How to Make Easy Homemade Bagels

bread flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: all-purpose flour

Whole wheat flour is more nutritious, while all-purpose flour is budget-friendly.

malt syrup

💰Cheaper: honey

Honey can be a more accessible sweetener.

Add 2 cups of warm water to a bowl, ensuring it's no hotter than 110°F (43°C).

Add 1 packet of active dry yeast (about 2 and 1/4 teaspoons) to the water and stir until dissolved.

Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the mixture and stir until combined.

Let the mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead.

Add 6 cups of bread flour and 2 tablespoons of salt to the yeast mixture.

Mix the flour and salt into the yeast mixture using a fork until all liquid is absorbed, resulting in a shaggy dough.

Pour the dough onto a work surface and knead using a push and fold method for about 15 minutes until elastic and no longer sticky.

Oil a bowl and place the kneaded dough inside, rolling it to coat with oil. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

After rising, punch down the dough and prepare two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, buttering the parchment.

Tip the dough out onto the work surface and spread it to about 3/4 inch thick.

Cut the dough into halves, then quarters, and finally into eighths to form 8 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball by folding edges into the center and pinching closed, then rolling in the palm to form a ball.

Flatten each ball slightly and create a hole in the center, rolling it to ensure the hole is large enough as it will close during baking.

Cover the formed bagels with tea towels and let them rise until almost doubled.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

In a medium pot, combine 3/4 water, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of baking soda to create the boiling solution.

Cover the pot and bring the solution to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Boil the bagels two at a time for 30 seconds on each side, up to 1 minute total.

Remove the bagels from the boiling solution and brush with egg wash.

Top the bagels with everything bagel seasoning and cheddar cheese.

Bake the bagels at 425°F for 15 minutes on one side, then 5 minutes on the other side.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens