Homemade Bagels {Step-by-Step}
Looking for homemade, from-scratch bagels that are as delicious as store bought? Check out this post for step-by-step instructions!
I have two main goals in life:
1) Raise non-smelly, sensitive, caring boys and 2) help everyone conquer making and baking yeast breads at home.
I love to make bread (in any form) and more than that, I love to eat it.
There is something about fresh bread that just does me in. And when I figure out I can make specialty breads at home that are just as delicious for a fraction of the cost…well, I’m sunk.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some unique bread recipes that don’t necessarily follow the parameters of typical roll/bread dough. I’ll be including in-depth step-by-step instructions so you can make them right along with me. I am not a bread-making expert by any means, so let me emphasize that if I can make these, you can, too!
Today is bagel day. I wish every day could be bagel day since I love bagels oh so very much.
I have another recipe for bagels residing on this site. They are fantastic. And so is the recipe below. They both come from King Arthur Flour – the main difference in the recipes being that the old recipe requires a starter (flour, water, yeast mixed the night before and left to bubble overnight) which creates a bit more flavor in the bagels.
The recipe I’m sharing today creates equally delicious bagels but without having to think too far ahead. (Incidentally, you can use the step-by-step guide with either recipe, especially for the shaping/boiling part.)
These bagels are dense and chewy and so magnificent with a slather of cream cheese that it is unspeakable. I always double the batch so we can have some to freeze and eat for breakfast/snacks. Asiago bagels are my dream bagel of choice and the kind pictured in this post, but the options are endless.
Who knew bagels could be so easy and fun to make at home (my kids love to help with the process – especially poking the holes part)?
I’m not sure that I can count the success of goal #1 yet, but if even one of you makes these and loves them as much as I do…well, I’ll consider my life mostly complete.
One Year Ago: Tender Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
Two Years Ago: Baby, Baby Cupcakes
Three Years Ago: Tacos Supreme
Homemade Bagels
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 4 cups (568 g) bread flour (see note for variations)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm water
Water Bath:
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Manual/Mixer Method: To make this dough by hand or in a mixer, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously, by hand for 10 to 15 minutes, or by machine on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Since a high-protein bread flour is used here (or a combination of all-purpose flour and gluten), it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. The dough will be stiffer than other soft yeast doughs but will still be pliable and smooth once it has finished kneading. It should be stiff and floured enough not to leave much residue on your fingers after pinching a piece but not so stiff that you can’t easily pinch off pieces of dough and work with it. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until it is noticeably puffy.
- Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won’t have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then complete bagels as instructed below.
- Transfer the puffed/risen dough to a work surface and divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls on a lined or lightly greased baking tray and cover lightly. Let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly.
- Once they have rested, one-by-one, use your thumb to poke a hole through the center of each ball then twirl the dough and use your other fingers to stretch the hole until it is about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The entire bagel will be around 4 inches across. Place the shaped bagels on a lined baking tray (the same one that you’ll bake them on).
- Prepare the water bath by heating the water and sugars to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. You can use a large pot or a deep straight-edged skillet. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Transfer the bagels, three or four at a time, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over using a wide spatula, and cook 1 minute more. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
- Top the bagels with your desired ingredients. If you are going to use a dry topping, such as sesame seeds or poppy seeds, whisk together 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush each bagel with the mixture before topping heavily with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc. If using Asiago or another cheese, there is no need to brush the bagels with an egg white glaze, simply place the shredded cheese on the bagels.
- Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.
- I only bake one sheet of bagels at a time, even though I usually double the batch and have four sheets of bagels ready to be baked. The bagels that have been boiled, placed on the baking pans, topped with cheese and then sat and rested for 20-30 minutes while the other bagels baked – well…they actually turned out more rounded and golden brown than the ones that were baked right away. So there is no harm in boiling all the bagels at once and letting them hang out on the baking sheets while the other bagels bake.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly and expounded upon from King Arthur Flour
201 Comments on “Homemade Bagels {Step-by-Step}”
My family LOVES these bagels and requests them frequently. They claim that my bagels are better than any they’ve ever had and it’s all thanks to you, Mel!
Made these yesterday. This morning I had an awesome breakfast. I did go a little overboard on the poppy seeds. This is an easy recipe that didn’t take all day to do. When I separated the dough into 8 pieces I weighed them and tried to stick to 4.5 ounces. Ended up with a little leftover, so I made a tiny bagel. Hubby and I taste tested that one last night. He was excited. Said I’m going to be making these on a regular basis. Seeing it’s just the two of us I was glad to find a recipe that didn’t make a dozen or more.
We make these bagels almost weekly and love them so much!
I am trying to find a bagel recipe that works well with fresh ground whole wheat flour. Have you tried this recipe with fresh ground flour? Or do you have a suggestion? Thanks!
I have used half freshly ground whole wheat in this recipe and it worked great!
I made these and used 1 cup of my sourdough start instead of yeast and they turned out AMAZING! Thank you for always having the best recipes!
Hi 🙂 could I use active dry, and proof it first, vs instant yeast? I don’t typically have instant on hand
Update: I made them with active dry yeast, I just proofed it with the water + sugar for 10 mins or so. They turned out great!
