Homemade Everything Bagels

August 20, 2022
26 Comments
Breads

With only a few basic ingredients, and no stand mixer necessary, this easy homemade bagel recipe will leave your home feeling and smelling like a charming bakery!

Today we’re making homemade everything bagels. Baking fresh bread can seem a bit intimidating, but this recipe only requires a few basic ingredients – and no special equipment necessary!

Heres a video to guide you along the process.

@mxriyum
Replying to @eggo waffles Homemade Everything Bagels 🎞⏲
♬ Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller

Few tips:

To create a bagel with a wonderful crispy exterior, all while still maintaining an airy and soft center – kneading your dough for the correct amount of time is crucial. It is vital to develop the gluten in our dough. The more the dough is kneaded, the more elastic and stretchy it becomes creating a wonderful texture.
If you find that your dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you are satisfied with the texture. Remember climate and altitude play a large part in how much flour you will need.
Kneading dough is essentially “massaging” it by pushing the dough away from you with the heal of your palm, folding it over itself, then pulling it back in – and repeating the process for around 10-15 minutes.
After kneading your dough for several minutes, it should be significantly smoother then from when you first started. Do be careful not to over- knead it as well. Over-kneading your dough will cause it to tear quickly – to ensure that your dough is ready, give it the poke test! Poke your dough, if the indentation springs back quickly, you’re ready to go. If the indentation remains without springing back into shape, continue kneading.
Now, when it comes to yeast – don’t feel intimidated! The key is the water temperature. You want to add your yeast to lukewarm water – straight from the sink is perfect.
As for shaping your bagels – the less you play with them the better they will turn out. Keep the shaping process as quick and uncomplicated as possible. Lightly flour your hands and poke a hole in the middle of each dough ball. Then lightly rotate your dough in a circular motion to stretch it out slightly. Watch the video above for guidance.

Homemade Everything Bagels

There is truly nothing better than homemade bagels. This recipe in particular has a crisp, shiny crust yet tender and airy when cut in half. The perfect recipe to bake on a cozy weekend morning.

5 from 17 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Breakfast

Servings 8 Bagels

Ingredients

Yeast Mixture

1 1/2 tbsp Active dry yeast instant will work just as well
1 tbsp Sugar
2 1/4 cups Warm water

Dough

5 cups All purpose flour (625g) an extra half cup at a time may be necessary (remember, when making bread the climate and altitude in which you live in play a huge part in how much flour you may need
2 tsp Kosher salt
3 tbsp Light brown sugar packed

Boiling water

1/4 cup Light brown sugar
1 pot Water around 2 quarts

Toppings

Everything but the bagel seasoning

Egg wash

1 Egg
2 tbsp Water

Instructions

Prepare your yeast mixture

Add your yeast, warm water, and sugar together in a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare your dough

While your yeast is resting, add all of your flour, brown sugar, and salt to a separate bowl and whisk together.
After 10 minutes, add your yeast mixture to the rest of your ingredients.
Take a large mixing spoon and roughly combine your dough ingredients.
If you find that your dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until you are satisfied with the texture. Remember climate, and altitude play a large part in how much flour you will need.
Once your dough has shaped into a rough dough ball, take it out of your bowl and on to a lightly floured surface
Now, you can use a stand mixer – but if you don't have one, with lightly floured or oiled hands, knead your dough for 10- 15 minutes until smooth.
I highly recommend sticking with just 5 cups of flour, but ofc there are many factors that play into how much flour you may need. If you feel like your dough is far too sticky add an extra 1/2 cup. If it has shaped well into a ball with just 5 cups of flour (still slightly sticky) just oil your hands a bit and continue to knead. It will eventually come together beautifully.
Next, separate your dough into 8 dough balls. Cover with a damp, clean towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes

Shape your bagels

After 15 minutes, take your index finger and press a hole through the center of each dough ball.
To further improve the bagel shape, lightly flour your hands and rotate your dough in a circular motion – slightly stretching the dough without ruining the overall shape of our bagels. (watch video above for a visual)
Add a square cut out of parchment paper under each bagel as you finish shaping them. This step will be extremely helpful once we begin boiling our bagels.
Cover your bagels once again with a clean, damp towel. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).

Water bath

Fill a large pot with water, about 2 quarts. Whisk in your 1/4c brown sugar, and bring to a boil.
Boil your bagels for 1 minute on each side. About 2-3 bagels at a time, you don't want to overcrowd your pot.

Baking your bagels

Add your boiled bagels to a prepared baking sheet.
Optional, using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Provides an extra chewy and slightly more golden crust. Lastly, sprinkle on your everything bagel seasoning. The amount is up to you.
Bake for 25-35 minutes. Every oven performs differently, keep a close eye on them. You want your bagels to be beautifully golden, but also not too deep in color.
Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice your bagel with a serrated knife, toast, and top with whatever you'd like!

How to store your bagels

Cover any left over bagels tightly, or store them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for about a week.

Keyword bagels, baking, dough, everythingbagels, everythingbutthebagel, freshbread, homemade