This Bagel recipe is perfect for making chewy, homemade bagels in your own kitchen! They take a bit of elbow grease and a bit of technique, but I’ll walk you step-by-step through the process in the post and in the how-to video below the recipe! Unlike many recipes, mine calls for no strange ingredients and can be made in a matter of hours (not days!) You’ve got this!
You can do this. You can make amazing, perfect, homemade bagels at home. If your local grocery store is anything like mine is right now, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to find any there. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
If you’ve been following my Instagram stories you know it took me a lot of tries to crack the code on this bagel recipe. Too many versions were too fluffy when I wanted them to be chewy, too bland, or took way too much time to prepare (I wanted a recipe that you could knock out in a few hours, not a few days… who has time to let the dough rest for 17 hours!?).
In one day alone I actually tested sixteen different versions (and there were many other days of testing before and after that!). I subjected it to my most critical taste testers; Zach and my little sister are hyper-critical about what a good bagel should taste like. So when I tell you that this bagel recipe is a good one, well it took a lot of rigorous testing to get to this point and I’m so proud of it and excited to share it with you.
What You Need
Both the ingredients and the process are similar to what you need for my soft pretzels:
- Warm water. Use a thermometer. Too cool and your yeast won’t proof. Too hot and it will kill your yeast. Remember what I said with my bread bowl recipe? Nobody wants to be a yeast murderer.
- Yeast. We’re using active dry, not instant.
- Sugar. We’ll use a pinch of granulated sugar to help activate our yeast and then 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to add flavor to our bagels.
- Olive oil. I tried this recipe with olive oil, butter, and a mix of the two. Olive oil was the winner for the chewiest bagels.
- Flour. Specifically, bread flour. Bread flour has more protein and produces more gluten, which means chewier bagels. The brand can also matter, I use Gold Medal bread flour but I believe King Arthur Flour contains even more protein.
- Salt. 1 Tablespoon, that’s not a typo. When I was filming myself make these bagels I accidentally mistook my salt for sugar and tried to activate my yeast with a whole tablespoon of salt. Needless to say it killed my yeast and I had to start all over.
- Cornmeal. A little bit sprinkled on your baking sheet keeps the bagels from sticking. I’ve been using this trick for my pizza dough recently, too.
- Honey or Barley Malt syrup. Barley malt syrup is often used in authentic bagel recipes, both in the bagels and when boiling them. However, it’s not super easy to find, so I wanted to provide an alternative option for those of you like myself who don’t like to spend a lot of time tracking down ingredients, or money buying things they won’t use very often. In the bagels themselves I’ve substituted brown sugar. When boiling, I’ve learned that a little bit of honey helps to make this bagel recipe a bit chewier.
- Egg. To make the egg wash for brushing over your bagels.
- Toppings! More on those a bit further down!
This is just an overview of the ingredients used and additional notes on why they were chosen, please scroll to the bottom of the post for measurements and the full recipe and video.
How to form the dough into bagel shapes
Rolling the dough into strips (like I do with my pretzels and garlic knots) and then connecting the ends did not work very well for me; the ends became loose while boiling and the bagels… didn’t look like bagels. Instead, I found that the best way to get that nice round shape was to divide the dough into twelve pieces and form each into a smooth, round ball. Use your thumbs to gently work a hole into the center of the ball and try to make the hole about 2″ wide (it will shrink as it sits). See photo above for visual.
Mine still look a little uneven, but I like to think that they’re just rustic 😉. At least they still taste like professional, authentic bagels, even if the edges are a little less than perfectly round.
Toppings
There’s nothing wrong with a plain bagel (at least that’s what Zach insists when I judge him for eating naked bagels for breakfast every morning), but I prefer mine with toppings. Here are a few of my favorites; you’ll brush the bagels with egg wash and then sprinkle your toppings before baking:
- Poppyseeds
- Sesame seeds
- Shredded cheese, Asiago or sharp cheddar are great options.
- Everything bagel mix
Everything bagel mix has recently become popular and is often available pre-mixed in the spice aisle. I prefer to make my own though, since I usually have all the ingredients in my spice drawer already. I make a blend using poppy seeds, sesames seeds, dried garlic and onion and kosher salt. I’ve included a simple recipe in the notes section of the bagel recipe.
Tips
- This bagel recipe makes a dozen, but can be cut in half. If making the full batch, make sure you use a bowl that’s large enough for the dough to double in size as it rises.
- My KitchenAid, workhorse that it is, couldn’t handle kneading the dough for this recipe. It was simply too much for it. If your mixer seems to be struggling, knead the dough by hand on a clean surface.