Thanks for the update, Aspen! Sorry I didn’t get to your other question in time.
That’s alright! I peeked at your other bagel recipe and saw that it was similar, and saw your notes about using active dry, and figured it couldn’t make too big a difference for this recipe either.
That’s alright! I peeked at your other bagel recipe, also calling for instant yeast, but saw your notes saying you used active dry. Since the recipes were similar, I figured it’d work out okay. I made my second batch today…
Can you use all purpose flour without the gluten or do I need the gluten?
The gluten is important for this particular recipe.
If you double the recipe, do you have to do double the yeast? What if I used 1 1/2 tablespoons instead?
Also, we go through these so fast. Can the recipe be easily tripled? If so, how much yeast would I use?
For a double recipe, I use double the yeast. For a triple recipe, I’d stick with the 2 tablespoons.
When you double the recipe, do you double the water and the sugars in the water to boil?
No, I don’t.
Awesome recipe 🙂 So easy to follow. My bagels turned out delicious!
I just made these bagels this morning . I used all purpose flour without the gluten, and they came out outstanding! I just needed a little more flour( as I usually do here in the south). I only needed about 45 minutes for the first rise. I started at 9:15 a.m. and had a bagel for lunch at 12;30 p.m. After I boiled the bagels I let them sit for 30 minutes before baking. I did bake 2 sheets together, swapping and rotating half way through baking. Most delicious Mel, thanks! I love your pretzel rolls too, plus many other recipes.
This is my time writing you however I have wanted to so much to thank you for your delicious food I honestly use your site daily.
How do you store bagels? How do you reheat?
Thanks
Hi Michaela – I usually store them in a bag at room temperature and we toast them for reheating.
There is no oil or fat of any kind in this recipe, whereas other bagel recipes have this.
What is the reason for this omission?
It’s just the way this recipe was created and tested. It works, I promise! 🙂
I made one and a half times this recipe and got 12 bagels. Great directions! Very happy with how they turned out. Will make often I’m sure. Thanks Mel
I came across your site about a month ago and I have to say I love your recipes! I do have a question though, would I be able to use instant yeast? And if so, do I have to let it proof or do I just add everything in together?
If you are using instant yeast, you normally don’t have to let it proof first.
My bagels were very light and didn’t hold there shape. They came out very flat. What could I have done wrong?
It sounds as though they may have needed a bit more flour to hold their shape/structure.
I’m going to be attempting this recipe soon but was wondering how I would go about making them blueberry bagels? My kids prefer the fruit kind of bagels and wasn’t sure if you had ever attempted it. Any suggestions?
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried adding blueberries so I don’t have a super great recommendation. You might try googling homemade blueberry bagels to see if you can get some ideas on how others are incorporating blueberries into bagel dough.
My advice – don’t let them sit out overnight with a towel over them. I shaped them and then put a towel over them overnight. They flattened, dried out and got super crusty in a bad way. If you’re going to let it sit overnight and finish the next morning, put the proofed bowl in the fridge while still covered and shape them out the next morning, let sit for 30 minutes to come to room temp and proceed.
Can you get the all ready to boil then have them sit in the fridge overnight so in the morning all you have to do is boil and bake?
That’s a great question, and I’m not sure – I haven’t tried it and I’m not sure if doing that would affect the texture after they are baked. Sorry I’m not more help!
Hi Mel! Trying this recipe for the first time. I just finished kneading it and it is much more dense that you specify. I cannot easily stretch the couch, rather, it pulls apart and doesn’t stretch. I used bread flour (white) and kneaded for 15 minutes by hand. Any sugggestions? It’s going to rise now…
Hi Erin, sounds like the dough might be slightly over floured. You can try kneading in a few tablespoons of warm water to see if that helps.
Mel, love your recipes and found out today that so does Jennifer Gardner! She made bagels this morning and said in her video she uses YOUR bagel recipe!!! Love that!!!
I am making these right now and weighed the dough but am having to use more to have the dough come together and not be super sticky I hope it works out.
I’m going to attempt this recipe this weekend and I’m super excited! My only question is what type of baking mat do you use? I always use parchment paper but it seems like baking mats would be a good investment. A lot of the ones I read reviews on said the mats burned over 400F though. Thanks in advance!
Hi Britti – since publishing this post, I almost exclusively use parchment paper.
How do you freeze the bagels? Before or after baked?
I freeze them after they are baked and cooled.
How to I freeze the bagels? Before or after baked?
Okay, I just tried this recipe and I used all purpose flour without adding gluten (which may be my problem) but i just pulled my first batch out of the oven (20 minutes of baking) and they are flat, slightly raw in the middle, but the tops are golden brown to the point that they might have burnt if I left them in any longer. The dough was quite sticky and not very firm, so did I not mix it long enough? I used my kitchen aide in low for at least 10 minutes. Was it the flour? Haaaalllllpppppp haha
But they do have an amazing flavor, now I’m obsessed until I get it right.
Hey Chelsea – it almost certainly sounds like your dough needs more flour. That will ensure the dough isn’t so sticky – and it will help them rise up instead of flattening out.
Okay, you are the greatest for sharing your recipes. My whole family LOVES bagels…and who knew I could just plop in the kitchen at home and make these. THANKS to you we’ve had them 3 times in the last week! They could actually be dangerous around here. Hhhahaha
Thanks, Staci!
I love to weigh flour instead of measuring it. I don’t understand the weights listed under notes. Original recipe calls for 17 oz flour. But, the doubled version of flour amounts in the notes totals 50 ounces, not 34oz (a fact I didn’t notice at first—I’m trying to add more water to save the dough). Just wanted to mention it so you can double check and correct if needed. Thanks.
I just re-read the note. This was my mistake—I misunderstood the note. Maybe the note could be written more clearly—saying “”add 18 ounces all purpose flour to make up the 34oz total.” Feel free to delete these comments if you’d like. Wishing I’d double checked the note before saying anything. 😉
I added a few clarifications to make it more clear.
Did you know that Jennifer Garner used your recipe! I just happened across the video and heard which recipe she used! Check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/126533764056580/posts/2325151717528096/
Crazy, huh? I couldn’t believe it myself. 🙂
Mel, I found your website a few months ago and have made many of your recipes, all of which have been great. But what I really love are the bread recipes. I no longer buy white, wheat or French bread! Today I made these bagels, and honestly could not believe that when I took them out of the oven, they looked, and more importantly, tasted the best bagels we have had in years..no more store bought for us. You are a great chef, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Pauline!
Hi Mel,
I made these bagels and the flavor was amazing! However, mine came out all wrinkled. What do I need to do to make them smooth and pretty like your pictures?
Sometimes that happens if the bagels were boiled too long so decreasing that time might help. Also, letting them rest too long before baking can also be a factor (as well as underflouring the dough – this is a fairly stiff but soft dough so that the bagels hold their shape).
With so many great raves for this recipe, I thought I would give it a try. Since moving to the country I’ve been trying to be more self reliant in baking breads rather than purchasing at the store. My hubby loves bagels so, it was the next thing for me to try and make. Huge success!! Perfect taste…Perfect chewiness! I flavored some with everything seasoning, some with cheddar cheese, and then some plain. All so yummy delicious! The only thing I will change is to not boil until I’m ready to bake. Two of them shriveled up into wads of dough while waiting their turn for the oven.
Thanks for sharing! (I just might have to peruse through some of your other recipes.)
I messed this recipe up bad! I weighed the dough and added little pieces of dough on each one until they were all uniform in size. I used the rolling technique and they looked good on top, but on the bottom were a mess where all the little pieces were trying not to stick together. Perhaps the dough was too dry? They rose with caverns all over the bottom and got pools of water trapped in them which remained soggy after baking on a baking sheet and silpat. Oh boy I need to try this recipe again and make them better! At least they wernt wasted. I cut them in half and made pizzas out of them and they were really good! I’m not sure how i messed it up so bad. It’s not you or your recipe, it’s me.
I am curious as to the mixer used in this recipe. the recipe is lovely!
It’s a Bosch Universal stand mixer!
I’ve made this recipe over 5 times now, I just keep coming back for more! LOVE these, thanks Mel! They are so yummy fresh from the oven, and I like to put everything bagel seasoning on!
Silly question can I make the dough and do the boiling and baking the next day?
Yep!
Great recipe! I usually use whole wheat flour and they turn out great.
I’ve been wanting to try making bagels for awhile. These look amazing. Your step by step photos are fantastic! Thank you. As for your goals, they totally made me laugh!!!
Once you have the holes in the bagels, do you let them sit while bringing water to a boil, or do they go on the boiling water right away?
I’ve done it both ways; they’ll be a little puffier if they rest while the water boils.
First time I made bagels I tried a different recipe and they didn’t turn out very well, however this recipe is amazing. They are SO GOOD and beautiful. Thank you so much for this. I love these so frickin’ much!
Hi! I am debating trying this recipe vs your older recipe. Besides being simpler, is there any disadvantage to the quality by not using a starter?
Also, if I were to make the dough ahead of time for the next day (to transport) would you recommend forming the balls or fully make the bagel shape for transporting? Thanks!!
I don’t think there’s any disadvantage to not using a starter – but the flavor might be a little better with the starter. I would probably make them into bagel shape and refrigerate them overnight.
I want to make these but have a question. I always thought the boiling water was water and baking soda. Am I mistaken on that. If so I will use your described method.
I think there are several different methods for that! This is just the one I use.
You use baking soda when making pretzels.
Woooooooow! I only had access to all-purpose flour and these still turned out significantly softer and chewier than any store-bought brand so I can’t even imagine how they would turn out with the suggested bread flour or gluten added! I’ve missed quality bagels so much since moving to Asia so I’m so grateful for this recipe that is easy to follow and has such simple ingredients that are easy to find. Although I’ll have to find a different topping next time. Tried slices of swiss cheese and they just dried up and fell right off the bagels ;;
Maybe try turning the heat down a bit – otherwise, just cut the time, as long as they soften and turn translucent, they should be fine!
Can I make these, and then after boiling the dough balls, freeze them, and then when I need a few I can take them out of the freezer, let them de-thaw and then bake them??
