How to Make Real Homemade Bagels - A Step-by-Step Guide

There's nothing quite like the taste and texture of a real homemade bagel. Soft and chewy on the inside, with a golden-brown crust on the outside, a homemade bagel is the ultimate comfort food. And while they may seem daunting to make at first, with a little practice and the right recipe, you can easily recreate that classic New York deli experience in your own kitchen.

Homemade bagels are a labor of love, but the results are well worth the effort. The process of making bagels from sc...

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Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 4 ½ cups bread flour
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 4 quarts water
  • 1 cup honey (Optional)
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds (Optional)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (Optional)
  • 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes (Optional)
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt (Optional)

Information

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Additional Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
  • Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
  • Servings: 6
  • Yield: 6 bagels

  • Make bagels: Combine water, flour, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until dough is well-developed, about 8 minutes. To ensure the gluten has developed fully, cut off a walnut-sized piece of dough. Flour your fingers, and then stretch the dough: if it tears immediately, the dough needs more kneading. Fully developed dough should form a thin translucent "windowpane."
  • Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise for 2 hours.
  • Punch dough down, place it on a lightly floured work surface, and use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 6 pieces (or more, for smaller bagels). Roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape about 6 inches long. Join the ends to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange small plates with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and onion flakes next to the baking sheet.
  • Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add honey, if desired (see Editor's Note). Boil three bagels at a time, until they rise to the surface of the pot, about 1 minute per side. Remove bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the lined baking sheet.
  • Dip the tops of the wet bagels into the toppings and arrange them, seed-side up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the bagels begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Nutrition

    278 cal.

    • Total Fat: 7g
    • Saturated Fat: 1g
    • Sodium: 1372mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 56g
    • Dietary Fiber: 1g
    • Total Sugars: 54g
    • Protein: 2g
    • Vitamin C: 1mg
    • Calcium: 98mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 129mg