Why You’ll Love This Easy Bagel Recipe
They’re easier than you think. Bagels have a few extra steps compared to a basic loaf of bread, but none of them are difficult. The dough and process are pretty straightforward. I’ll walk you through every step!
They have the best chewy texture. There is something about a fresh, homemade bagel that makes an ordinary morning feel a little more special. Crisp and golden on the outside, perfectly chewy in the middle, and still warm from the oven? Yes, please.
You can customize them. Keep them classic with sesame or everything seasoning, make cinnamon raisin bagels for breakfast, or add your favorite savory toppings. Homemade bagels are basically a blank canvas.
They taste so much better fresh. There’s a pretty big difference between a bagel that’s been sitting in a plastic bag for days and one that comes out of your oven warm, fragrant, and ready to eat. Fresh homemade bagels win every time.
Perfect for easy lunches! My kids aren’t big sandwich lovers which can be terribly frustrating. But thankfully, they love taking a bagel and cream cheese as an option! Especially with it being homemade, I feel much better about it being a good lunch option!
I love making bagels at home because they feel like one of those recipes that should be complicated—but really aren’t. If you’ve never made bagels from scratch before, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through the process so you can make bakery-style bagels right in your own kitchen.
How to Make Bagels From Scratch
Making homemade bagels is really a simple process of mixing, kneading, rising, shaping, boiling, and baking. The recipe below gives you all of the specific measurements and timing, but here’s what you’re looking for as you go.
1. Make the dough
Start by mixing your dough ingredients together until a cohesive dough forms. Bagel dough is firmer than a soft sandwich bread dough, so it should feel sturdy! I think including barley malt syrup makes a big difference in the taste, but honey or brown sugar are easy substitutes!
2. Let the dough rise
A quick 30-60 minutes depending on how warm your environment is! Temperature, humidity, and the strength of your yeast can all affect how quickly your dough rises.
3. Shape the bagels
Makes 12 perfect bagels – 6 to a tray. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Then make the hole in the center and gently stretch it until you have a classic bagel shape.
TIP: Don’t make the hole too small! The dough will puff up as it rises and bakes, so a slightly larger opening will help you end up with that recognizable bagel shape.
If you’ve been around here a while, you know how much I LOVE and use my favorite brand of sheet pan with lids. It’s so easy to have the bagels rest there covered before boiling so they don’t dry out! Here’s a link to just the lid if you already have the pans!
4. Boil the bagels
Boiling is what gives it that iconic bagel taste! In New York, they pride themselves on their unique water that gives it the famous flavor. While most of us don’t have New York City water at our disposal, this technique of boiling prior to baking will still transform your end result, so don’t skip it!
5. Add your toppings and bake
Once the bagels have been boiled, add your favorite toppings and transfer them immediately to the oven. Bake until they’re beautifully golden brown and cooked through. Try to resist cutting into one immediately, but that first warm bagel straight from the oven is one of the best parts of making them yourself. Enjoy!
The Best Ways to Eat Homemade Bagels
At my 2026 Spring Baking Retreat (a luxury weekend getaway full of baking and lots of eating!) we made homemade bagels as one of the classes, and then had them the next day for breakfast with a huge spread. It was so fun experimenting with all the different toppings.
Try them with:
- Cream cheese and smoked salmon
- Egg, cheese, and bacon for a breakfast sandwich
- Peanut butter and honey
- Avocado and a sprinkle of everything seasoning
- Turkey, cheese, and your favorite sandwich toppings
- Butter and a little flaky salt
- Cream cheese with fresh berries or jam
And honestly? Sometimes my favorite way to eat a homemade bagel is simply warm from the oven with a little butter. You put that much effort into making something from scratch—you might as well enjoy it at its simplest.
Some pictures from our bagel making class at the retreat:
Can I Make These As Sourdough Bagels?
HUGE YES!
Sourdough bagels are just as easy and add just a subtle complex flavor. Same amount of hands on time, just a little longer rise time. The sourdough version of this is in my Sourdough Guide, Classic Sourdough along with so many other delicious sourdough recipes (brownies, pancakes, pretzels – just to name a few!).
Here’s how I’d modify this recipe for sourdough:
- Swap the instant yeast for 200 grams fed, active sourdough starter.
(If you need some amazing starter, my starter Molly hasn’t ever let me down for years! It activates in just a couple days!) - Increase the rise time in the first rise. Instead of 1 hour, expect about 3-5 hours (depending on temperature and humidity).
- Increase the rise time in the second rise. Instead of just a small rest while you prep the water bath, I like to let the sourdough ones rest a bit longer, 30-60 minutes.
All the other steps stay the same!
Bagel Help
Why do bagels need to be boiled before baking?
Boiling the bagels sets the outside of the dough before it goes into the oven. This creates the chewy, slightly crisp exterior that makes a bagel different from other types of bread. The dough will wrinkle up and look weird, but I promise once it goes in the oven, they will puff up and not look wrinkly anymore!