I haven’t done that, but I believe others have – definitely worth a try!
Thanks so much for this recipe! Your blog has been and continues to be a lifesaver as a newlywed!
Thank you!
So easy !!! Love this recipe , i wish you could see the picture of my bagel !! Thanks:)
Is this recipe a high altitude baking recipe as is?
I found this recipe searching for a high altitude bagel making recipe. Will this recipe work as-is at 5280 feet? Thanks!
I’ve made these bagels both at high elevation and sea level – they turn out great either way!
Enfin une excellente recette! Merci
Hi. I’ve been looking for a good recipe for bagels and I can’t wait to try yours. The only thing is I can’t find bread flour nor the wheat gluten. Is there anything I can use as a substitute?
You can try all purpose flour, although the bagels may not be quite as chewy
These are the BEST bagel I’ve ever eaten. Husband asked me to make bagel because we live in timbuktu and there are NO good bagels for miles and miles. I knew that if I tried another one of your recipes it would be good and you would give me enough tips to do it all right (thanks for that by the way). Once again you’ve helped me be a super star in the yeast bread arena! Yay! Thanks so much for your recipes, but even more important, to a wanna-be baker, your extra efforts with step by step and videos.
Yay, Jane! I’m so happy the bagels were a success!
I just made these and they came out sooo delicious!!! Also following this recipe was super easy, thanks to the word directions and picture references!! Seriously, I can be a perfectionist when it comes to recipes so the pictures helped a lot!
The only issue I ran into was that my balls of dough didn’t turn out to be as smooth as the ones shown and I was too afraid to manhandle them too much, so the result was that my bagels ended up pretty “shaggy” looking, rather than smooth. I would probably serve the ones that I ended up with because they taste so amazing, but I’d be a little embarrassed by their slightly weird appearance. I do love breaking open a bagel when it has that smooth (almost crunchy) golden brown top. I think next time I will try rolling the dough balls more and see if it gets me the aesthetic I’m looking for!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was super comprehensive and really great. It is now my go-to for bagels 🙂
I just wanted to pop in and say that I have enjoyed reading your blog. I enjoy your perspective on “Real Food”. Everyone and everything seems to have varying *rules* about any and every food. It’s nice to find a “moderate” in the kitchen arena. Thanks for the bagel pics; I’ve wanted to try for yrs but assumed it would be too tedious.
BTW: Do you have a “subscribe” button? I’ve scoured the page and can’t find it. It could be that you (a) don’t or (b) I’m beyond exhausted and can’t see the obvious in front of me.
Thank you!
Thank you, Julia! Are you wanting to subscribe to emails or through a feed reader?
Here’s the link to subscribe to email updates: https://madmimi.com/signups/108287/join
And here’s how to subscribe to feed reader: http://feeds.feedburner.com/melskitchencafe/NvNP
I made these today, darn I wanted to add a picture of them. I agree with the lady who said they tasted salty. Kinda like a pretzel. But hey, I like pretzels! Next time I will cut down the salt to half the amount. I loved the picture directions. Thanks
I know you have a zillion followers, because I am one of them. I made my own gravlax and wanted to make bagels to go with it. I was sad to see that I needed to make a starter a day ahead (according to King Arthur Flour). Then, I saw this post, and I followed your recipe. This was so easy! I made the dough with my Kitchen Aid, and the dough was easy to work with. These are baking as I type, and the aroma is making me anxious to eat these. Thank you for adapting my trust KAF recipe so it worked NOW!
Finishing my second time making these as I type. Love this recipe. Love bagels. Love the fact that I can make them and they are fantastic. I made an Everything topping for most of mine. Also made plain, and a few salt topped.
Great recipe, spent the past 18 years making bagels here in Pittsburgh. Add this. Before shaping the dough into bagels, run down to the nearest place that carries Hebrew National hot dogs, buy as many as you need if you double the recipe you can make 16 bagel dogs. Simply roll the dough into a rope and wrap around the dog. Egg wash, bake, and enjoy. See if you can buy some everything mix from the nearby bagel shop, and no, panera is not a bagel shop, nor do theymake or sell bagels.
Thanks for the step by step! I have made bagels (years) before but always did it by rolling little cylinders & attaching them to make rings, and they always rise poorly at that spot & come apart in boiling or baking. I’ll do it again with the thumb holes. Homemade is always better!
Thank God for bakeries!!!
Thanks so much for this absolutely delicious recipe! Followed your recipe exactly, (used sesame seeds as the topping), and they are every bit as good as any bagel shop we’ve ever been to, and oh-so-much better than any grocery store brand. Also, for anyone who might be hesitant to tackle something like this, they are incredibly fun to make! I think my favorite part is when you poke your thumb through the balls of dough and twirl to form the bagel…guess I’m easily amused 🙂 Can’t wait to try more recipes from your website!
Thank you for this fantastic recipe! I made my onion – poppy seed bagels today, and they are both gorgeous AND absolutely delicious. The only change I made was to add about 1 T baking soda to the boiling water, as another blogger suggested that it would enhance the exterior color.
