Best Easy Homemade Everything Bagels
These homemade everything bagels are made from scratch using wholesome ingredients. Chewy and delicious and topped with a savory everything bagel seasoning, they make a great breakfast or snack anytime.
Bagels are one of our favorite breakfasts. We prefer savory bagels in our family, and these homemade everything bagels do the trick. Quick and easily customizable, they make a delicious and filling breakfast or snack. They require no special tools and really are very simple and easy to make!
Let me show you how!
Bagel Dough
This dough requires only a few simple ingredients. Bread flour, yeast, water, salt, and honey. That’s it! Bagels, much like pizza crust, require a leaner dough. This means that they are made without much fat to get that nice crust we all love. I also use bread flour in my bagels. You could definitely substitute all purpose flour, but I highly recommend bread flour if you have it on hand. Bread flour has a much higher protein content, making for a much chewier texture that is signature for bagels.
Rise, Boil, and Bake
Once you have mixed the dough together, cover and let it rise on the counter for at least an hour before beginning to shape the bagels. If you are making the bagel dough ahead of time to use the next day, pop the dough into the fridge until ready to use. It will still rise in the fridge! I do this often and actually prefer letting the dough sit in the fridge overnight. Once you are ready to bake the dough, you will pull it from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour before beginning to shape.
To shape the bagels, lightly dust the counter with flour and divide the dough into 8 sections. I use my bench scraper to divide and cut the dough. I choose not to stress over getting each bagel exactly the same size. If you would prefer them to all be equal, you could use a food scale to weigh each ball of dough.
Roll each section of dough into a ball, and then press it down slightly. Poke your finger through the center of the ball of dough to create a hole, and then use 2 fingers to widen the hole. That’s it! The holes don’t have to be perfect- mine never are!
Now, boiling the bagels is a quick, but essential step. Boiling them is what gives them that nice shine and gives them a nice crust, which helps them keep their shape while they bake in the oven. Boil them for 1 minute on each side, using a slotted spoon to lower them and lift them out of the boiling water. Once the bagels are boiled, I brush them with egg wash and then add my preferred toppings.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, watching them closely. Sometimes I will turn the pan around in the oven to ensure that all the bagels brown nicely.
How to Eat + Topping Ideas
These homemade everything bagels are yummy slathered with cream cheese or butter. We will sometimes use them as a base for breakfast sandwiches with egg and sausage, or even for lunch with cheese and deli meat. If you wanted to go for a sweeter option, you could add cinnamon or dried fruit to the dough and top with cinnamon sugar. Chocolate chips would also be yummy! The options are endless.
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Homemade Everything Bagels
These homemade everything bagels are made from scratch using wholesome ingredients. Chewy and delicious, they make a great breakfast or snack anytime.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, around 110 degrees
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 cups bread flour
Boiling
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
Everything Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- Egg Wash- 1 egg white mixed with 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the dough. Activate the yeast by adding warm water, 2 tablespoons honey, and yeast to a bowl. Gently whisk together and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is activated. You will know its ready when the yeast is bubbly and foamy.
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the proofed yeast, salt, and flour and begin to mix together on low speed. I recommend adding in the flour slowly, about a 1/2 cup at a time.
- Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. The dough may seem slightly stiff and that's okay. Using the mixer, continue kneading the dough for about 5-6 minutes. You will know that it is kneaded enough when you poke it with your finger and it slowly bounces back.
- Lightly grease a bowl with oil (I use avocado oil- you can use whatever you have on hand) and add the dough. Let it rise for 60-90 minutes out on the counter. If you are making the dough ahead of time, add the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap before putting in the fridge.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Remember this doesn't have to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a ball, and press your finger through the center of each ball to make a hole. Place each bagel on the baking sheets and set aside while you prepare to boil them.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, adding in the honey and baking soda and stirring before adding the bagels. I recommend adding only a few bagels at a time so you don't overcrowd the pot. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower each bagel into the water, boiling them for 1 minute on each side.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on top and around the sides of each bagel, then top with everything bagel seasoning, or your preferred toppings.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
- Enjoy!
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