Homemade Bagel Recipe

Aerial photo of homemade bagels and one has been split and spread with cream cheese.

No ratings yet

This homemade bagel recipe will help you make perfectly chewy, bakery-style bagels right in your own kitchen using simple ingredients and basic tools-- no special equipment or advanced skills required.

Prep Time40

Bake Time24

Rising Time2

Total Time3 4

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 8 bagels

Ingredients

BAGEL DOUGH

▢ 1 and ½ cups (360mL) warm water between 100–110°F (38–43°C)
▢ 1 Tablespoon (9g) dry active yeast
▢ 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
▢ 4 and ¼ cups (510g) bread flour¹ be sure to measure properly
▢ 2 teaspoons salt

WATER BATH

▢ 8 cups (1920mL) water
▢ ¼ cup (84g) honey

COATING

▢ egg wash: 1 egg² + 1 Tablespoon water
▢ spice blends, toppings, or seeds³ as desired

Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

BAGEL DOUGH

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar. Whisk or stir everything together and then allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.
1 and ½ cups (360mL) warm water, 1 Tablespoon (9g) dry active yeast, 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
When the yeast is ready, add the flour and the salt, then fit the mixer with the hook attachment (or use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula if using a large bowl). Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow the dough to come together. It should start to form a large mass around the hook or spoon. If it doesn't and it seems too sticky, add 1 Tablespoon of flour at a time and continue to mix. The dough should be stiff and seem a little dry, but it should not be crumbly. If it is, add 1 teaspoon of water and continue to mix until the dough comes together.
4 and ¼ cups (510g) bread flour1, 2 teaspoons salt
When the dough is the proper consistency, knead it with the dough hook or by hand on a lightly floured surface for another 5-7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. You likely won't need to add any flour, but if you do, add 1 teaspoon at a time. You want a slightly tacky dough, similar to PlayDoh but a bit firmer.
Lightly grease your bowl with nonstick spray, butter, or oil, then place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning it over to coat it on all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature for 90-120 minutes, or until it has roughly doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
Punch down the dough to release the air, then lightly flour your work surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface, then divide it into 8 equal pieces (mine were all about 4 ounces/113g each).
Shape each piece of dough into a ball, then press your index finger through the center of each ball and gently stretch the dough to make a hole. Place rings onto the prepared baking sheet, then loosely cover the shaped bagels and allow them to rest for 10 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat the oven and start the water bath.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and allow it to heat for at least 20 minutes (ignore the beep indicating that it's ready).

WATER BATH

Fill a large wide pot (I used my Dutch oven) with 8 cups of water, then whisk in the honey. Heat the water over high heat, allow it to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high.
8 cups (1920mL) water, ¼ cup (84g) honey
Before dropping the bagels into the water bath, stretch and widen the bagel holes to about 1.5" using your hands, then drop 4 bagels, one at a time, into the bath. Boil the bagels for 60-90 seconds, then use a spatula to flip each bagel over and boil for an additional 60-90 seconds.
Using a slotted spoon or spatula, lift one bagel out of the water, let the excess water drain off, then place the bagel back onto the lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining bagels until all of the bagels have been boiled.

COATING

Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on the tops and all around the sides of each bagel. If you are adding toppings, dip the tops of the bagels into the toppings immediately after applying the egg wash, then place the bagels back onto the baking sheet.
egg wash: 1 egg2 + 1 Tablespoon water, spice blends, toppings, or seeds3 as desired
Bake the bagels for 20–24 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the bagels are dark golden brown (or your preferred brownness). Allow the bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the bagels are completely cool, slice and enjoy however you want. Cover leftover bagels tightly and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bagels freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or pre-slice and toast from frozen.

Video

Notes

Bread flour: while I typically use all-purpose for all of my bread recipes, this is a time when bread flour is imperative to create the proper texture of bagels.
Egg wash: I like to use a whole egg, which aids in color/browning. If you prefer a lighter colored bagel, you can simply use an egg white + water for more of a glossy finish than a slightly glossy + light brown finish.
Toppings: I used an everything seasoning as well as dried minced onions for some of my bagels. You can also use sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown and King Arthur Flour

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.