Why are my homemade bagels not chewy?
The final texture can be affected by several things, including the dough’s hydration, gluten development, proofing, and boiling time. One big proponent is the boiling time. Try boiling longer for desired chewiness. I start with about 60 seconds, but you can give it more or less time than that for your preference!
What is the best way to apply toppings to bagels?
If you like a light application of toppings, just sprinkle on top! If you love a full, thick coating, my favorite approach is to flip the bagel over (right side down) on top of the plate of toppings. It’s just a full dunk situation that gives everything a nice, full, even coat. Just keep it on the pan for a few good seconds after boiling before you try to dunk it, because that bagel will be hot!!
Is it bad if my bagels aren’t floating to the top when boiling?
Bagels floating to the top of the boiling water is a great indication that the bagels are fully proofed. If your bagels are sinking to the bottom and not coming to the top within about 20 seconds then it likely means they need more time rising. It’s a great idea to start by testing one bagel to check the proofing to determine if the others need more time!
Fresh Bagels Are Always Worth It
If you’ve never made homemade bagels before, let this be your sign to give them a try.
There’s something so satisfying about taking a few simple ingredients, turning them into dough, shaping each bagel by hand, and watching them come out of the oven golden brown and beautifully chewy.
And once you make them yourself, you may find yourself looking at the bagel aisle at the grocery store a little differently.
If you end up trying it out, let me know how it goes in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!
Homemade Bagels (New York Style)
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups water, lukewarm
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp Barley malt syrup *see notes for easy substitutes!
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 7 1/4 cups (906 grams) bread flour
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
Water bath
- 2-3 quarts boiling water
- 1 tbsp barley malt syrup *see notes for easy substitutes!
Instructions
Dough Prep
- In a large bowl (or mixer bowl with dough hook attachment) combine water, yeast, and barley malt syrup (or substitute of choice; see notes). *If you are using active yeast instead of instant yeast, wait about 8-10 minutes to ensure your yeast mixture gets foamy, an indicator that it’s been activated.
- Add half of the amount of flour to begin, ~300 grams (or ~ 3 1⁄2 cups) and salt. Mix together until flour is fully mixed in.
- Once the flour is incorporated, add the remaining flour. The dough will be very dense and stiff. If the dough feels too soft and sticky, add additional flour as needed as you begin to knead. *Make sure you weigh the flour or use the spoon and level method. Never pack or scoop flour.**This can be too stiff of a dough on many electric mixers and can burn out your motor. I recommend mixing in as much of the flour as possible for ease, then remove from mixer and finish kneading by hand.
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. You are done kneading when dough becomes more elastic and passes “the window pane test”. Gently pull a piece of the dough apart. If it stretches easily and you can start to see light through it like a cloudy window pane, then it’s ready! If you can’t, knead for an additional couple minutes.
Rise
- Grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place your dough into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the rise for about 1 hour, until about doubled in size. (You can also put the dough in the fridge before it rises and let it slowly rest and rise in the refrigerator overnight)
- When your dough is close to finishing its rise, prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Prepare your egg wash by whisking together egg and water together in a bowl.
Form
- Time to form your bagels. Punch down your risen dough to release the gas bubbles. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces – they should be *about* 125 grams each.
- Form each piece into a round ball. I like to do this by pulling the corners into the center, then flipping over so the seam side is down, and cupping the ball with the palm of my hand, rub it in a circular motion to seal the bottom and provide more tension in the dough. Do this with all 12 pieces.
- Put your finger through the center of a prepared ball, making a hole like a donut. Then using 2 fingers, rotate the dough, gradually stretching the center till it has about a 2” hole in the center. Let it rest on the baking sheet and complete with remaining dough.
Boil & Bake
- While the formed bagels rest, fill a large pot with water. Add barley malt syrup or honey (or you can omit it all together!), and let it come to a gentle boil.
- Using a slotted spoon or spatula, lower your bagel into the boiling water. You can place as many as will fit in the pot. Don’t stack them. Let it boil for 1 minute. The longer it’s in the water, the chewier it gets. You can adjust that timing per your preference.
- Remove bagels from the water and transfer back to the baking sheet. Continue this process with the remaining bagels.Add toppings as desired, or brush an egg wash on top of the plain bagels. See notes for topping ideas.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Try to let them cool before slicing to prevent it from feeling gummy inside. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. These also freeze well up to months.
Notes
• Plain
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Poppyseeds
• Sesame seeds
• Dried onions
• Cinnamon crunch (1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon)
• Asiago cheese
• Pizza style (mozzarella cheese + pepperoni)
• Cinnamon raisin bagels: add 1 tsp ground cinnamon to flour mixture when
creating the dough and mix in 1 1/3 cup raisins during the last 2 minutes of
kneading.