Hi, I want to try these, but whenever I’v made bagels I’ve put poppy seeds and sesame seeds into the actual dough. It’s been a while though, so I can’t remember if you have to change anything about the recipe to accommodate for that? Would you recommend anything? Thanks!
You could definitely add poppy seeds or sesame seeds to the dough – add them in with the flour and let them knead with the dough.
I love this recipe. I have made bagels three days in a row this week, as I have been getting requests from family members to take them to work for their staff. It is so easy once you have made it a few times. All the people that are afraid to attempt this recipe,don’t feel intimidated. There is nothing better than a freshly made bagel. I have sesame seed,everything (mixture of seeds), cheese,jalapeño and cheese, chocolate chip,cinnamon raisin. This is my go to recipe every time. I am so glad I found it!
Made these Sat just bc we are running out of fun in the winter. So easy and yum. The kids loved them and said “much better than the store.” Which now has created a problem for me because they only want these! Luckily they are easy and worth it.=) Thanks!
I’ve read this over and over and thought how difficult this’ll be. But once you dive in, it’s so simple! They’re cooking in the oven as I write this. They smell amazing!!!
This is the first bagel recipe I’ve made taste and have the texture of a true NY style bagel. My family loves them, thank you! Question, can you prepare the dough the night before, store in the fridge, and then bake in the AM? If so, what step would you put them in fridge?
I haven’t tried that myself so I’m not exactly sure. I don’t know how the dough would be affected if they are refrigerated after they have boiled. You could refrigerate them overnight before the boiling step and then boil/bake in the morning.
still the best bagel recipe i made
thank you a lot
i did mine with mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat
Your instructions are fabulous! THANK YOU! I always thought it would be too hard and too time consuming to tackle. I am a bread addict, and I think I could live on bagels. Gonna make these for sure!
Have you ever made egg bagels? Do you have a recipe for that?
I don’t have a recipe for egg bagels; never made them. Sorry!
So very delicious. I used all AP flour and 1 package traditional yeast. I just proofed the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with a teaspoon of sugar then followed recipe as written. I also portioned out 12 instead of 8 as that size worked better for me. Thank you for this recipe!
thank you for this recipe mel. all of our frenz and fam love them. i’m going to try the whole wheat bagels for the first time and am having trouble figuring out the measurements. i usually do the 4 cups of bread flour. so instead would it be 3.5 cups of whole wheat flour? and 11 1/4 T of vital wheat gluten? and no bread flour? if so, is there an easier way to measure out the vital wheat gluten? thanks much, tricia
You can include bread flour if you like – I’ve never made a 100% whole wheat version but it’s worth a try. It would be something like 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten. But you can really experiment, a lot of the final flour amount will depend on the texture of the dough.
Hi! I have a question, how long would these bagels last for? a week or two in the fridge? I’d like to bake a few of them but I don’t know how long to store them or how to store them properly… Thank you!
p.s. I’m totally psyched to try this recipe out !!
Hi Ashley – I hope you love this recipe if you try it! I don’t recommend storing the bagels in the fridge – they tend to dry out there. They keep fairly well covered at room temp for a day or two but what I really like to do is once they are baked and cooled, slice them in half and freeze them. They defrost perfectly out of the refrigerator (a short spurt in the microwave or 20 or so minutes on the counter) and taste fresh, especially toasted. Good luck!
‘Wanted to let you know that I’d stumbled across your recipe and made them yesterday. They’re delicious! Thanks so much!!
Thanks, Dave!
You indicate in your note you used whole wheat flour, was that freshly milled? Would I need to do any other adaptions to make these myself?
Rebecca Del Piano – Yes, I use flour I’ve ground myself. If using freshly milled flour, just keep an eye on the texture of the dough to make sure it doesn’t get overfloured.
Hallo Mel, thank you so much for the step by step instructions, I never made bagels before, I knew bagels since my holiday few months ago in USA, I come from Indonesia but live in Germany. It’s not so familiar here. Finally found your website, I’ll try it right away.
Looks amazing!!! thanks for taking the time!!!
I was wondering, what happens if I can´t find gluten? can I still make the bagels?
Andrea – If you don’t have gluten you can try making them with 100% whole wheat or all-purpose flour but they might not be as chewy as if you used bread flour or added gluten. Good luck!
I am excited to try this recipe but I am gluten free. Do you think I can use gluten free all purpose flour for this?
Kate – I have not tried it with gluten free flour so you will have to experiment. It might be worth googling a gluten free bagel recipe and comparing. Good luck!
Wow! I made these today and already ate two. Amazing! Thanks for the recipe! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks Mel! I will try that!
Mel,
I made these today and they taste wonderful! My question (which is very similar to Lana’s question earlier) is that they deflate when I put the hole in them. However… they seem to be developing that type of crust you talked about when I was forming the balls. Weird huh? Do you think the dough needs more water? It was sticky at first, but then by the time I got the dough separated in to 8 pieces, they had already formed a crust (and I swear I’m not THAT slow!). Any ideas?? Thanks a million!
