2-inch hole. Use both of your thumbs to stretch and shape the dough to form an even ring. Place the shaped bagel dough on a floured surface. Cover the bagels and let them rest for 10 minutes. Flatten the bagels slightly with your hand.

Editor’s Tip: If your hands stick to the dough, moisten them with a tiny bit of water.

Step 4: Boil

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water and bring it to a boil. Drop the bagels, two at a time, into the boiling water. Boil the bagels for 45 seconds. Turn them, and boil for an additional 45 seconds. Carefully remove the bagels with a slotted spoon. Drain the bagels well on paper towels.

Step 5: Bake

Immediately sprinkle the tops of the bagels with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if desired. Place the bagels 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until the bagels are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the bagels from the pans to wire racks to cool.

Bagel Toppings

• Poppy or sesame seeds: Poppy or sesame seeds add a slightly nutty, earthy flavor to bagels—plus a whole lot of texture!
• Everything seasoning: My personal favorite bagel topping is everything seasoning. Dried garlic, dried onion, salt, poppy seeds and sesame seeds combine to create an uber-savory, coarsely textured topping.
• Shredded cheese: Cheese lovers will flock to shredded hard cheese on bagels! Pungent Asiago and sharp cheddar are the most popular options, but any semi-firm or hard cheese works.
• Cinnamon crunch: Cinnamon bagels with crunchy topping are like a cross between a bagel, a piece of French toast and a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. If you’re a fan of all three, you’ll love this sweet bagel option.

What to Serve with Bagels

There are a lot of different ways to serve homemade bagels. In terms of cream cheese, you can serve a high-quality, plain cream cheese brand, but a flavored schmear elevates the whole experience tenfold. Try scallion cream cheese, garlic-herb bagel spread, veggie cream cheese, cranberry cream cheese spread or smoked salmon dip.

Another traditional way to enjoy a bagel is by topping it with lox, a type of cured salmon that’s sometimes smoked. Try pairing bagels and lox with cream cheese, sliced red onions, capers, tomato, cucumbers and a few dill sprigs. This combo is absolutely to die for, and it’s become so iconic that it has inspired a ton of other great lox recipes.

You could also turn homemade bagels into a breakfast sandwich. Pile on favorites like eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, avocado, onions, tomatoes or anything else from your favorite breakfast sandwich recipes. Tuna salad and whitefish salad are also excellent savory bagel toppers.

How to Store Bagels

Let the bagels cool to room temperature, then store them in a resealable bag or an airtight container. Keep them at room temperature on the counter for up to four days. You can extend their life by storing them in the fridge for up to one week, but they’ll soften and lose their crusty exterior.

Can you freeze bagels?

You can freeze homemade bagels for up to two months. Once the baked bagels have cooled to room temperature, freeze them in a resealable bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw them overnight in the fridge (or thaw them more quickly in the microwave). Once the bagel is completely thawed, you can cut it in half and eat it as-is or toast it to your liking.

Can you make bagels ahead of time?

Yes, you can make bagel dough the night before baking. Prepare the dough as directed. Shape it into rings and place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover tightly with storage wrap and refrigerate. In the morning, boil and bake the bagels as directed.

Bagel Tips

How do you make bagels fluffy?

The key to making fluffy bagels is to avoid overboiling them. Doing so will cause the dough to sink and lose the air that was incorporated during the rise. Boil the bagels for 45 seconds, then turn them and boil for 45 seconds longer.

Do you have to boil bagels?

Just like with soft giant pretzels, boiling bagels give them a distinctly chewy exterior. Plain water will do the job nicely, but you can also add barley syrup to the water for a slightly darker-colored bagel. Some people add baking soda, lye or sodium carbonate for a more pretzel-like crust.

How do you make bagel toppings stick?

Most toppings will stick to the moisture of a just-boiled bagel, but you can also brush the tops with a beaten egg white.