- Bagel dough can be made up to 2 days in advance, see notes below the recipe for how to make in advance.
Enjoy!
More Recipes to Try:
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out the video below the post and see my YouTube channel where I show you how to make bagels step-by-step in my own kitchen.
Homemade Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (475 ml) warm water between 105-110F (40-45C)
- 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 cups (750 g) bread flour, plus additional as needed
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cornmeal for dusting baking sheet
For Boiling
- 2 quarts (2 L) water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey or barley malt syrup¹ optional
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- Bagel toppings² as desired (see note)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer³. Add yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in oil and brown sugar.2 cups (475 ml) warm water, 5 teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoon olive oil, 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- In a separate bowl stir together flour and salt.6 cups (750 g) bread flour, plus additional as needed, 1 Tablespoon salt
- Attach dough hook to mixer and stir on low speed, gradually adding flour mixture until completely combined until dough is clinging together, is no longer sticky to the touch and is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If needed, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time (I often have to add as much as 6 additional tablespoons). Dough should feel almost dry to the touch and should not stick to your fingers.
- Knead with a dough hook for 4-5 minutes, but if your mixer seems to be struggling (my KitchenAid can’t handle this dough) then remove the dough and knead by hand on a clean countertop for 5-6 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly, and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
- While dough is rising, prepare two cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper and then sprinkling cornmeal over the surface of the parchment (you only need a light sprinkling, about 1 ½ teaspoon per sheet).1 Tablespoon cornmeal
- Gently deflate dough and divide into 12 even pieces. Form each into a tight ball and then use your thumb to gently form a hole in the center that is about 2” wide (see video or photos in post for a visual if needed). Place bagels on prepared baking sheets, about 6 to a sheet, spacing each several inches apart.
- Cover bagels with a clean towel and set aside. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425F (220C) and pour two quarts of water into a large pot or Dutch oven. If using honey, add this to the pot as well and stir until combined.
- Bring water (and honey, if using) to a rolling boil. Boil bagels, 2-3 at a time, for 45-60 seconds on each side. Return to prepared baking sheet.¼ cup (60 ml) honey or barley malt syrup¹, 2 quarts (2 L) water
- Once your bagels have been boiled, prepare egg wash by whisking together egg and water. Brush egg wash liberally over bagels and sprinkle with any bagel toppings you would like to use (see notes for suggestions, you can of course leave them plain instead; brush with egg wash but do not add any toppings).1 large egg, 1 teaspoon water, Bagel toppings²
- Transfer to 425F (220C) oven and bake on center rack for 22 minutes or until golden brown. I recommend baking one sheet at a time.
- Allow bagels to cool before enjoying. Use a serrated bread knife to cut in half, if desired.
Notes
Everything Bagel Topping:
Stir together 2 teaspoons poppyseeds with 1 teaspoon each of sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes, sea salt or kosher salt. Sprinkle over bagels, you may not use all of the mixture!How to make in advance:
Bagel dough may be made 1-2 days in advance. After preparing dough and placing it in an oiled bowl, cover tightly and allow to rise in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before using. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.How to Store:
Allow bagels to cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Bagels may also be frozen for several months, but I do not recommend refrigerating. This recipe was developed after studying recipes from many sources, most significantly from Food Guy, Baking Illustrated, and my soft pretzel recipe.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Lynsi
I’m an expat living in the Middle East and can’t buy bagels or canned biscuits. These and your biscuits have made me SO happy and are really not that hard. We also loved your carrot cake recipe. Thank you for converting measurements into oz, g, and C too. Makes my expat life so much easier!!
Do you know how I would add in/substitute oats or whole wheat flour?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed my recipe, Lynsi! I am glad that you have found the measurements helpful too. As far as your substitutions, others have used whole wheat flour with success (will be drier), however, no one has attempted oats. I am not sure how it will do, I’d be afraid it would be too dry and they would not come together.
Lynsi
Great thanks. I’ll use whole wheat flour on the next batch.
Tammy
If I wanted to make blueberry or cinnamon raisin bagels would those ingredients be added when you add the flour?
Sam
Hi Tammy! I would add them in while stirring right before the first rise. 🙂
Caroline Phillips
hey sam! I really want to us your bagel recipe but i only have instant yeast! Im determined to make it work, could you give me the conversion and time adjustments?!