Tommie – this dough should actually be on the nonsticky side of the spectrum. Not tough and overfloured, but definitely a bit more stiff than roll dough so I don’t think you need more water. You can try spritzing the dough with a teensy bit of water if it does form a crust – do it right before rolling and it will help the dough to be uniformly smooth again. If they are deflating quite a bit when poking the hole in them then try letting them rise a bit longer after that to get puffy again. Let me know if you have more questions!
Very good made them today next time will 12 not 8 very big love them
My cousin and I tried your bagels today, some with cheese and some cinnamon crunch, we were blown away! They are delicious, thanks for sharing your fabulous recipe!
The result was AMAZING
It look amazing …i am doing the recipe right now … do you have an idea if i can make them with all purpose flour because bread flour is not avaliable all the time here and i cant find any store that sell gluten alone ? Thanks in advance
J. Hulegaard – if you want to add in ingredients to the dough, knead in the add-ins at the end after adding most of the flour.
How do you add ingredients into the bagel? I would like to make blueberry and strawberry bagels. Even cinnamon raisin. I use the breadmaker recipe, as I don’t have a mixer.
Chelsea – I have no idea how gluten free flour would fare in this recipe. Sorry! You’d have to experiment and try it out. I’ve made these at high and low altitude and haven’t made any adjustments when I’ve made them so unless there is a hidden secret, I think you should be good. Just judge the texture of the dough by feel versus how much flour you’ve added.
These look amazing! Do you know if I could use a gluten free flour instead? Would it work the same way as the bread flour? And what about any high altitude changes that might need to be made? Can’t wait to try them!!! 🙂
Amber, I’m not entirely sure why your dough would be wrinkly but a longer kneading time could definitely help the dough to become smooth and supple. Keep an eye on your flour amounts, too – an underfloured dough can have issues forming smooth, neat balls of dough. Good luck!
I made these today and they taste great. However mine did not look so pretty. When I tried to roll them into a smooth ball I couldn’t get all of the wrinkles out. So I figure there must be something not quite right with my dough. Do I need to add more water, knead longer? Any suggestions? Thanks for all your great recipes. My family hasn’t been down the bread aisle in weeks.
Hi Samantha – yes, these freeze beautifully! I freeze them all the time. I like to let them cool after baking and slice them prior to freezing.
This looks amazing. I love bagels and would love to try to make my own. What I’m wondering is if these would freeze well? It would be super handy if I could make a double batch and freeze the ones I won’t use right away but I didn’t know if they froze well or if they had a decent length of shelf life.
These are killer. We love them. My husband loves jalapeño rounds with cheese on the top. I just like Parmesan or sesame seed. That chives cream cheese is where it’s at too.
These turned out awesome, I am so excited to have these in my repertoire!
I just finished making these and they were delicious and easier than I thought they would be. Yes, they take a little time (what bread doesn’t?), but the steps go quickly and they turn out great. Thanks!
Rohini – I’m not familiar with that kind of yeast. Does it say rapid rise or instant yeast anywhere on the bottle?
Can I use Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast to this, that is all I have right now?
My cute husband just made this, since he has a huge love of bagels, and I’m not feeling well, but I ate a few bites of a warm one from the oven and it’s pretty much amazing! Probably good I cant gobble them all up now!!
Katie – I use my Bosch electric stand mixer to make and knead the dough.
I just found this recipe and am excited to try it! Do you usually use a bread machine? It looks like a bread machine from the pics. I know that bagels are pretty motor-intensive so I was wondering what kind you use?
Thanks!
Oh my! Oh my! I just made these and they are fantastic! They are soft, yet chewy, and the outside is ever-so-slightly crispy. I am never buying bagels ever again … ever. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I’ve made these 3 or 4 times now. Once with the wheat flour variation, and the other times with white flour. They are THE YUMMIEST THINGS ON THE EARTH!! So much better than any store bought bagels I’ve found. My only question is: when you finish letting the dough balls rise and you poke a hole in them, does the dough do a weird deflating thing that leaves it a little wrinkly?? I don’t think the taste has been affected, but for some reason mine are having a weird texture on top because of that.
Lana – so glad you love these! As for the wrinkling issue – are your dough balls well covered? I know the recipe says to cover “lightly” but the reason they probably get wrinkly when you poke a hole through them is because the air has crusted the top of the dough a little bit (forming a bit of a skin) so when you poke the hole through that skin, it deflates the rest of the dough more than it would if the entire surface of the dough was soft. Does that make sense? Clear as mud? My recommendation would be to cover them so that there isn’t a lot of air flow around them as they puff up. If you really don’t think that’s the issue and that they are covered well enough…well, then, I’m stumped! The only other thing I can think of is maybe they need a bit more flour to hold their shape and not wrinkle down – bagel dough should be a bit stiffer than other yeast doughs. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I just found your site today through a link to your soft wrap bread. I will be making that for sure as my husband just discovered a love for felafel on his most recent deployment to Iraq and it sound just like what he described to me. But this bagel recipe is all for me. The bakery in our little town makes bagels that look just like these and they are amazing! Now the store bought bagels just seem so dense that I don’t care for them anymore. Looking forward to trying my hand at baking bread!
