There’s nothing quite like biting into a warm, chewy bagel fresh out of the oven, and with this easy homemade bagel recipe, you can recreate that bakery-style taste right in your own kitchen. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, these bagels are flavorful, chewy on the outside, and soft on the inside—everything a great bagel should be.
Why I Started Making My Own Bagels
Since moving to Louisville, I’ve searched for a bagel shop that matched the ones I grew up with back in Connecticut. When I couldn’t find anything that came close, I decided to take matters into my own hands. After experimenting, I discovered just how easy and rewarding it is to make fresh bagels at home. Now, I’ll never go back to store-bought—the flavor and texture simply don’t compare.
The Perfect Homemade Bagel
This recipe proves that making bagels doesn’t have to be complicated. With flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and water, you can create a dough that’s shaped into rounds, boiled briefly, and then baked to golden perfection. The result is a bagel that’s chewy, slightly crisp on the outside, and wonderfully soft inside. You can keep them plain or customize with toppings like sesame seeds, everything seasoning, or cinnamon sugar.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Homemade bagels are not only fresher and more flavorful than store-bought, but they’re also fun to make. They freeze beautifully, so you can bake a batch on the weekend and have bagels ready for breakfast all week long. Serve them toasted with cream cheese, use them for sandwiches, or enjoy them warm straight from the oven. Once you try this recipe, you may never look at bagels the same way again.
How to Store the Easy Homemade Bagels
- Room Temperature: Keep bagels in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in parchment inside a bread box for up to 2 days. This keeps the crust chewy without getting soggy.
- Refrigerator: Not recommended, since refrigeration can dry bagels out. Instead, freeze extras if you won’t eat them right away.
- Freezer: Slice bagels in half before freezing so they’re easy to toast straight from the freezer. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Toast frozen or day-old bagels directly in the toaster or oven. For a softer finish, spritz lightly with water and warm in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes.
Troubleshooting Tips for Perfect Bagels
- Bagels Too Dense: This usually means the dough wasn’t kneaded enough or the yeast didn’t activate properly. Make sure your yeast is fresh and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Flat Bagels: If bagels deflate after shaping, they may have over-proofed. Keep an eye on the rise—bagels should puff slightly but still feel firm before boiling.
- Not Chewy Enough: The boiling step is key! Boil each bagel for 1–2 minutes per side. Skipping or rushing this step will make them more like bread rolls.
- Toppings Not Sticking: Brush the bagels with egg wash or a little water before adding toppings like sesame seeds or everything seasoning.
- Uneven Texture: Make sure to shape the dough into smooth rounds with a uniform hole in the middle. Uneven shaping can cause lopsided baking.
Hungry for more?
Easy Homemade Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (between 100-110°F)
- 2 and 3/4 tsp instant or active dry yeast
- 4 cups bread flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- nonstick spray or 2 tsp olive oil (to coat the bowl)
- 1 egg white beaten with 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
For Boiling
- 2 quarts water
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
Prepare your dough:
- Whisk the warm water and yeast together the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the next step.
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough is very stiff and will look somewhat dry.
Knead the dough:
- Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 6-7 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 6-7 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until double in size.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shape the bagels:
- When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it—doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball. Press your index finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Loosely cover the shaped bagels with kitchen towel and rest for a few minutes as you prepare the water bath.
- Preheat oven to 425°F
Water bath:
- Fill a large, wide pot with 2 quarts of water. Whisk in the honey. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in, 2-4 at a time, making sure they have enough room to float around. Cook the bagels for 1 minute on each side.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel. Place 4 bagels onto each lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You want the bagels to be a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice, toast, top, whatever you want! Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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