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Want to enjoy fresh bagels any time? This Delicious Homemade Bagels Recipe is just the ticket! Surprisingly simple to make, but perfectly chewy inside and crisp on the outside, these bagels will make your home kitchen feel like a bakery.
Bagels = The Perfect Comfort Food
I love bagels. Aren’t they just the best? A crispy toasted bagel that is soft and chewy inside and slathered in a thick layer of whipped cream cheese… heavenly!
Since learning how to make homemade bagels, I don’t think I can go back to the cheap store bought bagels. It’s actually not difficult to make bagels. They do take a good bit of time, but most of that time is in the dough rising process.
The ingredients are fairly inexpensive and easy to keep on hand in your pantry for whenever a bagel craving strikes. Bagel making is a fun and relaxing activity for a Saturday afternoon!
Give the Gift of Bagels
We’re nearing the holiday season now, and I can’t think of a better homemade gift than a package of fresh bagels with a tub of cream cheese. I always love a homemade gift that is a little outside of the typically Christmas cookies.
Make a big batch of homemade bagels, then package them in clear cellophane bags or wrap and tie it up with a bright red bow. If refrigeration is an easy option for the gift recipient, include a tub of whipped specialty cream cheese.
Making This Delicious Homemade Bagels Recipe
I really enjoy the bagel making process. It feels to natural and hands-on. Kind of relaxing to me! And then there is the reward of a fresh bagel at the end.
Start by proofing the yeast in a bowl with warm water and sugar. The sugar feeds the yeast. You could use honey instead of sugar if you prefer.
Next, you’ll mix together the flour, salt, molasses, and the yeast mixture. This is best done with a stand mixer. If you don’t have one, click here to check out my affiliate link for this perfect KitchenAid mixer (hello, Christmas present!).
Molasses is important. Barley malt syrup is what bakeries usually use in bagels to enhance the flavor and color of bagels. But barley malt syrup is not easy to find in store where many of us live, so molasses is a wonderful substitute.
I suggest you always have molasses in your pantry. It’s very inexpensive (I buy mine at Aldi) and can be used in recipes or to help you out of a bind when you run out of brown sugar while making cookies (just add 1 tablespoon of molasses to 1 cup of regular sugar; stir well, and you have light brown sugar).
After you get the dough mixed up, knead it on a floured surface for five minutes.
Grease a big mixing bowl generously with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once so the top is oiled. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place the bowl in a warm place for the dough to rise. This usually takes 90 minutes for me. I turn my oven on and when it reaches 100º F, I turn it off, place the bowl of dough inside, shut the oven door, and let it rise until doubled.
Punch the dough down. This is the best part!
Divide your dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Use your fingers to poke a hole into the center of the dough ball, then hold the bagel and work it into the shape and size you want. I place my thumbs into the hole in the bagel and then use my hands to shape the bagel by gently squeezing the dough and turning it as I go.
Next comes the boiling. Yes, bagels are boiled before baking! I boiled mine in water sweetened with honey. This adds to the shine and flavor of the outside of the bagels.
After the bagels are boiled. Place them on a big cookie sheet (I suggest this one) lined with parchment (this one is unbleached and compostable) paper. Brush them with egg wash.
Bagel Toppings
Sprinkle the bagels with the toppings of your choice. I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz about Everything Bagel Seasoning… and, it’s true. It’s so yummy! And it looks beautiful.
But if you’re not into the everything bagel thing, but leave the bagels plain, or sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or whatever you like.
Bake the bagels until they’re a really deep golden brown.
How gorgeous are these bagels?!
Serving the Bagels
I cut my bagels in half, toast them, then slather them with cream cheese. My husband tasted them and said he thought they were as good as real New York bagels. Now, I’m not going to claim that they actually are that good. That feels like a big thing to say. I mean, a NYC bagel is not a possibility since their perfection is in everything down to the city water they use. But, this far from NYC, these bagels are probably as good as it’s going to get… and I’ll gladly take that!
- Author: Carissa Shaw for Mom Needs Chocolate
- Total Time: 2 hours 33 minutes
- Yield: 8 bagels 1x
Description
Want to enjoy fresh bagels any time? This Delicious Homemade Bagels Recipe is just the ticket! Surprisingly simple to make, but perfectly chewy inside and crisp on the outside, these bagels will make your home kitchen feel like a bakery.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water, divided (plus water for boiling the bagels)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 package (.25 ounce) or 2 ¼ teaspoons dry instant yeast
- 4 cups bread flour, plus additional for kneading
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or other mild flavored oil) for greasing the bowl
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 egg
- Bagel toppings of choice: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, coarse salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 ½ cups of water to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the water into a small bowl. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water; mix together then set aside for 5 minutes until frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 4 cups of bread flour and the 1 teaspoon salt. Add the yeast mixture and molasses. Beat with an electric mixer (a stand mixer is preferable) until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl generously with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the dough into the bowl, turning once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel then set aside in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes until doubled.
- Punch the dough down, then divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Use one finger to poke a hole into the center of a dough ball, then stretch and shape it into a large hole, about 2 inches in diameter. Repeat this process with each dough ball until you have 8 bagels. Place the bagels on a baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside to rest while you move on to the next step.
- Fill a large pot with water to about 2 inches of depth. Add 3 tablespoons of honey and whisk to combine. Bring the water to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high. Boil the bagels in small batches for 1 minute on each side.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller baking sheets) with parchment paper. Place the bagels on the parchment paper with at least 1 inch of space between each bagel.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on the top and sides of each bagel. Top the bagels with the toppings of your choice, or leave plain.
- Bake the bagels at 425 degrees for 25 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Cool the bagels slightly then slice and serve, or toast and serve.
- Store bagels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
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Show me the Bagels!
After you make this Delicious Homemade Bagels Recipe, come back and tell me how you like them! You can leave me a comment and recipe rating in the comments section below, tag me on Instagram at @MomNeedsChocolate, or snap a picture and upload it to the pin on Pinterest. Can’t wait to see all the pretty bagels!