Hey Mel! Is it possible to leave your bagels in the boiling water for too long (or not long enough)? I made my first batch tonight, and they taste okay, however, the texture [on the outside] of a few of them is doughy. I also absent mindedly left them on the cookie sheet after they were done cooking which didnt help! My dough was also pretty sticky- not stiff like yours. I used my scale to measure, but I dont know if it is our altitude (Utah), the wet, rainy day or the flour I used …. I will definitely be trying these again though. I was almost there! 😀 Thanks!
Hi Barbi – yes, actually, leaving the bagels in the water for too long could make a difference (or not long enough). I think if they seemed overly doughy to you it might have been a combination of all the factors – rain and temperature and altitude can make a huge difference in baked goods. Even with the measurements (good for you for using a scale!) being at a high altitude, you may need to throw in a couple extra tablespoonfuls of flour to your baked goods.
Hi Melanie,
I am on round 2 of these bagels. I screwed up round 1 before the boiling phase so I am trying them again today!! 2 questions. Is it ok to put the dough to rise in a very slightly preheated oven? that is usually where I put my yeast breads to rise but maybe that isn’t the right place. our house is usually a little on the chilly side so I always worry the breads wont rise properly in a place that isn’t a little warm. second, at what point could I add in raisins, mini chocolate chips or cinnamon INTO the bagel. I would love to have bagels that have these ingredients IN them instead of just on top of them…thoughts??
thanks!
Melanie
Melanie – I never use a slightly preheated oven to rise my dough(s) because I have had bad luck with it – the dough gets a weird crust on it and it is never as fast as I want it to be. If it makes any difference, my house is always chilly, too – between 64 and 66 degrees and my dough rises just fine on the counter. Sometimes it takes longer than the suggested time but it always rises just fine. I’m not saying to not use the preheated oven, I just don’t have any really good advice for you on that point. If you want to add cinnamon or another dry ingredient like that, add it in with the other dry ingredients (flour, etc.). For raisins or chocolate chips, knead them in at the very end by hand after the dough has been kneaded most of the way already. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I made these the other day and they turned out so yummy! We gobbled them up and I wished I had made a double batch like you suggested. I will definitely be making these again. Thank you for all your delicious recipes!
I made these this morning (as well as the refrigerator bran muffins…also yummy) and couldn’t believe how easy, fun and delcious they were! I made some into sunflower bagels and some into poppy seed but I just saw that someone else did cinnamon and sugar and I want to make another batch just to try those! I can’t see why I would ever buy bagels from the grocery store again! These were just fantastic! Thanks for the amazing step by step instructions!
I have a bit of a yeast bread dough…”disability” but I tried this recipe. I followed your instructions step by step. (pics are a great help) and, I DID IT! they turned out amazing! seriously. amazing. thanks so much for helping a girl out 😉
how’s that stink-free kiddo endeavor going? 🙂
i’ve never made bagels and to tell you the truth, i had no idea how they were made. thanks for the schoolin’. 🙂
You just make this look too easy 🙂 Now I have to try making them. I am not toatlly dough comfortable yet…
Melanie,
Consider mission #2 completed. Yesturday I was at Costco and was tempted to buy the Pillsbury crescent rolls that come in can because they were on sale but I remembered that yummy recipe of butter crescent rolls you recently posted and decided to make those instead. I filled them with chicken and kind of made chicken bakes out of them. They were so delicious, my whole family devoured them-and the remaining rolls. Thanks for all the great recipes and tips!
I did it. I made them. They were much better than I thought they were going to be. Slather on some cream cheese (even better yet, cream cheese AND Nutella) while warm, and they were delightful. I always thought bagels were beyond my abilities. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
They should make a doctorate program for chefs. Then you would have the title of Dr. Melanie, because you have conquered your field of specialty!!
Hi Mel – Thanks for the wonderful tutorial for the bagels. I’ve made them once before, with another recipe, and they tasted ok but weren’t as pretty as yours. I have a question, I’m in the middle of making these and the dough tastes really salty. Could the amount of salt be a tad bit off or does it get milder after the dough is cooked? I’ve tried many of your recipes and I have never been disappointed!!
Angie – to be honest, I’ve never tasted the unbaked yeast dough while making these so I don’t know if it is on the salty side. The baked bagels, in my opinion, aren’t overly salty – so I hope yours mellow while baking. Let me know how they turn out!
I made these today….they are amazing!!! I made 2 plain, 2 with cheddar, 2 with poppy seed, and 2 with tastefully simple garlic garlic and parmesan cheese (this flavor was our favorite..it tasted like an everything bagel…only better).
Thanks for sharing!
The bagels turned out amazing! Thanks for helping me over come my intimidation of bagels made from scratch. I see many years of bagel making from home in my future. I also can’t wait to see what other great bread recipes you will be sharing with us. Another one I have marked to try out is the Naan bread.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I can’t wait to try your recipe. I love making bagels, but I haven’t done it in quite a while. Mine usually turn out well, but there are usually one or two that go rogue and end up deflating either right before or during baking. Any suggestions?
Wendy – I’m not exactly sure why that would be happening, to be honest. Perhaps it could be the bagel that ends up in the boiling water too long while the others are removed? I’m not sure!
