easy homemade bagel recipe

Get ready to never buy bagels at your grocery store ever again. These have been my go-to bagels for the past few months. I’ve nailed the recipe & its so easy! Literally, anyone can do it!

I’ve always been a bagel lover, but I had this preconceived notion in my head that making bagels from scratch was too complicated. This kept me from making them until one Sunday afternoon in February. I decided to give it a shot and see what happened. Turns out making bagels is super manageable & delicious! 

If you don’t want to commit to making them every week, I recommend doubling the recipe so you can make a big batch. Then store them in the freezer (once they’ve completely cooled). When you’re ready to eat them, just transfer them to the refrigerator the night before and toast in the morning. **When you double the recipe, do it in separate bowls. I’ve had a better success rate with getting the ratios right when I do this rather than creating one big batch in a single bowl.**

This recipe makes about 8-9 medium sized bagels.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar

1 1/4 cup of warm water (may need 1/4 cup more)

3 1/2 cups of bread flour (or all purpose flour mixed with bread flour — they rise better)

Additional flour for kneading. 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Toppings (optional):

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Cinnamon Sugar

Asiago Cheese

Sesame Seeds

Steps:

01. In ½ cup of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water.

02. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.

03. Pour 1/3 cup of the remaining warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.

04. On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 7-10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

05. Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. 

06. Preheat your oven to 425°F & start boiling a pot of water. 

07. Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds. Coat a finger in flour (or olive oil), and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

08. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the boiling water (I do 2 at a time so they don’t touch). Once the bagels are in, it shouldn't take too long for them to float to the top. Let them sit there for 1 minute, and then flip them over to boil for another minute. If you'd prefer a chewier bagel like a New York Style Bagel, extend the boiling time to 2 minutes on each side.

09. If you want to top your bagels with any toppings, prepare an egg wash and brush over the tops before adding your topping of choice.

10. Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

11. Cool bagels on a wire rack. While they’re slightly warm, slice them & enjoy. Store in an airtight container.

Happy bagel making!! 

Xo, 

Ally