Make an Easy Bagel Recipe

This is such an easy bagel recipe. Did you know that you can make the most delicious bagels at home? Did you know that it is easy to create this wonderful iconic bread simply and easily without special equipment and a 6-year long baking apprenticeship? Well, you do now.

Use this recipe, which we use a lot at home so it’s thoroughly tried and tested and make these delicious New York style bagels, simply and easily at home.

Let’s go!

What is a bagel?

A bagel is basically a round, yeasted roll with a hole in the middle.

It isn’t clear why they were ever made with a central hole but it may have been a way of getting the buns to bake evenly or the hole may have made it easier to display them for sale. The bagels could be strung out on horizontal poles or dowels to show them off and attract customers.

They are slightly unusual in the dough world as they’re boiled before they’re baked. Why? Again it’s not clear where this method originated but it is what gives them that characteristic chewiness and denser texture to the bread.

Popularity of the bagel

It’s thought bagels originated amongst the Jewish communities in Poland or possibly Germany. But, wherever it came from in the beginning it became incredibly popular in the United States and is particularly associated with New York. These days bagels are massively popular just about everywhere.

Features of this easy bagel recipe

This is an easy bagel recipe. Yes, it does have a few steps to it and boiling the dough before baking it, is pretty unusual. But, if you’ve ever wanted to make your own homemade bread, I’m confident that you can be successful following this recipe.

This recipe will give you delicious fresh bagels that are slightly spongy like a fresh bread roll would be. They have all the chewiness and firm texture that you would expect from the best bakery-style bagel. The chewiness develops over a few hours. once it’s been baked. You’ll find that the day after you’ve made them that they are quite different in that they’ll be chewier and a little denser.

These have such a wonderful flavour and great texture that you may not buy bagels again

Easy Bagel Recipe Ingredients

These are all pretty much everyday ingredients that you’re likely to have in your pantry.

• bread flour – I use bread flour when making bagels and it is important in achieving the bagel texture and chewiness. You may substitute all-purpose flour (plain flour) but the texture and chewiness won’t be as good.
• sugar – sweetens the dough slightly and helps the yeast to activate.
• yeast – dried yeast that can be used for hand baking and doesn’t need activating.
• salt – this highlights all the other flavours in the bread.
• luke warm water – this helps with combining all the ingredients together to create a nice, smooth dough. The amount of water needed to do this will vary slightly dependent upon the flour you use. The temperature of the water helps to get a good rise to the dough.
• sesame seeds – these are optional for topping the bagels. More on that later.

Easy Bagel Recipe – an overview

Making this easy bagels recipe involves just a few steps. I call this recipe easy because they are straightforward to make although they do involve a little bit of time. Generally, you can get other things done whilst you wait for the dough to prove and bake. Your reward will be the most delicious bagels you’ve ever tasted… I’m sure of it.

1. Making the bagel dough and a first rise of 1 hour or until doubled in size.
2. Shaping the bread dough and a second rise of ten minutes
   1. We use the method of making a round bun shape of dough and then making a hole in the centre rather than the traditional method of rolling out log shaped pieces of dough and joining the ends, a little bit like how you’d join a daisy chain.
3. Boiling the bagel dough – this is what gives bagels their shiny crust and chewy texture.
4. Baking the boiled bagels on a prepared baking sheet. These may be baked with or without extra toppings.

More detailed explanation of the method for making bagels

Step 1 – the Making of the dough

This gives a few more details about making the bagels but everything you need to know is in the recipe card below.

Begin by adding the flour, yeast, sugar to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt to the opposite side of the bowl to the yeast.

Add in 2/3 of the water and use this to create a soft dough. Only add more of the water as you need it, to bring everything together to form a dough.

Knead the dough for about ten minutes until it is smooth and elastic and bounces back when pressed with a finger.

Oil a bowl by coating the base and sides. This allows the dough to rise freely. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with either a tea towel or cling film and leave it to rise out of the way of draughts. Leave until it has doubled in size which will probably take about an hour.

Step 2 – Shaping the dough and the second rise

Once it has doubled in size, knock back the dough. (Knock the air out of it by folding the dough repeatedly until the dough is smooth) and divide into 7 evenly sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball using the palm of your hand to help you do so.

Then you need to make the holes in the centre of the dough ball. Use a finger to do this and make sure that it goes all the way through the dough. Move your finger around to widen the hole slightly. Repeat this with all of the dough balls.

Step 3 – Boiling the bagel dough

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water, I use a soup pan for this as I can fit in 4 bagels at a time. Preheat the oven 425F/220C/200C Fan.

Allow the dough to rise for a further ten minutes. Then using a slotted spoon or slotted turner (fish slice) lower each bagel gently into the simmering water. I can fit 4 bagels into my large soup saucepan. If your pan is smaller you may not get as many in. You need to allow space for the bagels to rise and expand a little without being squashed by the bagels around them. After 2 minutes turn the bagel over, using the slotted spoon or slotted turner (fish slice) and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

Once they’ve boiled on both sides, place them on a greased baking sheet or one that is lined with baking parchment (I find that baking parchment makes for an easier clean-up after baking)

If you’re going to add seeds as a topping for your bagels, now is the time to do this. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before placing them in the oven. (Note: other seeds such as sunflower seeds, poppy seeds or pumpkin seeds or a mixture of all of these make great toppings too.)

Step 4 – Baking the Bagels

This is a fairly quick process.

Bake for approximately eighteen minutes on a prepared baking sheet or tray, until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before eating.

Bagel Toppings

These are a few simple bagel toppings that you can add to your amazing bagel before you bake it.

• sesame seeds – these are just sprinkled over top of the bagel.
• mixed seeds – how about a mixture of seeds such as sunflower, poppy seeds or pumpking seeds?
• sea salt – how about a little sea salt scattered over the surface.
• a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to make them a properly sweet breakfast bagel or suitable for a mid-morning break.

How to eat your bagel

Bagels are so popular that you probably already have lots of favourite ways of eating them. These are a few of our favourite ways of eating them.

• cream cheese is an obvious filling… spread it lavishly across your wonderful homemade bagel.
• fresh with just a delicious scraping of butter or your favourite spread.
• how about hummus; the classic, traditional version or the green hummus version that adds spinach for some extra nutrition.
• want a warm filling? How about a fried or poached egg? You could also add a little sriracha or tomato ketchup and really go to town.
• toasted and filled with a portobello mushroom that’s been baked with garlic and herbs. Delicious!
• your favourite sandwich fillings will all work in these deliciously chewy fresh bagels. Fillings such as peanut butter or an avocado topping.

How long do fresh bagels last?

These homemade bagels are best eaten fresh but should last up to 3 days, in an appropriate container. They rarely last long enough in our house to fully test that out.

Some people say that the flavour of bagels improves on the second day and that they become even more flavourful and chewy. That would be our experience too.

Other Recipes you may like to try

To fill your freshly made bagel;

• Easy Avocado Hummus Dip
• Avocado Toast (with variations and ideas)
• Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread
• Peanut Butter
• Almond butter
• Vegan Cream Cheese
• Green Hummus using spinach

Other bread recipes you may wish to try…

• Soda bread
• Yogurt flatbreads
• Focaccia
• Easy Margherita Pizza

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