What do you mean by gluten? Can you just buy gluten at the regular grocery store because I do not carry bread flour either. Love your site. Keep baking bread!
Hi Aimee – vital wheat gluten is sold in most average grocery stores (I’ve seen it everywhere from Walmart to our larger grocery stores) and is usually located near the other flours. I buy mine online at King Arthur Flour. Let me know if you have other questions!
Melanie – have you ever made mini bagels? I’m just wondering what the boiling time and baking time would be? Thanks!
Hi Stacy – I’ve never made mini bagels but love the idea. I’d probably cut the boiling time down to a minute each side and then watch the baking time – depending on the size, you may need to only bake for 10-ish minutes. Let me know if you try them out!
I am in the process of making these bagels 🙂 Here’s hoping I have success. I’ll let you know. Thanks for the step by step photos and all the amazing recipes you share. I haven’t had a recipe that wasn’t a success from your blog yet.
I’ve been wanting to make bagels for a while now! These look delicious, great tutorial.
I have always wanted to try bagels. I’ve been venturing into bread making a little more this year, so I’m sure the tutorial will be helpful! Thanks!
Those look so good! I love Asiago cheese bagels. I also like adding garlic to my asiago cheese bagels.
We love making homemade bagels! I made sweet potato ones this fall and those were amazing 🙂 But, I think blueberry or cinnamon raisin are on the top of our favorites list. These look wonderful — thanks for your tips.
I couldn’t wait even one more day, had to make these today and they are awesome! I love the crunchy outside and soft chewy inside. My kids are major fans of bagels so I have lots of happy kids right now. They love bagels so much that they decided they wanted these bagels for our FHE treat instead of the usual sugary treat.
I can’t wait to try these! The complete lack of good bagels might be the hardest thing about moving to TX from NJ. I so miss NYC bagels! I’m sure you’re doing an awesome job with your first goal, but non-smelly boys might be tough if you plan on letting them outdoors. My stepsons are 10 and 12, and I think they could win gold at the Olympics if “icky” was a sport! Good luck, though! I’m rooting for you. 🙂
I couldn’t wait another minute to try these so the bagels are in the oven as we speak….with cinnamon and sugar on top! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I have always been intimidated to make home-made bagels, until today! Your step-by-step tutorial is the best I have ever seen, Melanie! You are amazing! 🙂
We love bagels! I have been dying to make them from scratch for quite sometime but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I think that it is about time I change that! Thanks for the recipe and step-by-step photos!
this is so helpful! thank you! now ill have bagels to go with the cream cheese in my fridge!
This made my day! I have been looking for a bagel recipe and HERE IT IS! My only problem now is that yeast and I don’t get along at all… yet, but I’ll keep trying. I bet if I had a cool contraption like your handy dandy Bosch mixer it would like me better. Sadly, I don’t. Just my hands and they don’t work well with yeast. 🙁
I wonder if this recipe would do well with ALL whole wheat pastry flour, do you think?
AWESOME! as soon as hubby and i get through the low carbs phase of p90x, you can bet ill be making these! thanks for the tutorial.
Mel, these bagels look amazing and you make the process look so simple! Great photo tutorial, too. This will definitely come in handy for when I eventually get over my fear to try homemade bagels. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me with something new!
How long do these last without freezing? I can’t wait to make some but don’t want any going bad on me! Thanks!
Coralie – we eat these for about 2-3 days (by day 3 they taste best toasted).
Melanie,
What do you mean by “instant yeast”….I have looked for it in the grocery store and can’t find it. Does it go by a different name? This is different than active dry yeast right?
thanks,
melanie (jolyn B’s friend)
Melanie – instant yeast is also called rapid rise yeast. I know at Sam’s Club they carry the Fleischmann’s brand of instant yeast and the grocery stores in my area (which I assume are similar to your neck of the woods) have instant yeast in the little packets and in jars. Looking for “rapid rise” may help your search. Hope that helps a little!
When I pulled your website up, I was so excited to see your new bagel post! I’m trying to cut costs wherever possible, and have been slowly starting to make more bread items. Your step by step instructions make the process so much easier! Thank you!
This recipe is everything!!! We also loved the step-by-step instructions!
Have you ever made cinnamon raisin or blueberry bagels? Those are the faves around here. I imagine it would be relatively simple to add raisins or dried blueberries, but if anyone has measurements I’d love to hear them.
Rachel – I’ve never made either version so I don’t have any really great advice. I think with both you would probably want to knead in the raisins/fruit at the very end – and possibly add cinnamon with the other dry ingredients? Hmmm…just thoughts. Sorry!
Those look so good.
You never cease to amaze me! I just want one of YOUR bagels right now because I’m too tired to do anything at the moment. Maybe later this week though. Thank you, Mel! Your two goals in life are awesome. I know you’re doing a fine job on the second one, and am certain that you’re most likely nailing the first goal with just as much success.
I love bagels and have thought about trying to figure out how to make them at home – you really made it seem “easy” with the pictures and I appreciate that! I’m adding this to my “things to make” list – not sure when I’ll get to it but I will try it.
You made that look way too easy…and yummy!
This will be so fun to try! Thanks for the step by step instructions.