Sam
Hi Caroline! I haven’t made it with instant yeast so I’m not sure on a time frame, but just pay attention to the dough. You will be able to tell when it has doubled in size. 🙂
Courtney R
I saved this recipe 4 weeks ago. It took me that long to “score” bread flour!!!! Made the dough Thursday, and prepared the bagels this morning. They are amazing! For reference, a 2 lb bag of King Arthur Organic Bread Flour is 6 1/2 cups and perfect for this recipe. We made plain, salt everything and cinnamon sugar.
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Courtney!! Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out for you, I really appreciate you trying my recipe and commenting 🙂
Alan Aiken
First time making bagels , they turned out amazing !! Great job! Easy to follow steps !
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Alan! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Carey H
Just made your bagels and they are DELICIOUS! I’ve never made bagels before and always thought I was not good at yeast dough but your recipe and video are so helpful and easy to follow and they turned out GREAT! Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Carey! I used to be nervous about yeast recipes too, but it’s really not too bad. I’m glad you enjoyed the bagels. 🙂
Ania
Hi!
I was only able to purchase fresh yeast- can you suggest how much should I use?
Also- does the outside gets little crispy?
Thank u in advance
Ania
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ania! I have never used fresh yeast for this recipe before but if done correctly it should work fine. From my research, 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active, instant yeast granules (usually one 1/4-ounce packet) = 2/3 ounce fresh yeast.
To use fresh yeast, you will want crumble it into small pieces first. After that, you can add it to the dry ingredients or soften it in warm water and proceed with the recipe. Please keep in mind that fresh yeast requires a long, slow rise time and will take longer than what is indicated. Again, I have not used it myself, so if you do, I’d love to know how it turned out for you. 🙂
Bobbie
Wow! So good. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Bobbie! I am glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Lucy Angelucci
Hi Sam I would love to try your Bagel Recipe
can you please let me know if I can use All Purpose Flour for this recipe.
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lucy! Yes, you can, however they will be softer. Let me know how they turn out when you try them. 🙂
Emily
I am so impressed with this recipe!! Since no one can leave the house I’ve got more free time and felt it was the perfect time to give this recipe a try and wow… these are DELICIOUS! I made my own everything seasoning for some, did a few with only sesame seeds and a few with asiago cheese. I’m currently eating one while typing this! Can’t wait to make them again.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Emily! Yes, this time has given a lot of people the opportunity to bake more and hopefully, it has helped relieve some stress. I am so glad that you gave this recipe and try and they turned out well for you. I appreciate the feedback and look forward to hearing about what you try next. 🙂
Andree
Best recipe ever! The dough was kinda hard to work it and shape into bagels but it turned out great! I used AP flour instead of bread flour and turned out wonderful. Also made the dough by hand, was fun ahah
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Andree! 🙂
Tina
These are amazing, thank you Sam! Halved the exact recipe, except after the yeast mixture foamed, put everything in the bread maker and set to the dough setting to let it do the kneading and rising. I was worried activating yeast might mess things up in the machine, but they could not have been more perfect! Yum!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Tina! I am so glad that the active yeast worked so well for you too. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
Pat B
Theses are wonderful, taste great and look like they came from a professional bagel bakery. Texture and chewiness was excellent. I used regular flour because I didn’t have any cake flour, and followed the rest of the recipe exactly, my dough doubled in 90 min. Baked the 2nd tray about 2 min. less because my oven tends to be a bit hot. Will definitely make again and soon. No toppings this time, will experiment next time. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that they turned out perfectly for you, Pat! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Imre
Hi,
This looks absolutely amazing and exactly what I need right now. Hope you and you’re family are all well and healthy!
I was wondering if I could make this recipe without a standmixer?
Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Imre! If you don’t have a stand mixer you can make the recipe by hand. You just want to make sure all ingredients are well combined and knead by hand on a clean surface. Happy Baking. 🙂
Kumeshnee :-)
Oooooh my GoLLy~GoSh this was Oooh SoOo yummy and just deliciously divine <3
Thank you so much for sharing, I LoVe this recipe <3
I used regular cake flour and did everything by hand… Tastes like MaGiC in your mouth!
My entire family and all my friends LoVeD this!
Sooooooo soft and chewy and well as you can see, I'm just too ExCiTeD about how goooood this recipe is 😀
Thank you again and TaKe CaRe 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the homemade bagels were such a hit with your family, Kumeshnee! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Kumeshnee
It’s a pleasure Samantha and thank you once again for your amazing recipes 💯🙂
You are a 👑Queen👑 in the kitchen
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much!
Naomi
I’m probably not as picky as your family…haha! Can I use a regular bread dough recipe? (Like make the dough in the bread machine and take it out at the end of the dough cycle?) Will they keep shape when I boil them?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Naomi! I have not yet tried it so I am not certain how it will do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